Citation
(2009), "What’s on the web", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 17 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/hrmid.2009.04417dag.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
What’s on the web
Article Type: What’s on the web From: Human Resource Management International Digest, Volume 17, Issue 4
A little dull
HR in Law is a UK organization, affiliated to the CIPD, for human resource professionals working within the legal sector. They have a comprehensive list of consultants in many fields including management development, law, skills training, healthcare, compensation and many more. Membership of HR in Law is open to all law firms and entitles anyone from that firm to participate in any of their events and services. There is a fee to pay (naturally).
On the site there is a useful list of forthcoming events and a discussion forum on various topical issues. The site itself has a reasonably clean feel to it but does appear a little bland. Maybe it is the use of pastel shades and muted colors but there is no real feel of wanting to get into it to explore some of the undoubted items of interest. It has the feel of a web site that is one of those where the organization knows they need to have one but have not really thought about what it could do for them.
In touch with reality
In Touch (based in the UK and The Netherlands with a partner office in the USA) attempts to facilitate communication between companies and organizations and their employees. In their words they help to “maintain a constructive dialogue with the people who are there to help them most – the employees”.
Unlike the way these bland statements are usually to be taken however, this underpins an interesting area of HR – “whistle-blowing”. They offer a service known as “SpeakUp” that delivers a comprehensive toolkit to support organizations and their employees who want to eliminate wrongdoing in the workplace. Before HR directors start heading for the hills, consider this second statement: “Forward-looking organizations are beginning to recognize that whistle-blowing has a positive role to play (and) is part and parcel of good corporate citizenship.” They also offer a service known as “SpeakDirect” aimed at engaging employees in key issues.
Well, it is a refreshing approach and the site reflects the company’s ethos, clean, direct and to the point. We liked this. A lot.
Some concerns
On the same topic but with a different approach, Public Concern at Work is a “whistle-blowing charity”. Established in 1993, they claim to have led a new approach to whistle-blowing that – both at home and abroad – recognizes the key role it can play in anticipating and avoiding serious risks that arise in and from the workplace. Their main activities are to offer free, confidential advice to people concerned about crime, danger or wrongdoing at work, help organizations to deliver and demonstrate good governance, inform public policy and promote individual responsibility, organizational accountability and the public interest.
So far, so similar; but it is the site itself that is so different and no doubt reflects this organization’s different approach. It has a light, almost cartoony feel to it, much like some “school focused” sites used to. It aims to talk to if not the lowest then certainly a lower common denominator. And both in style and substance this seems like dumbing down. It is however a good example of how a poor web site can dilute an important message.
Window shopping
HRdirect develops and markets personnel products for businesses throughout the USA – from software to personnel forms to labor law posters.
They do not, at first sight, seem to offer an overseas service so the focus is entirely American. They do however offer some free SmartGuides for answers to today’s most common workplace challenges on the subjects of attendance, interviewing and background checking which may be useful to those outside the USA.
Unfortunately the site is not attractive (the color is particularly horrible), has the feel of a downtown apartment store and a five and dime approach to sales. We are sure the products are admirable but we certainly do not like the “shop window”.
Quite simple
HR software for every business claims the home page and it seems a reasonable claim.
Over ten years ago, company founder Manjit Sindhar observed that HR Software was expensive, un-reliable and difficult to use. She was therefore setting out how she viewed the possibilities for her new company to provide comprehensive, reliable and affordable HR software systems to every size of business, which was the beginning of a young company called Simply Personnel.
Among other topics they offer software to manage recruitment, new starters, training, leavers and disciplinary issues.
We cannot claim to endorse the software but we liked the fast, easy-to-use web site. Worth a look.
Best of all
For a particularly interesting and useful site you could always try the Emerald one!
If you have any favorite (or otherwise) sites that you would like us to review on these pages, or wish us to consider your own site, please drop us an e-mail and we will ask our reviewers to check them out.