Wednesday, January 18, 2012

When Your Data's In The Cloud, Is It Still Your Data?

Your contract with a cloud provider should have language clearly affirming your ownership of your data.

By Thomas J. Trappler

Computerworld - When your data resides on a cloud provider's infrastructure, your ownership rights could be compromised. For example, what's to prevent the cloud provider from deciding to access your data and use it for its own purposes? That's why any contract for cloud services should include language clearly affirming your ownership of your data.

The good news is that well-established cloud vendors are beginning to include language along these lines in their standard contracts. For example, section 10.2 of the Amazon Web Services contract states:

"Your Applications, Data and Content. Other than the rights and interests expressly set forth in this Agreement, and excluding Amazon Properties and works derived from Amazon Properties, you reserve all right, title and interest (including all intellectual property and proprietary rights) in and to Your Content."

It hasn't always been this way with cloud computing, but as customers have voiced their ownership requirements, providers have made improvements in this area. As the cloud continues to evolve, if customers clearly state their needs, then smart cloud providers will listen and respond.

Other columns by Thomas Trappler

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Depending on the nature of your data and how it's processed in the cloud, it may also be necessary for the contract to include language affirming your institution's ownership of the results of any processing of its data that occurs while on the cloud provider's system.

With ownership clarified, the next step is to identify the limitations on how the cloud provider may use your data. In most cases, you'll want to limit the provider's use solely to that which is necessary for it to fulfill its obligations under the contract. It is also prudent to specifically exclude the provider from any mining of your data.

Be ready for the divorce

Once your data and processes have moved to cloud, you become more dependent upon the provider. You could be locked into its services, a situation that increases the cloud providers leverage over you in negotiating contract terms.

I know this sounds like advising someone to find a divorce lawyer before getting married, but to mitigate the risk of vendor lock-in, you need to plan in advance for the eventuality that you may decide to switch to a different provider or bring your data and processes back in-house. With this in mind, the contract should state your rights to access your data on an ongoing basis. Specifically, the contract should:

Describe the process by which your data will be returned, whether done midterm or upon contract termination.
State the amount of time the provider will have to turn over your data.
Define how long after termination of the contract your data will remain accessible.
Quantify the cost to you (ideally none) to export your data.
Specify that the data must be provided in a commonly used format that is pertinent to your expected needs, and not in a proprietary or otherwise inaccessible format.

Some vendors have begun to embrace these ideas. For example, see Google's Data Liberation Front efforts and Microsoft's Office 365 commitments regarding Data Portability.

Other access issues

When codifying your rights to access your data, be sure to consider emergency situations. For example, e-discovery obligations to preserve, collect and produce data for litigation-related discovery actions can be more difficult to comply with when your data is in the cloud, because you do not have direct control. Yet your failure to produce pertinent data in a timely manner can result in significant fines. This risk can be mitigated by contractually requiring the cloud provider to establish mechanisms by which you can retrieve your data within a specified time frame.

Finally, the contract should obligate the provider to destroy your data after termination of the contract and should specify the manner in which this should be done, the time frame for doing so, the need for the cloud provider to produce certification of destruction, and your right to audit.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Peopleclick Authoria – A Perfect Merger or Act of Desperation?

Today, Authoria announce the merger with Peopleclick to create Peopleclick Authoria. Bedford Funding, the private equity firm that owns Authoria is spending $100 million to acquire and merge the companies. I’d love to say I had my crystal ball out when we recorded the Bill Kutik Radio Show a few weeks ago and predicted further market consolidation but this wasn’t one of the acquisitions I would have predicted. Nonetheless, I do believe it is an early indication of what we can expect in 2010 – market consolidation.

