Canadian HR Reporter

T he world of work is changing every day and HR professionals have been challenged to fi nd new ways to accommodate work styles of an extraordinarily divergent workforce. Three generations now occupy almost every offi ce and industry – in a way that inspires the best from each group. According to a study from Deloitte, baby boomers, who came of age in the 60s and 70s, prefer face-to-face contact with colleagues and clients; Gen X-ers, who joined the workforce just as the Internet reached critical mass like to communicate via email; millennials who were raised on the social web, want the same fl exibility at work that they have in their social lives. So, the question is, in a social world where things like Twitter are infl uencing a change in the way people work, how as HR Professionals do we capitalize on this and use it to enable employees to work together? Collaborations tools like Enterprise social platforms enable increased pro- ductivity and empower employees. On the surface, this sounds counterintui- tive; we often associate the term "social media" with distractions, ineffi ciency, wasting time – especially when it's related to work. But the reality is that an effective enterprise social solution – one that integrates with existing technol- ogy and can be customized to suit each employees' work style and commu- nication preferences. This can be an incredibly powerful tool in the modern HR professional's arsenal. However social platforms that we've become so accustomed to in our personal lives are relatively new in the professional environment. The impact of enterprise social tools in the workplace is an increasingly popular topic among academics in the fi eld of Human Resource Management. Study after study draw similar conclusions: an effective enterprise social strat- egy can help organizations listen, adapt and grow in new ways. Not only is it a sound business strategy – it enables businesses to better understand their customers, delivering more innovative products and personalized experiences, and responding faster to customer challenges – it also unleashes the full pro- ductivity of your workforce, helping them to discover relevant information and insights wherever they are. A connected workforce allows every employee to be part of the conversation, recognizing their contributions, and improving company culture. COLLABORATIVE TEAMWORK The impact of mobile technology cannot be overstated; for HR professionals, it has dramatically changed the way we hire and staff projects. Here at Micro- soft Canada, employees often work in closer collaboration with counterparts in other locations around the world than with the person sitting next to them. We use Yammer, our social enterprise network, along with Offi ce 365, to com- municate with our colleagues around the world and to stay connected to our co-workers here in Canada. In their study on the social economy, the McKinsey Social Institute found that the average "interaction" worker spends an estimated 28 per cent of the workweek managing email which none of us likes to be doing and nearly 20 per cent looking for internal information or tracking down colleagues who can help with specifi c tasks. This represents the 'sunk costs' of human capital – time that cannot be recovered. Think of how that time would be better spent working on the "business" of the organization. Enterprise social networks create a centralized hub where staff can share resources and manage projects, making it easier for team members to track progress against major milestones, locate information and identify subject matter experts. At Microsoft, for example, we use Yammer to communicate news, introduce new employees to the team, highlight key wins and share best practices. We also use it as a platform to ask for help, track down information and speak directly with employees on hot issues of the day, giving everyone from interns to the president an equal voice. For instance, during the global announcement of Windows 10 that took place earlier in the year, the team hosted a "YamJam", where Janet Kennedy, president of Microsoft Canada answered questions in real-time from employees about how the new operating system might impact their business. Individual business groups and prod- uct teams also use Yammer to share in- formation about customers and address challenges. Within HR, we are always looking at increasing manager and lead- ership capability, however, this cannot be alone. We have used Yammer to connect our Management Community to help one another versus relying on HR. They share best practices, discuss issues and build their own community. Among our own customers, 83 per cent tell us that enterprise social tools like Yammer make them feel better con- nected to their team, and an additional 80 per cent report feeling more in- formed about what is happening inside their organization than they did before implementing the solution. Finally, 70 per cent of users tell us that enterprise social improves collaboration across remote locations – an important out- come in the new world of work. ENGAGED WORKFORCE Connecting workers with different work styles or across geographies is the critical task of any HR department. Yammer integrates seamlessly with Offi ce 365, allowing individuals to customize how they interact with the platform. It provides seamless social experiences across the familiar applications people already use for work – all delivered on an enterprise-grade platform. Those that prefer email can participate fully with their Yammer groups from their Outlook; others who prefer to collaborate entirely within the Yammer app can do so as well, connecting to OneDrive, SharePoint and all of their critical documents. There's even an option for those employees who like see their col- leagues as users can launch a Skype for Business video call right from the app. BETTER BUSINESS DECISIONS As HR professionals, we understand the importance of fostering a collabora- tive environment. Studies show that top performing companies have engaged, informed and connected employees. The best managers know this innately, however it is important to connect what we know to be true with business outcomes. To start, a connected workforce is a more productive workforce. In their study, McKinsey found that organizations have the potential to increase work- er productivity by 20 to 25 per cent when using enterprise social tools. En- terprise social helps employees to discover relevant information and insights wherever they are. More importantly, a connected workforce is a more satisfi ed workforce, and that could translate into higher profi ts. Studies show that companies with an engaged, connected workforce have 12 per cent higher profi tability and – the most dramatic demonstration of all – 51 per cent lower turnover than com- panies with a disengaged workforce. The reasons for that are simple: a con- nected workforce enables every employee to have a voice, leading to greater retention, engagement and a stronger company culture. So is enterprise social right for your company? Start by talking to your com- pany's employees – ask them what they're biggest pain points are and how the HR department can help. If they list many of the most common complaints – drowning in email; diffi culty collaborating with coworkers who either have different work styles or work from a different location; being asked to do more with fewer resources – try deploying a social collaboration tool and continu- ally ask for feedback while you're developing best practices around its use. Yammer is free to use for the fi rst month when you sign up for an Offi ce 365 trial, so you can test it along with other productivity tools in your workplace and see if it's right for your employees. To learn more about Enterprise Social and Offi ce 365 from Microsoft or try Yammer today, visit http://aka.ms/connected-workforce Common Ground: Using Technology to Create a Connected Workplace By Brian Morgan, Senior Human Resources Manager at Microsoft Canada ADVERTISING FEATURE

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