Web 2.0 and Workforce Planning

Why an understanding of how people work in a modern, web-savy workforce, is important to the survival of your organisation

web 2.    considerations
Web 2.0 tools essentially equips workers with tools to create and share knowledge, but its adoption faces cultural hurdles by conservative Baby Boomer workers who see knowledge as power and therefore have vastly different attitudes towards collaboration in the workplace [5]. 
Senior Executive Manager

Born: 1952 
(Baby Boomer)
Family: Married, three kids

Loves to sing 60s rock'n'roll
Regrets not being at Woodstock

Relies on her kids to help her with programming the VCR through to getting her photos printed from her new digital camera. 

Emma Pillsbury
"My mother was told to stay at home and wear an apron. Today, all that has changed because I  challenge the status quo and now I do things my own way"
Joseph Figgins
CEO and Board Member
Born: 1940 
(Silent Generation)
Family: Married, five children, 20 grand children

Loves listenning to the radio
Misses traditional family tv shows
"Technology? It's an excuse for young people today not having any respect - always attached to their music things. Social skills and manners just arn't what they used to be." 
Rachel Berry
Line Manager

Born: 1971 (Gen-X)
Family: Married + bump

Loves internet shopping for baby items
Shares photos of the family-to-be with relatives on Flickr



"I remember Mum having to book long distance calls to talk with 
pen-friends 
overseas ..."
"... now all I have to do is upload photos or call friends on Skype"
Finn Hudson
Graduate

Born: 1982 (Gen-Y)
Family: Mum is a Baby Boomer

Lives at home
Loves live concerts, drinking Red Bull and updating his MySpace page

Often critisised for mumbling, rarely making eye contact, having no work ethic, and texting on his phone to his friends 

1930-1940
1945-1975
1965-1980
1993-2005
40-95% 
adoption
45-95% 
adoption
5-90% 
adoption
10-90% 
adoption
1995-2005: growth from 10% to 60%
More ways for people to communicate, collaborate, share new ideas and socialise! 
The Internet
"I'm always connected to the guys so we all know what's sweet and where it's happening. 

I just hope Rachel is tight with it, but if she's not I can always find somewhere else that is"
"Been there
Done that"
Technology helps me communicate with ease in the office or at home
Our social needs
As humans, we're biologically-driven to meet our social needs
Abraham Maslow
Cavemans' communications technology
Social technology has always had primary-position
Letter-writing technology was the most efficient means of communication
The Great Depression
Jane Austen
WEB2.0 & WORKFORCE PLANNING
you and me
corporations
the static web
web 1.0 world
So what is web 2.0?
"Letters would pour in following each of these ‘chats’, which helped pressure legislators to pass measures Roosevelt had proposed"

-Smithsonian Institute
Hey tweeps. Anyone know where that article is? Will help with this project I'm working on :D
social bookmarks
Pictures
Video casting
Wikis
Music
Events
Documents
Video
Video aggregation
Events
Customer service networks
Niche networks
Social networks
SMS & voice
Twitter
Lifestreams
Micromedia
Blog communities
Blogs & conversations
Blog
platforms
Crowdsourced content
Comment & reputation
web 2.0
social media
Embedded in our modern culture
Empowers individuals – simple yet powerful tools to connect to others and build community
Choice – people can choose the channel that suits them and their friends, family, and professional networks
It’s instant – communication is responsive, interaction is instant
It’s personal – profile and identity is at the core of Web 2.0
Builds trusted relationships – through interaction rapport builds which, over time, leads to trust
It’s free and diverse
Why people use Web 2.0
what is it?
why is it important?
why do people use it?
who uses it?
why should I care?
Matthew Hodgson
Regional Lead, Web Strategy & Information Architecture
SMS Management & Technology
M +61 404 00 6695
E magia3e@gmail.com
W www.smsmt.com
how can it help me recruit?
what do I need to know to help with planning my workforce?
is it impacting my ability to recruit talent?
Beauty
Geek
Photo credit: Beauty & the Geek
Modern, online environments are only used by:
Young  (up to 30 something)
Single, male
High-level disposable income
Geeks & nerds playing online games

Fact: Not just the province of the young:
Global share of time accounted for by people using Web 2.0 increased by 38% in 2008 
Web 2.0 websites now used more than email
Men and women aged 65+ moving to Web 2.0 websites grew by 7 per cent
17-and-under category dropped by 9 per cent
International demographics
Australia & the world
Internet World Stats, 2008. Internet Usage Stats and Telecommunications Market Report. Online at: www.internetworldstats.com
Office for National Statistics, 2008. Internet Access. 65% of households had access in 2008. Online at: www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=8
Internet World Statistics, 2008. Internet Usage Statistics for the Americas. Online at: www.internetworldstats.com/stats2.htm


Australian workplaces
1999: "Of those without Internet access, 54% reported that it was not suited to the nature of the business" [1]
1. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2000-2008. Use of information technology, Australia
Research undertaken by Telstra and security group MessageLabs shows that the number of times employers have blocked access to social networking sites has jumped from 2,000 per day 10 months ago, to currently 6,000 attempts per day.

The research also shows that the number of URLs blocked by companies has increased by 193% since January, with the majority being social networking sites[1].

