Cognology
  • Products
    • 360 Degree Feedback
    • Competency Management
    • Compliance Training
    • Course Builder
    • Learning Management
    • Onboarding & Inductions
    • Performance Management
    • Profiles
    • Skills Management
    • Talent Management
  • Resources
    • Agile Performance Management
      • Balanced goals
      • How does performance management work?
      • How to write SMART goals and objectives
      • The Ultimate Guide To Agile Performance Management
      • What Remote Working Means for Performance Management, Plus 7 Other PM Trends
    • 360 Degree Feedback
      • What is 360 degree feedback?
      • How to run a 360 degree feedback process
      • 3 Easy Tips For Your 360 Feedback Questionnaire
    • Induction and Onboarding
      • Employee Onboarding Resources
      • Easy guide to a great Onboarding Process
      • Get the Onboarding Business Case Whitepaper
      • How To Switch From Face To Face New Hire Inductions To Online
      • Selecting an Onboarding System
      • Sample Orientation and Onboarding Program
      • Forms You Will Need For A New Employee In Australia
      • What Is Information Onboarding
    • Competencies & Skills
      • The Ultimate Guide To Competencies
      • What is a competency?
      • 7 reasons you should be using competencies
      • What is competency based assessment?
      • Competency Assessment Methods
      • Competency Assessment Template Form
      • Easy Guide to Competency Based Assessment Tools
      • Competency Management
      • What is skills audit?
      • How To Conduct a Skills Audit and Identify Skill Gaps
    • More about Performance Management
      • What is Performance Appraisal?
      • Performance Appraisal Template With Tips
      • What is performance management?
      • Social Performance Management Explained
      • What is talent management
    • Samples
      • SMART Goal Examples
      • Sample Goals and Objectives
      • Sample competencies
      • Sample competency review comments
      • Sample goal review comments
      • Sample development activities
      • Sample one-on-one check-in conversation notes
      • Sensitive items to avoid in feedback/comments
    • Learning & Coaching
      • A leaders guide to coaching
      • Coaching conversations
      • How to give feedback like a pro
      • How to conduct one on one meetings with team members
      • Seriously Good Learning and Development
    • More
      • Designing a Work-From-Home Policy: Where to Begin
      • How to Keep Employees Informed During a Crisis
      • How To Keep Staff Working From Home Productive
  • About
    • About Cognology
  • Ask Us Anything
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
Jon Windust

A Marriage of the Two Most Unlikely Partners

May 3, 2013/in Social, Technology/by Jon Windust

Who should control enterprise social technology in the organisation, IT or HR? This is an interesting problem because it isn’t so clear cut and because HR may not realise this should be on their radar.

HR is ultimately responsible for selecting and running the HRMS system used in an organisation. IT needs to be heavily involved in the selection process and ongoing technical operation of the system to be sure, but I don’t think anyone would say the HRMS is predominantly the domain of anyone other than HR.

Likewise, IT is responsible for key technologies such as email and productivity applications. It’s unlikely HR would be consulted on these systems in any organisation.

But what about social technology? Where does it fit?

Arguments for HR controlling social technology
  • It’s an important emerging talent management tool for recognition, rewards, kudos and sense of belonging.
  • It’s as much about improving an organisation’s culture as it is about productivity.
  • HR own the policy controlling employee use of social networking technology.
  • Productivity improvement is (or should be) the domain of the HR group.
  • It needs to integrate well with other HR systems and processes.
Arguments for IT controlling social technology
  • Social tech is an important communication platform for all matters, not just people related.
  • It’s a productivity application or part of a wider productivity application.
  • It needs to integrate with other key IT systems.

So who should it be?

HR and IT

 HR and IT (like Penny and Leonard)

The answer I believe is that this requires the marriage of two of the most unlikely partners. Both IT and HR need to work together to make social tech successful in the organisation. A bit like Leonard and Penny on The Big Bang Theory.

Opposites attract, like Leonard and Penny. Opposites can complement each other’s skill sets. Just look at the pairing of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.

HR and IT have a long future together as social tech develops and evolves over the next decade. But HR needs to realise now that they need to be part of this.

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Share on Vk
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
https://www.cognologyonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/enterprise-social.jpg 67 100 Jon Windust https://www.cognology.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Cognology-logo-colour-300x101.png Jon Windust2013-05-03 05:51:222021-12-03 12:10:08A Marriage of the Two Most Unlikely Partners

Recent Posts

  • Course Builder
  • 7 Trends Driving Change in the Skills Landscape
  • How HR Can Boost Talent Retention, According to New Research
  • The Worried and the Well: How to Boost Your Employees’ Wellness in a Time of Crisis
  • The Quick Pivot at ACSQ

Subscribe

Get our latest news, tip and tricks

Receive our occasional newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

This contact form is deactivated because you refused to accept Google reCaptcha service which is necessary to validate any messages sent by the form.

Products | Pricing | Resources | Blog | About | Contact

© 2023 Cognology

© Copyright Cognology 2023
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
My experience using enterprise social technologyEnterprise Social technology screenshotOne-on-onesWhat if one-on-ones were like an episode of The Voice?
Scroll to top