Why Reading SHRM is Like Eating an Unsalted Cracker...
February 11, 2008
Imagine your favorite meal. Whether it's Italian, Mexican, American or a cultural segment that I don't frequent, here's what you crave - the quality of the flavor. Most people find a type of food they like, then start mining down into the restaurants that serve that type of food, until they find the locale that delivers it best.
Most people don't label fast food as their favorite. Sure, they go, but for most, it's a matter of
convenience. Order up the happy meal. If you're feeling brave during the cold and flu season, maybe the kids play in the playground... When you are looking for the best, you'll look elsewhere.
What you read professionally follows a similar trend. There are thousands of choices with the proliferation of media on the web. You pick a topic like HR and Talent, then go find the best source.
Analogy time! SHRM is to HR/Talent news and opinion as McDonalds is to food. I'm referring to the periodicals published by SHRM and the database of materials at www.shrm.org. Easy to find and on every corner, but not particularly compelling or memorable. When you are looking for cutting edge, you look elsewhere, usually in a specific space (resources directly related to areas like comp, technology, etc.).
There's a quality rundown of SHRM over at Workforce.com, focused on the direction of the world's biggest HR organization. It's a good piece, so you should give it a look. A few days ago, I posted that SHRM should spend some of the existing $138M war chest by customizing their resources for users and interjecting opinion into the mix.
One of my readers (Frank) commented on that post that abundant resources are available at SHRM, but are often written by journalists who, while good writers, appear to lack the background needed to satisfy HR professionals. Gautam Ghosh wondered aloud on his site that if an American HR pro like me can't get the value out of SHRM, what hope is there for a global pro like him?
I think both takes are correct. SHRM has a lot of resources available, but I don't have the time to dive into the whitepapers at www.shrm.org. I'm unsure of the quality as well. I also don't think the resources are written in a compelling fashion. In an age where there are 57(00) Channels and Nothin' On, it takes personality and opinion to cut through the clutter.
From my view, the next time SHRM takes a position, on an area of HR practice, that alienates half of their readership, will be the first.
And that's part of the problem. Getting and keeping a seat at the table means you have opinions, even if they are unpopular. There's a name for people without opinions in our profession - they're called administrators.
It's OK to disagree. So SHRM, go hire some bloggers and put them on the front page. It's less about Web 2.0 than it is about opinion. Have the bloggers link to the extensive resources you offer and mix it up by taking defined positions on issues that polarize your membership.
And watch the interest and engagement in your membership explode....
I have to agree with you Kris. I used SHRM resources extensively first starting out in HR as the sole HR practitioner for a small company. Now, I refer back to SHRM for core, foundational resources for my staff, for links and to catch a glimpse of what is in the works legislatively about every month or so. I get my ideas, exposure to different opinions and compelling arguements from the blogs I read. An intersection of the two on one site would be awesome. What better place for cutting edge, polarizing issues to be presented and debated?!
Posted by: Lisa | February 11, 2008 at 05:29 AM
The long tail in action!
SHRM at one time was probably the ONLY resource - and therefore catered to the mass audience. As the audience advanced, grew matured - it didn't. It still provides the same service it did when it started.
A service some grew out of - hence your dissatisfaction. They didn't get worse - you got better.
In addition, new ideas typically come from the weirdest places - the Medici Effect - hence your need to review information from more diverse sources.
As the book The Long Tail advised - aggregation is the key in the future.
Aggregation for the "newbie" = SHRM
Aggregation for the expert = ???
Posted by: Paul Hebert | February 11, 2008 at 08:57 AM
Kris,
Everything you say is true, in my opinion, and probably felt by many HR professionals in SHRM. It has to find a way out of the plain vanilla world and start connecting more with its membership. Now, it has more of a business enterprise feel to it, rather than a professional association. Without the certifications that it offers, it would be a less compelling organization. Despite these flaws, its membership has grown tremendously in recent years. If it stabilizes, may be it will feel a greater need to add more punch. Blogs would help to keep it more "honest".
Frank
Posted by: Frank Giancola | February 11, 2008 at 09:33 AM
Right on Kris,In my opinion your points are well taken. It seems to me that after 43 years in the Professional Society of VOLUNTEERS that were truly Professional, The Society now talks the talk but does not walk the talk. We seem to have reverted back to the ASPA concept of administrators instead of SHRM, the true leader in our field.The heavy war chest concept is admirable but bigger is always bigger but it is not always better! Being the largest HR Society may be impressive to the public but do we project true professionalism. I question this! Lets hope SHRM really gets down to the grass roots using that large war chest and creates interesting educational and informational communications for all members in the future.
Posted by: Ed Nangle, SPHR | February 20, 2008 at 09:53 AM