Article: The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of its Parts

Leadership

The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of its Parts

Editorial for March 2012 issue
The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of its Parts

Social media has opened the doors of the organization for those on the outside. It has also given way for HR and Managers to engage with their employees, as well as with candidates and alumni.

Managers can use tools like Yammer to get a quick look at what people in their teams are doing and give their inputs. They can use Twitter to share information with people who could be interested in the company, and its new job openings. They can contribute to the company’s Facebook page, specifically the careers section, to give people a place to share their ‘like’ for the company as an employer. They can contribute to industry blogs and discussion forums to provide thought leadership and add further to the company’s brand equity.

Social media has moved from being just a platform to connect with friends, to being a relevant channel for broadcasting information and opinion for individuals and organizations, alike. Within the organization too, social media creates the network for customers, employees, partners and suppliers, and gives them an equal chance to voice their views. The 2011 McKinsey Report - How social technologies are extending the organization, found statistically significant correlations between market share gains and organizations using social tools both externally and internally. The report predicts that competition will only increase as the adoption of social tools continues to grow and as progressive companies use them to improve their structures and processes. The way forward, the report suggests, is integrating web technologies into the daily workflow, and include all stakeholders in the network. This is the most effective way to become more networked and to maintain competitive position.

This month’s cover story “Adding Madness to Method” attempts to decode what ‘being social’ means to the organization and more specifically how organizations can embrace the ‘madness’ and leverage it to their advantage. The talent management function too has much to gain from this disruptive innovation. The story details examples of how companies in India are leveraging social media applications for recruitment, learning, recognition and engagement. A readymade list of tools applicable to talent management has also been included in this fascinating story.

To complement the cover story on social media, this issue also covers the findings of the “Millennial Workforce Study” by The Academy of HRD, IKYA Human Capital Solutions and MTHR Global, the first in-depth research on Gen Y professionals working in urban India. This study on the characteristics of this generation serves as a support to the underlying need for organizations to adapt to the new demographic realities of this ambitious, optimistic and purposeful generation.

As the year shapes up with exciting stories, we invite you to share your views and give us your suggestions. Please do write to us at editorial@peoplematters.in or tweet @peoplematters2

Happy tweeting!

Ester Martinez
ester.martinez@peoplematters.in
 

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Topics: Leadership

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