HR In The Cloud: Allowing For A Connected Workplace

Forbes

Guest post written by Jason Averbook. Jason Averbook is chief business inovation officer of Knowledge Infusion, a unit of Appirio.

Many of us would describe ourselves as digitally connected to our personal lives. We know what our friends are up to (and what they had for lunch) in near real time. Often the books we read, music we listen to, products we buy and even relationships we enter into are fed to us from the cloud, based on our habits and preferences. As a culture, for better or worse, we are becoming "plugged into" or connected to our own lives.

Yet as employees, many of us can't say the same about our workplaces. Without question, organizations are improving when it comes to accommodating a virtual workforce, as most have accepted the idea that employees can work efficiently from anywhere. However, the impetus for employees working from home or a remote office is often rooted in company-centric benefits like cost savings, productivity gains, or access to global talent.

To support these virtual factions of workers, HR is compelled to provide ways for remote employees to connect with headquarters. What's often still missing is giving thought to connecting employees with one another. The notion that "face time" equals being "plugged in" at work is still prevalent, but cloud technology is changing that. And let's face it: even those who work in a physical office daily would probably claim that their manager and co-workers don't know exactly what they're working on, past/current project contributions, newly acquired skills, or career interests. Likewise, most employees would tell you they aren't really sure how their day-to-day activities are contributing to the organization's mission or business goals. Being connected isn't necessarily a matter of proximity...

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