Citation
(2006), "Whats on the web", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 14 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/hrmid.2006.04414gag.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Whats on the web
http://humanresources.about.com
About.com was founded in 1996 with a simple premise, that people are the best guides to the Internet. They have built on that belief over the past decade. “Today, when you read an article on About.com, you are tapping into a powerful network of 500 Guides – smart, passionate, accomplished people who are experts in their field.” Or so they claim. A bit over hyped we thought but there is a section on HR so we had a look. And, to our slight surprise, there are some excellent tools, links and articles. The format is friendly and the pace is swift. Well worth a look.
Council chamber
The Human Resources Technology Council is an interagency group – the principal advisory body to the United States Federal Government on government-wide information technology issues affecting personnel and payroll. The Council is composed of senior executives who have primary corporate decision-making authority for human resources (HR), information technology (IT), or finances within their agency.
Chartered in 1997 by the United States Office of Personnel Management, the HRTC meets at scheduled intervals during the year, and now includes 65 members. Surprisingly there is some very useful stuff here including a good explanation of web portals (and their advantages/uses) and payroll and reorganization issues. Not too well designed but then it is a government site.
Hi tech conference
www.hrtechnologyconference.com
The world’s leading conference on all aspects of technology for HR executives and professionals take place at Navy Pier in Chicago, on October 4-6, 2006. Lots of interesting things on the agenda – click on the site to check them out. Two of the world’s HR software giants go head-to-head in a brand new format, exclusive to HR Technology®. Each will tackle three HR problems written by Co-Chair Bill Kutik – just like problems HR executives face today, and show in live demonstrations of 10 minutes each how their systems can help solve them. There will be thirty minutes for each company in all. “Thinking of switching to or purchasing one or the other?” says the site, “You’ll save months of research”.
Out on CV street
There is a huge number of companies (and web sites) offering CV advice and a CV writing service. HR managers need to look at these for two reasons. The first is to help and advise anyone leaving their employ. The second is to recognise the tricks of the trade and be aware when a potential recruit has used such a service. There is no stigma attached to obtaining (good) professional advice but managers need to be aware when it has been taken.
Professional CV writing services and help with job applications and UK recruitment resources are offered by Get That Job. This site also contains careers advice, plus techniques on getting through interviews by handling nerves effectively and dealing with difficult interview questions. A telephone consultation is included to gain further insight into applicants’ skills and experience, as well as the type of work being sought. The CV is tailored to applicant needs, highlighting the most impressive strengths and skills. Emphasis is placed on the areas that are most relevant to the application. Drafts are sent by email, updated until the applicant is happy with the final version. Prices range from £48 for graduates/school leavers, through to £60 for professionals and £80 for executives. A reasonably priced and competent service.
Some other CV service companies taken at random include Perfect CV who are consultants with “professional copywriting skills, recruitment backgrounds and MBA qualifications – in essence, all the key skills to ensure you gain a competitive edge and secure the best job opportunities in a competitive employment market”. Sadly they also have a web site with some grammatical errors on it and are heavy on jargon, e.g. “Brand Manager – Set up Brand Management Forum to performance manage NPD, brand, account, marketing and manufacturing teams in the UK to work synergistically to deliver an end-to-end process”. Anyone who still uses “synergy” and its derivatives with a straight face should be approached with caution.
Then there are Hands on CVs (www.handsoncv.co.uk) who have some useful ideas but tend to make syntactical errors in their examples (perhaps to make them look authentic?).
Lastly we considered The CV Centre who ask at the outset, “Why do some people almost always get the job they want? Because their CV wins them an interview and 99 percent don’t!” Confused by the language? Yes, us too.
There are literally thousands of CV companies out there. A piece of good advice is to trawl through and pick out the good ideas but don’t trust them to have all the answers.
And finally
Some nice oxymorons from www.oxymoronlist.com
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government organisation;
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silent scream;
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same difference;
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plastic glasses;
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peace force;
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head butt (US only);
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working vacation;
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healthy tan; and
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our favourite … Microsoft Works.
Contact us
For a particularly interesting and useful site you could always try our own! And if you have any favourite (or otherwise) sites that you would like us to review on these pages, please drop us an e-mail and we will submit them to our usual rigorous analysis.