According to SurfControl figures, if just one employee spent an hour a day on Facebook, it could cost their business A$6200 a year [2].
1. http://www.smartcompany.com.au/internet/20090603-australian-employees-waste-time-on-social-networks.html
2. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10458802
Perception: Computers = wasting time
Who uses Web 2.0?
Represent 32% of Australian workforce
Approx 60% internet users
Dominant Spectator and Critic behaviour w/ participation in LinkedIn
Personal beliefs embedded in workplace policy
Belief that new technologies have negative impact on productivity
Use technology less than other generations
Less likely to create content online and share it

Sources
1. Cohen,  W & Simons, J. 1995. A new spin on the economy. US News and World Report, p54-55.
2. AARP, 2004. Baby Boomers Envision Retirement II
3. WorldOne Research, 2009. LexisNexis Technology Gap Survey
4. Owyang, J. K. 2009. How To Reach Baby Boomers With Social Technologies. Create And Sponsor Social Content And Allow For Their Voices To Be Heard. Forrester

Represents < 5% of the workforce
Approx 24% using the internet
Predominantly 'Spectators' not 'Creators'
Grown up in an era of sustained economic growth, social tranquility, The Cold War, McCarthyism and the drug culture 
Distrust of technology and change
Values conformity, conservatism, traditional family values & hierarchy 

Represents 27% Australian workforce
Approx 74% internet users
Dominant web 2.0 demographic - Creators & Critics, particularly in Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn
Concerned about blurr between work and personal life
Wants balance in work/personal life
Tech-savy
Work values modernised from Silent Generation parents
16% would consider leaving an organisation if not allowed to access social media websites
Represents 27% of Australian workforce
Approx 72% use the internet
Dominant Joiners and Spectators - but own MySpace
Baby Boomer personal values
Expects workforce to change to their needs, not the other way around
39% of 18 to 24 year-olds would consider leaving if they were not allowed to access sites like Facebook and YouTube [1]
21% would feel ‘annoyed’ by such a ban 

1. Telindus survey, 2008.
Generation-Z

Just emerging on the job scene
Already make up approx 8% of the Australian workforce
More conservative personal values like Gen-Y parents
Gen-X "digital native" capabilities
Attitudes that they must be "connected to the hive"
Individuals use web 2.0 tools in their personal lives to help them process data effectively and reduce information overload [5].

They expect your organisations to have these tools available to them
Expectations
Social media facts:
MIT research notes that 40% of employees productivity is directly explained by the amoung of communication they have with others to discover, gather and internalise information. Employees with the most extensive digital networks are 7% more productive than their colleagues. [1]

1. Bulleit, B. 2006. Effectively managing team conflict. Cary, NC: Global Knowledge Training LLC
Gen-Z
Gen-Y
Gen-X
Boomer
Silent
Generation
work values
setting
work policy
The problem: the current environment
For many Baby Boomers, web 2.0 symbolises a loss of control and a sense of inferiority when they compare themselves to their technically fluent younger colleagues particularly given the collaborative and open nature of web 2.0 tools, such as wikis for example, eliminate the public service’s command-and-control structures because even people working at the lowest levels of an organisation have direct access to executives [5].
The problem: current web 2.0 policy
also known as 'Builders'
... so what do we do?
Recuitment thru web 2.0?
The good:
ASIO recruits through Google ad sense that appears on MySpace and Facebook ads

The bad:
ASIO doesn't allow many staff to have personal details in social media websites
Gen-Ys and Gen-Xs value genuine, responsive, honest communications


Web 2.0 & recruitment? 
Ultimately:
Workplace policies must enable the use of web 2.0 tools to be attractive to Gen-Xs, Gen-Ys and Gen-Zs
... how can we proceed?
Moving on the policy front with web2.0
and WFP
Finn's boss
2. When creating policy that affects the workforce, adopt 
user-centred design principles
1. Start with a good planning model
offer web 2.0 tools in the workplace
use web 2.0 tools to understand the demographic
ventue into online communities to develop a strategic  rapport that leads to employment
walk-the-walk: use the tools they use (identification)
know why and who you're recruiting
Understanding the bigger picture
Forrester's POST methodology
3. Use industry standards project frameworks for your projects
People:
Understand your audience social behaviour in context
Objectives:
Decide what you want to accomplish
Strategy:
Plan how relationships with potential recruits will change
Technology:
Gather requirements to decide what social technologies to use

Assess the Web 2.0 building blocks from the following perspectives:
Business goals
Strategic drivers
Users’ needs/expectations
Forms the business case
Honeycomb model – alignment of technology with strategic needs
personas are valuable as a strategic planning tool here!
Using the honeycomb model
Defence on MySpace
Powerhouse Museum on Flickr
Government on Facebook
Who is doing what??
54% of CIOs completely prohibit the use of web 2.0 tools
web2.0 project?
Source: Robert Half Technology
2/3 of UK companies block Facebook
Source: UK Daily Telegraph
76% of companies are choosing to block web 2.0 websites
Source: ScanSafe
Understand:
The technology and start to use it – start inside and work outward
Public trends and demographics – who wants to be engaged, how and where (this makes it relevant)
Develop:
Simple steps forward – evolution not revolution. Start small.
Good policy – support, enable and encourage agencies and their employees
Methods of sharing lessons learned within your organisation
Shared guidelines, frameworks and tools for a unified organisational approach
Actively listen:
Elicit staff & potential recruits feedback for continual, iterative improvement of strategic approach
Use an ‘Agile’ approach to adopting Web 2.0
Showing you listen & engage builds trust
Lastly, speak:
With a unified voice – reinforces consistency and builds trust
Make it personal – use person-to-person communications
Identify who you are – don’t be anonymous
Forrester's POST Methodology
Conclusions
Our workforce pool is shrinking
With Boomers retiring we'll be short approx 1m from our workforce pool
Employees will be able to pick and choose the organisations they want to work with
We need to ensure our organisations will attract and retain the people we need to survive
To do this we have to woo the Gen-X and build organisations that they will want to join
Embrace Web 2.0 with workforce planning
fin