The Cloud...

Paul in Cannon Beach

It sounds like a Steven King novel, but more and more companies are going to a "cloud" model where docs and files are stored online.

My daughter's entire high school is headed this way. They are using Google docs almost exclusively and each student has been provided a Google Chrome netbook.

Anyone using a "cloud" yet? What HR ramifications can you foresee? Document retention? Privacy issues?

Sharon McKnight SPHR

I see visions of Blade Runner dancing in my head. I know, weird!

Sharon

Still Need Coffee

I love clouds! Especially the pretty shapes they make in the sky. Ooh, look - a bunny!

We are starting to "go into the clouds" ourselves, but on varied levels. For example, our Intranet is based on the Microsoft Sharepoint platform, and many docs are stored there - performance reviews, handbook, employee profiles...it is actually a huge undertaking. But from my understanding of Sharepoint, those docs are actually housed on our servers.

We use google docs quite a bit in our HR department, and our LMS is completely in the cloud - so far it has been very successful, and I'm liking it more and more.

There could certainly be HR ramifications, so we do our due dilligence. For our HRIS, we had our CIO take a look at the SAS 70 and privacy policies of all vendors in the process, since a lot of protected information is stored there. As mobile as our business (and our employees) have become, the cloud model really allows us to be productive anywhere, which has its pros and cons...but that's another story for another thread.

Paul in Cannon Beach

We discussed Sharepoint awhile back as well and I would be very interested to hear how you are using it and whether you have been happy with it.

Still Need Coffee

After you get over the learning curve, Sharepoint is fantastic. We use it as our intranet and our main communication tool - here are some of the things we use it for (it would be impossible to list them all):

-Announcements in place of e-mails
-Department and CEO blogs
-Suggestion submission and response
-Industry News
-"Talk to Talent," where employees can ask a question, make a gripe, a high-five, whatever, and get a response from a member of Talent Management (our HR dept)
-Calendars
-Corporate document center (SOPs, client info, document sharing/collaboration)
-All HR materials with links to websites (for clocking in/out, benefits, etc)
-Reporting (tracking individual/department/corporate performance goals and project completion)
-Internal wiki pages
-Employee profiles
-Employee surveys

The list goes on and on. I definitely recommend it if you are a company that is trying to centralize communication and collaboration. We went live in October 09, and we are still finding new uses for it. Two thumbs up!

Paul in Cannon Beach

Wow, I am impressed. I like the "Talk to Talent". Did you consider "Ask the Awesome"?

Celeste Blackburn SPHR

My daughter's entire high school is headed this way. They are using Google docs almost exclusively and each student has been provided a Google Chrome netbook.



I am currently editing an issue of HRIT and our tech expert David Kaufman has written an article about using technology as a recruiting tool. He mentions companies that are giving tablets (like iPads) to all of their top employees.

He also cites a survey of Millennials that indicates that the newest employees coming into the workplace not only look for tech perks like this but expect them. Doesn't seem like too far a stretch if they are getting netbooks given to them in high school (how does that work Paul, do they have to turn it in at the end of the school year? is there a fee for damages?)

Have any of you experienced this?

PS I want an iPad!