This post originally ran on TalentCulture and is being shared on this site with the permission of TalentCulture.  The contents herein will be part of the discussion on #TChat (8-10-2011). TChat is a Twitter chat that takes place every Wednesday from 7-8 PM EST.  Click Here to view the original post. 

For anyone that can remember the time that a latest and greatest technology emerged to bring business to the next level, we can say that it is profoundly interesting the impact that these advancements actually make on companies.

Some can probably remember the days before email and before cell phones when letters were either typed by hand and traveling sales people had to actually stop at a pay phone to verify an appointment or call home to check in.

More than ever management need to be watching technology trends and making sure their organization is equipped.

Times are changing, the proliferation of technology is moving faster than ever, and businesses are the ones that are benefiting.  At least they should be!

There are many ways that technology is leading to better business practices.  There are systems for managing customers, accounting, communications, and operations.  We are connected 24×7 if we so choose and we are able to reach all ends of the world instantly via the click of a button.

As a proponent of successful businesses being comprised of people that use technology and not just technology alone, I believe that nothing in business may be affected by emerging technology than Human Resources.  Recruiting, talent development, and employee retention are all seeing a significant boost based upon what advances in technology have to offer.

Two of the specific technologies that are revolutionizing talent and professional development more than any are IP (Internet Protocol) Based Communications such as Skype, VoIP, and Video Conferencing as well as the rapid emergence of Social Media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+).

Let’s take a look across the scope of Talent Management and explore how the aforementioned technologies as well as a few others are facilitating success for so many companies.

Recruiting New Talent

It used to be a newspaper ad or a sign in the window.  Your audience was narrow and your options were thin.  It was difficult to reach the best talent leaving positions to be filled by less than ideal candidates.

• Communications – With the ability to inexpensively bring employees in via the network  either by voice, video, or perhaps a combination such as Webex, employees can now be sourced from and potentially located anywhere.  Productivity tools allow companies to hire the BEST candidate from any location and get them integrated with the team whether they are near or far.
• Social Media – Depending on the specifics of the job, talent can be sought through massive global social networks such as Linked In, Facebook, and Twitter.  These networks allow a help wanted ad to reach millions of users who may or may not be actively seeking employment.  Recruiting and searching for talent has also never been easier due to profiles, recommendations, and other affiliations that can be easily found online using Social Media.  As an aside, Social Media has also helped many companies decide who not to hire.

Talent Development

It used to be a quarterly or yearly trip to headquarters for remote employees and or classroom learning for those already in town.  Coordinating training was intensive and time consuming.  With technology advances now learning can be routine, meaningful, and completed on demand.

• Communications – Similar to the recruiting process the continued education of employees can be accomplished using technology tools.  Webinars, Distance Learning, and E-Learning platforms all pave the way for continued education for employees regardless of where they are located.  On top of being able to create content and have employees learn and develop on demand, it also helps companies to utilize global resources to provide the education.
• Social Media – Intranets have existed for companies for some time however they were rarely used all that effectively.  With professional usage of social platforms employees can learn from one another as well as competitors by following, reading, and embracing the information that is widely available.  Content is created and shared regularly and it allows company talent to keep their finger on the pulse of the industry and any important changes within.

Employee Retention

It has been discussed to no end the impact that turnover has on a business.  Whether near or far from headquarters, companies need to focus on how they can keep people satisfied, growing, and engaged.  In the past when companies would hire remote employees they oft felt isolated and/or disconnected from the organization.  With emails and phone calls perhaps being the only regular communication eventually the employee may choose to be with an organization where they feel more involved.  Technology has changed that, and if used correctly it can assist the organization with retention allowing it to focus on strategy with key employees rather than on replacing them.

• Communications – Hearing a voice on the line is fine, it is practical, but like long distance relationships in life, eye contact means a lot.  With offerings from Free (Skype) to immersive telepresence costing millions ( Cisco, Polycom) and everything in between companies and their employees can now sit across the table and make eye contact with the click of a mouse.  Now as easy as a phone call, video can be accomplished and the quality is really good.  Video is not only beneficial for the employee, but also for the company as it forces focus and regular collaboration (We all know how easy it can be to multi-task on the phone).  Another item that is critical to many employees is flexibility, with tools that allow productivity anywhere and everywhere, (pending signal) companies can be more flexible with their resources allowing both parties  to benefit.
• Social Media – Social is a medium for even smaller companies to build their brand and create an identity for their employees. This effort can often aid in the development of company community and in some cases successful out of work friendships.  While peoples out of work activities generally don’t bare much success for the organization, happy people tend to generate more productivity.  People that feel connected to their brand and feel that they are a part of something special tend to work harder and drive greater results.  Social Media is a growing vehicle for accomplishing this.

For as long as business has been business, companies have only been as good as their people.  In almost all cases where a great product or service fails it isn’t the product or service at all, rather it is those behind it.  With emerging communication technology and proper social media integration you have the chance to be ahead of the curve.

