It’s been almost two whole months since Victorio and I announced Project:Social, and we have had an amazing response. So far there have been three mentees matched with someone who can teach and guide them in the ways of the social media world. Those groups have been our “beta” testers, and we have received some good feedback from them on their experiences.

I even got to plug Project:Social during the SHRM Leadership Conference social media panel. What a great way to help the volunteer leaders in SHRM to learn how to use social media!

Anyway, our participants have also been prolific, from cross posting on blogs to sharing topics/ideas and more.

Lisa and William Continue Reading »

I meant this video to be a quick response to the social media panel and then I start rambling on about other stuff that I’ve been thinking about during this event. Soon enough the video will come out with all of us on the panel and that will be worth its own post. Enjoy!

There was a great panel this morning at the SHRM Leadership Conference about some of the “hot” HR issues, including Diversity and Inclusion, Workplace Flexibility, and Social Media. Check out the short video below where I talk about some of the interesting quotes I heard.

(When I tested the video, it played without the lag between the visual and the audio. But them someone told me it was showing weird for them. Sorry about that if it’s broken, but just listen. As always, it’s the content that counts!)

Video Notes:

• Eric Petersen-importance of separating the things  a 20 year old does and the things that make a generation different.
• Lisa Horn-workplace flexibility isn’t just for women. Yeah.
• Curtis Midkiff-Continuing the conversation after a conference is one of the best uses for social media.

Yeah, it’s not exactly what I came here for, but I thought they were interesting enough to share.

SHRM has some work to do to catch up on social media, and a while back they hired a guy named Curt Midkiff to make that happen. You may remember me writing about Curtis before (part one and part two). Well, it’s been six months since his first appearance here, and I thought it was time for us to give him a performance review.

What do you think went well this year? What did you accomplish?

When I came to SHRM in April, our team had several initial goals for the balance of the year which were:

1. Enhance our engagement with some of the key “HR voices” in social media.
2. Increase engagement in our Annual Conference via social media.
3. Create some initial beta platforms for engagement via social media.
4. Be a resource for other SHRM departments and leaders looking to engage external audiences via social media.
5. Get Ben Eubanks to become a SHRM member
6. Work with the collaborative social media team here at SHRM to develop a strategic approach to social media.

I think that we achieved some of those in these first six months but there is much more we want to next year!

2. Do you see any areas that need improvement?

Hmmm… Let’s see. Quicker blog posting from my SHRM10 blog squad (my fault guys, we will get all your work up next year in Vegas… ). And maybe we need to enhance our cloning software here at SHRM so I can be at six or seven places at once especially all the great social media conferences going on. But seriously, I think that next year offers a great opportunity for growth in the social media space here at SHRM. We have a number of people here at the headquarters that are integrating it into the work they are doing so collectively you can expect to see some cool things next year.

3. Goals for the Upcoming Year

1. To enhance our external social media platforms. I think we made a good start in these areas but in 2011 we can plan to do more. We will generate more content (videos, blogs, etc.) to give people a fuller picture of the work SHRM is doing as a global organization.
2. Annual Conference 2.0 — We are already working on some interesting things for 2011 to really increase engagement via social media. The feedback we received from the Social Media Lounge, The Blog Squad and TweetUp last year has now set the bar much higher and I think we are up to the challenge. At least from a social media perspective, we want to make sure what happens at Annual Conference in Vegas doesnt just stay in Vegas!
3. Equip our Leaders and Members with Social Media Tools — I think that we will be in a position next year to provide more tools for our Volunteer leaders and our Members which will enable to understand the power and potential of social media. As I mentioned before, we have a great cross-divisional initiative going on here at SHRM that is going to better equip our employees in the social media space which we can then pass along to our leaders and members.
4. Blogapalooza 2011 — We really want to get out there among the members to talk about social media and also listen to some of the best practices happening in the “field”. In my travels this year, I have met SHRM members like yourself (who by the way along with Victorio are doing some great work with #ProjectSocial) who are making some great strides in social media. We can assist as well as learn from these experiences as well. I am headed to Ohio in Dec and some of our other state conferences in 2011 so the tour bus is ready to roll.
5. SHRM11 — As I mentioned before we looked at Annual Conference 2010 as a launch pad for enhanced social media engagement. Since then, we have had a presence at our SHRM Thought Leaders Retreat, SHRM Strategy Conference and our Diversity and Inclusion Conference. You will be happy to know that Annual Conference 2011 will be the next step in that progression. As is everything at SHRM its a team effort, so we are working witn a number of departments here on a social media presence that will build upon last year’s “beta test”. Stay tuned.

Peer reviews (360 feedback)

In an effort to get a well-rounded review for Curtis, I asked a few people to tell me about their own perception of him and the work he’s done so far. I asked for honest feedback, and that’s what I got!

