Stephane Guiblin provides some top tips on web conferencing adoption for HR professionals.

HR teams are focused on creating positive working environments filled with motivated and productive staff. However, this is becoming increasingly difficult in today’s disparate and complex business environment where HR professionals simply do not have enough time, resources or budget to meet the increasing demands of the organisation.

For many HR departments, web conferencing is providing a much needed helping hand, delivering a wide range of business benefits that result in increased productivity, greater staff retention rates, less pressure on the department and reduced costs.

Web conferencing allows HR professionals to:

• Use virtual classrooms and webinars to train their employees without having to organise timely and costly training sessions.




• Easily share presentations, documents and demos with anyone, anywhere and at anytime, reducing demand on their time.




• Host online recruitment events and seminars to reach the best talent as well as hold inductions for new starters.




• Set up real-time polling and Q&A sessions to gather instant employee feedback.




• Provide employees with a familiar, easy-to-use environment for meeting, communicating and collaboration online.




• Reduce demand on their time spent on individual requests regarding information on benefits, policies and other needs.

It is clear that web conferencing is a fantastic business tool, yet its adoption is still a challenge, as many HR teams are either unaware that it is available or think it’s difficult to use. Here are some top tips to help drive the adoption of web conferencing in your company:

Introduce
You can’t just expect your HR team to start using an unfamiliar service. Technology offers many benefits but people need to be willing to change the way they do things and not everyone likes change. It is important to make sure that they are introduced to the product and fully guided on its usage and the benefits that it offers.

Buy in
Ensure that the key internal sponsors are bought in to using web conferencing. Getting the directors to set up a web conference to communicate to the rest of the company is perfect for showcasing how it works.

Create a safe environment
It’s easy for people to get frustrated and give up on a service that they cannot use. Offering relevant training and knowledge tips to employees will ensure that they are comfortable with using the new service. In addition, getting them to first use it amongst themselves will ensure that the users are comfortable with using the service and able to iron out any issues before using it externally.

IT support
One of the biggest issues with a new service is when it doesn’t fit in with the IT infrastructure. There is nothing more frustrating for users to try and use a new service and find it blocked. It is important to make sure that firewalls and email software allows the employee to easily schedule, attend and manage web conferences.

On-demand training
People are busy and haven’t got time to attend long and lengthy training sessions. Holding on-demand training sessions helps users learn at their own pace and when they have the time. Alternatively, you can also send out recorded overviews on how to schedule, use and record web conferencing.

Remain in contact
It is easy to forget how something works if you only use it once a month. A small wallet card on your desk, internal awareness materials and regular top tip emails will help employees remember the key details.

Support
When a service doesn’t work, it is tempting to just give up and find another way. Users need to know that they can quickly get help online during a web-conference or via a phone call.

Online resources
Online resources such as intranet pages are a great tool to create internal awareness, facilitate sign up and encourage usage. Simply including a virtual library with product material and reference guides will make it easier for users to learn about new services. By using a branded intranet page, users can quickly contact their account manager, request demos and further training.

Motivation
Incentives and vouchers are a good way of encouraging users to try a new service or attend training. Once they have used a web conference, they are more likely to use it again and again.

Stephane Guiblin is netspoke product manager at Premiere Global Services. For more information, please visit: www.pgiconnect.com