Now technology of course isn’t all free, and choosing the technologies that are best for your organization may take some work, however, it is time well spent.   You can all but assume that the competition are looking at all the options too, some are integrating, some are watching and waiting, and you can only hope that a few are oblivious.  Nevertheless, technology will continue to advance making companies faster, smarter, and of course full of better talent.

The question is, are you embracing it, or are you hoping to ride to prosperity on the tired old horse that got you to where you are today.

IMAGE VIA hank grebe

In the position I am in, I see new technology come every day. With the arrival of new technology, often older products see the end of their life cycle, and eventually they  go extinct.

The buzz word for this in the high tech world is “Disruptive” technology: The idea that new better, faster, and/or cheaper technology will quickly erode demand for its previous iterations.

This includes PC’s, Laptop’s, cell phone’s, televisions, etc.  Not a single one of these product types have been immune to it.  In fact, the life cycle continues to grow shorter and shorter to the point now where it’s become hard to make a buying decision because the minute you swipe your credit card the product may already be outdated.

The iPad2 will soon be a great tool for Enterprise Telepresence

One of the hot technologies that I am betting on now is the emergence of “Enterprise Telepresence.”  We’ll call it ET for short. (Not to confuse with a friendly creature from a 1980’s blockbuster)

Allow me to first qualify what ET is.  First and foremost, when I say enterprise, I mean business of any size, not just Fortune 500 etc.  The very essence of ET is that every business whether 5 employees or 50,000 can benefit from making video part of their practice.  Believe it or not, it was almost 20 years ago that companies like Intel and PictureTel brought early iterations of Video Conferencing to market.  The original idea behind video conferencing was a solution that would allow you to see a face, hear a voice, and do it on a big screen.  It was wild beyond imagination, and ever since then companies like Polycom, Tandberg (Now Cisco), Lifesize, and others have been predicting that the proliferation of video will in someway replace the need for airplanes, cars, trains, and buses.  As if all meetings can be held over video.

Well here we are, 20 years have past, and guess what?  We aren’t there yet, but we are getting closer.  While the idea of a talking head on the big screen replacing the need to shake hands and break bread sounds entertaining.  It just isn’t so.  The reason’s are far and wide, but I believe the three reasons below are the biggest ones to date.

1. 1. Video isn’t seen as easy – it requires an IT person to set it up and the call quality just isn’t that good.
2. 2. Video isn’t equal– relationships aren’t built via video at the same level as they are in person.
3. 3. Video is expensive – to do it right and be able to integrate the entire supply chain and internal staff is cost prohibitive.

Fact of the matter is, this pretty much has been the case.  However, this isn’t the case any more.

Over the past several months I can’t tell you how many people I have met that want to “Skype” with me.  Skype and the very essence of what it represents has become “Video Kleenex.”  And as whole, it is a great introduction of video conferencing as part of people’s daily life.  Now when I speak to people about using Video for Business I get a pretty typical response… “Oh, so like Skype for Business?”

My initial reaction is to start rattling off a stable of facts and figures that clarify exactly how much the two aren’t alike, however, I didn’t get to where I am by reading like a white paper.  Simply put, Skype is many things, but what it is not, is Enterprise Telepresence.

When you begin looking at what an Enterprise Telepresence model should look like.  Here are some keys to consider

1. Purpose– What will you be using the technology for? Internal, External, Entire Supply Chain?  How will you use it? Do you want to record the video and/or stream it? Do you want multiple people on the call at one time?
2. Budget – Are you looking to own or lease? Do you have the IT staff on board to manage the equipment, should you outsource management? Would you prefer to be flexible to upgrade? How do these different answers effect cost?
3. Support –  What are your support requirements? Does the system need to be up 24/7? Are you dealing with Global Customers? Language Barriers?
4. Scale – What is the capability of your current network? How many users do you have today? What is your vision for growth and does the video strategy support that?
5. Quality – If the image and audio quality aren’t close to real life, you are losing before you start.  It has to be the next best thing to sitting across the table.
6. Ease of Use – If it isn’t easy to use, non technophiles will not use it.  It has to be as easy as email or a phone call.  Otherwise you are buying very expensive paper weights.

The bottom line is that Skype only meets 1, maybe 2 of the above 6 criteria (Budget, Ease of Use).  The Problem with that is you get what you pay for, and when it is free, it rarely meets the demands of the enterprise.  Furthermore, with all of the offerings out there, Telepresence can be done to meet just about any reasonable budget.  So while there may be cost, it is ROI and ROR that you should really be thinking about.

With all of this in mind, if you are the type that plays golf with your kids clubs and you believe that the timeshare pitch is worth the free hotel stay, then a product like Skype may be good enough for your business.  For me, I want to use technology that says “I’m serious about what we do, and you should take me seriously as well.”

With the successful deployment of an Enterprise Telepresence solution, that will be exactly what you are saying.

Daniel Newman serves as CEO of United Visual Inc. and United GlobalComm. For more information about the blogger, please see the “About Me” page

For a Video Blog I did on United GlobalComm please click here.

For more information about our companies check out the following

United Visual – Leading AV and Video Systems Integrator

United GlobalComm – Subscription and Managed Video Communications Solutions

United Visual Productions – Leader in Event Technology Staging and Production