Mind the IT/HR Gap

Organisations are always seeking to increase staff productivity – Directors often wonder why the drain in productivity caused by email overload persists.

We so often hear directors say: “it is just the culture – the same as every other business”.

Well no – it is not just the same as every other business and it does not have to be that way. It’s the culture of your organisation – and cultures can be changed.

One reason that the issue with email persists is that IT and HR rarely work closely together on IT strategy thus creating a training gap.

IT will implement email management hardware, software and policies while behavioural training is usually the remit of HR – IT do not have the skills or expertise to deliver soft skills training.

It is by working together that HR and IT teams can achieve significant improvements. Behavioural training should be part of the implementation of new communication tools.

What is the point of spending large sums of money on implementing hardware and software if the users are not taught to use it effectively and with confidence?

As the saying goes “you will get what you get” – email overload for example.

Emailogic often works with clients’ IT and HR teams to devise a programme of email etiquette and email management training to help improve the use of email – from a behavioural perspective primarily – and technical if required.

An easy win for both IT and HR.

This joined-up approach works with all forms of communication however, not just email.

The implementation of virtual meetings, instant messaging and social media need to have a technical training aspect as well as a behavioural one to get maximum take-up and productive benefits from their use.