I have met with Curt several times (at SHRM conferences) and found him to be engaging and knowledgeable. The overall impression he gives regarding the possibility of national SHRM adopting social media and encouraging its use is commendable. I still see national SHRM conferences offering sessions that lean more toward the control of employee use of social media platforms, but I do not see this as something that Curt alone can impact.

I would like to see him continue to reach out to HR practitioners in the field who are using sites in their organizations successfully. By sharing those cases with SHRM leadership, he’ll continue to advance the positive image we need. I also recommend having Curt pull together a round table of these same professionals to talk with SHRM leadership about the benefits and how we’ve overcome the concerns of social media use. –Trish McFarlane

Curtis has done the best job he can in his short time with SHRM. He in essence has two bosses, the people at SHRM and the social media HR community. SHRM writes the checks. The challenge lies with SHRM itself and the red tape and seas that Curtis must navigate to help bridge the gap between SHRM and social media.

I would like to see Curtis spending more time engaging and leveraging the social media HR community while also learning more about what it’s like to be a HR practioner. I’d recommend that Curtis spend at minimum four weeks shadowing a typical member and learning about some of the obstacles and issues they face. This will increase his knowledge and credibility among the human resource members he serves. –Jessica Miller-Merrill

As a member and volunteer leader, I was super-pleased when SHRM named Curtis to his position (better late than never, hey SHRM?).  He’s had a lot to accomplish in a short time, but has gamely engaged with his audience of members; an audience which is often clueless, afraid and reluctant    I particularly enjoyed participating in the Curtis-led CLA Membership webinar – “Social Media for Chapters and State Councils.”  Well played Curtis – I hope you can keep it going! –Robin Schooling, SPHR

And that, my friends, is a review! Have any thoughts on the work Curtis is doing? Let’s hear ‘em!

Blogs. They are everywhere, and their numbers are growing by the hour. Lots of companies are being encouraged to blog as a way to market themselves and reach candidates, but it’s a sad fact that most corporate blogs are terrible (84%, in fact). They are filled with press releases and other one-way communications that are not helpful in building a community or encouraging conversation. Let’s remedy that.

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a long, long time now. While I haven’t had the opportunity (yet) to write a corporate blog, I have been writing this blog for over a year and a half. In the past 15 months, I’ve also been writing my SHRM chapter’s blog as well. I’m by no means an expert, but I’ve learned a lot and made enough mistakes to see what works and what doesn’t.

It’s all about authenticity and value

If it reads like a press release, people won’t be interested. Press releases have their own place, but it’s not in a blog. Content from a press release can be used in a blogging context, but it needs to be as a sidebar or commentary item, not the main fare.

So, if you’re not just spouting PR stuff from the blog, what do you talk about? Two of my favorite corporate blogs are by MailChimp and EventBrite. I’m not a full time email manager or event planner, but I still subscribe to both of these blogs and read them religiously. Why? They provide a great mix of customer-focused  ”how to” posts, comments on their industry in general, and information about new features (plus how they impact you as a customer). Much of what they post is written to educate readers and encourage conversation.

The main thing: It’s great content that helps every reader, whether they are customers or not.

The root problem

Just like with this huge social media blocking craze we’re seeing these days, companies are hesitant to put their trust in their people. You know, those same people who can go to their homes, the local bar, or a child’s sporting event and talk about the company’s horrible, evil ways in public. But you’re going to block them at work. Doesn’t make sense!

Empower your people to have a real voice and let them make things happen. The more you water down the opinions and strip away the humanity in your corporate blog, the worse off it will be.

Like I said, they can already wreck your company publicly at any time they choose. Giving them a social media platform to share from doesn’t change that fact.

The mechanics

Blogging has a lot of pieces to it, but it’s possible to focus on just a few areas to make sure you are hitting the high points.

• Writing the right types of posts to get links/comments
• Interlinking and other SEO tips to get more views
• Creating an editorial calendar
• Building sneeze and squeeze pages
• And plenty more!

One of the best tools I’ve found to help you learn to cover each of those pieces and integrate them into a powerful blog is the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog workbook. If you really want to get your corporate blog going and make it shine, then I highly encourage you to check out the book. I just found out that if you use ”november25″ as your discount code at checkout, you’ll get 25% off the price, but it’s only good through the end of November. Click here to learn more.

Growing awareness and engagement

In his book Culture Convo, Chris Ferdinandi makes this great point about how to grow awareness and engagement among your audience:

Whether you’re looking to increase the number of people who read your blog, follow you on Twitter, or are your fans on Facebook, the strategy is always the same.

Have conversations worth listening to.

Being an interesting conversationalist – creating fun posts, photos and videos, sharing interesting news and useful insights – is the only way to have long-term success using social media. It’s really that simple.

That doesn’t mean that it’s always easy. Figuring out what your target audience is interested in can take some time. But there’s no magic formula to growing your awareness and engagement.

