I recently read a great article by Jeff Butts on how HR can use the tool ‘Sidekick’ to prioritize email follow-up.

I can definitely see the advantages for HR of using tools like this to prioritize follow-up. For example, if you are following up with candidates you can call when you see the candidate has just opened your email – thus increasing the likelihood they’ll answer, and will have seen your email.

However, I think HR (and particularly L&D) can go further in this area.

Sidekick is a simple tool that allows you to see who opens & clicks emails, whereas more advanced marketing automation tools like Hubspot and Infusionsoft allow you to completely automate follow up based on rules and activities.

Full automation tools would enable L&D to share useful development resources to interested employees over time, keep talent on track with their personal development plans, and automatically manage course enrolment, reminders and delivery of training materials.

This would allow L&D to provide more personalised, convenient and ongoing support, whilst reducing the time it takes to do so.

What do you think? Can you imagine how much time you’d save? Would you be up for trying this out at your organisation?