If you’re a good conversationalist, then your circle of conversation will grow slowly and organically (and exponentially!) over time.

Final thoughts

If your corporate blog sucks (and it looks like about 84% of them do), it doesn’t have to be terminal. Most of the time the situation is not irreparable. Connect with people. Help them. Interact. Learn. And stop shoving press releases down our throats. It’s not working.

Anyone else have a good corporate blog they’d like to plug? Drop it in the comments below.

Yes. I know how to use social media. But I want to be in the middle of a group of HR professionals who battle in the trenches every day and hear what they want to know about the social stuff. While I love doing what I do, I understand that there’s a whole other world out there of people who could really use this stuff (if only they knew how or what to ask). That’s why Project:Social was started.

By the way, I’m coming to you from the Human Resources Management Conference in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Check back for more coverage of the event!

The fun for me actually started before the actual session. I had the opportunity to share my lunch hour with Dawn and we talked on HRevolution, deep career issues, and blogging. Plus I got to show off pictures of my girls. Always fun.

Killer Quotes

“[Why did I start using this stuff?] I just wanted to start learning about social media for recruiting.” Dawn Hrdlica-Burke

I’ve received more than I’ve given with social media/blogging. That’s why I do what I do. -Kris Dunn

Your handbook is already there to help remove people who have a major error in judgment. Don’t need a special social media policy. –KD

“Hey, nobody died” (in defense of asking forgiveness, not permission, for testing social tools). –KD

Who I follow in social media: not only people who put out content, but also people who share other resources that are not theirs that are helpful to people in the profession. –KD

I never trust a blog that blocks comments. Controlling the conversation doesn’t work. –Dawn

social media + HR: Employer branding, recruiting, and career advancement for HR in a digital world

Ten reasons to use social tools

1. Sucks to be a dinosaur (don’t be leapfrogged on strategy)
2. Rock and roll is dead (so is print)
3. Elvis,Tony Soprano, and the internet (other generations thought they were fads)
4. elearning is turning into ulearning (don’t wait on content from SHRM/HRCI)
5. Toby from the Office (show that you are growing/engaged)
6. You’re so vain (Have you googled yourself? What does it say about you?)
7. I trust people I meet on the net (people with online brands)
8. You can build professional authority without posting beer bong pics (it’s really not hard to keep it professional)
9. Network/connections will drive knowledge transfer (be involved to observe what’s going on)
10. There’s better food at the Marriot than at the Motel6 (market pays for rare skills (social media, for instance))

Pitfalls, Landmines, and other practical advice for HR rockstars in the trenches: You say you want a social media revolution

Ten barriers to social tool usage

1. Don’t have the access (54% are blocking completely, 90% blocking some)
2. Don’t have the tools (already have other stuff filling my work slate, is there room for another piece?)
3. Underestimating the time (posting a job=5 minutes of work, building a network of social contacts=greater than 5 minutes)
4. Being overwhelmed (start small—lurk/observe!)
5. I don’t get it (well, your grandma does)
6. My company won’t let me go public (go internal!)
7. IT and marketing took over my world (be prepared and be a partner,  not a flunkie)
8. Where’s my ROI (time vs. dollars)
9. I fought the law (don’t be stupid)
10. You, you control freak (can’t control every other conversation, so don’t try this either)

My thought: The fact that companies don’t really trust end users/employees is where a lot of the friction (blocking social sites) comes from. If you didn’t trust them, why in the world did you hire them?

So… Project:Social. What is it? Well, here’s where I explained how the whole social media mentoring idea began. I told everyone to stay tuned for a way to sign up and indicate interest. After you watch the video below (subscribers may need to click through), you’ll see the link to join up. Warning: the video and audio tracks messed up and aren’t synced. Therefore this looks like an old Japanese movie. My lips will be saying something but you’ll hear something else. Just listen well and you’ll get the good stuff.

Here’s the catch: we’re in a “beta” phase for a short time. While anyone can submit their interest, we are going to try to match 3-5 couples and measure the results after a week or two. Then we plan to move forward with the rest of the candidates. Why? Well, we want to work out any kinks so that everyone has the best possible experience, and we’d like to be able to provide a little guidance if necessary until these relationships can get on their feet. Don’t let that stop you from applying, though!

Click here to sign up as a mentor or mentee.

Throughout the whole process Victorio and I have been telling people to share this thing. That’s where the real magic comes in. If you want to tweet about it, here’s the Twitter hashtag: #ProjectSocial (by the end of your mentorship, you’ll know what a hashtag is if you don’t already!). Feel free to email your friends and coworkers. I’d rather have to scramble for mentors than have too many of them sitting around with nothing to do.

And, as always, this is a work in progress. Feel free to share ideas or comments that you think might help us continue moving forward. Don’t forget to sign up if you’d like to help or be helped!