The Good News

On paper, the merger makes sense. It now puts Peopleclick Authoria as the #3 vendor in terms of market share (with Taleo #1 and SuccessFactors #2). It also brings together one of the deepest talent acquisition vendors (Peopleclick) with one of the most robust talent management vendors (Authoria). Although Authoria can claim talent acquisition capabilities today (via the acquisition of Hire.com), they are primarily limited to salaried recruiting only. With Peopleclick, they now add hourly and contingent recruiting, onboarding, EEO/compliance solutions, candidate relationship management (CRM), and vendor management capabilities. Peopleclick also give Authoria global presence which they really didn’t have previously. As I recently noted, Peopleclick was newly recognized on the Gartner e-Recruitment Magic Quadrant, a significant accomplishment for the company.

From a pure financial perspective, assuming Peopleclick is a profitable, $60m revenue company, the $100m investment appears to be money well-spent. Considering Taleo paid $128 million, or a 2.8x multiple of revenue, for Vurv 2 years ago (yes…I understand the market was much different 2 years ago), a 1.6x multiple for Peopleclick makes great financial sense.

Lastly, Charles Jones, Managing Partner for Bedford Funding, and now Chairman and CEO of the combined company, has a strong track record for acquiring and merging companies. If you really think about it, Peopleclick Authoria is the merger of 9 companies (6 with Peopleclick and 3 with Authoria) with a total investment over $130 million in venture investment.

The Bad News

The merger of Peopleclick and Authoria appears to be primarily a financially-driven merger. Private equity firms like Bedford Funding focus on finding undervalued companies, putting in place some operational and financial discipline, and reselling those companies or assets at a premium.

Although they are now have arguably some of the deepest best of breed solutions for talent acquisition and talent management, the two products couldn’t be more different. Most of Authoria’s products have recently been re-platforming their solution with a J2EE-based architecture (Authoria Communications has yet to be migrated to the new platform). Authoria 10x, the new platform, has a streamlined and intuitive user experience.

Conversely, Peopleclick is built on a .NET architecture and the discrete products have gone through varied levels of “modernization”. Peopleclick’s usability, although intuitive, are process-driven and require significant user interaction. Over the past few years, Peopleclick has some useful innovations including contact management, onboarding, interview scheduling and social network integration. The core recruiting management engine though is still dependent on the deliberate complex that still overwhelms most recruiter or user. What all of this means for either company’s customers is that Peopleclick products and Authoria products look different, act different, deploy different and demand a completely different user experience. It also mean the distinct architectures will have integration challenges and longer-term cost implications.

No doubt the companies have very complimentary functionality and Peopleclick Authoria will get into many short-lists due to their “RFP-ready” capabilities (“RFP-ready” meaning they can now checkbox the capabilities listed in most generic RFPs out there). The question, though, is will the depth of capabilities meet the needs of today’s buyer that demands a simplified and unified experience across all talent processes. The combined Peopleclick Authoria is a technology stew. Although both product lines are designed with multi-tenancy in mind, I would consider both vendors to be more hosted providers than true SaaS vendors. Peopleclick Authoria will need to support many product lines, and many versions of those product lines, deployed uniquely across many customers. Peopleclick Authoria will be challenged to economically support new innovation and deep customer support for all combined products! The company has yet to share how they intent to integrate the product lines but considering it has taken Authoria 3+ years to re-platform their solutions, it would be a safe bet to assume the products will remain independent on their separate technology stacks and integration will be at the surface only. While many other vendors will be focused on deepening the unification of their modules, building capability to support emerging “blended” talent management capability such as talent mobility and planning, and innovating in new areas such as social collaboration, Peopleclick Authoria will be focused on the often painful process of blending two companies and the unique complexities of their underlying technology.

Authoria is getting a great customer base and an annuity stream that I’m sure became very attractive to Bedford (and as was similar with Sumtotal’s private equity buyers). But with the talent management market continuing to be a replacement market and talent management buyers become increasingly demanding and cost-conscious, it will be no small task to successful managing the combined Peopleclick Authoria.

Will Peopleclick Authoria be good for customers? Please share your thoughts and comments.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

The 50 Best Places To Work In 2012

It’s that time of year again: Glassdoor has released its list of 50 best places to work in 2012! The list, “Best Places to Work — Employees’ Choice” is the fourth annual employee’s choice awards for best companies to work for. Below, see the companies and corresponding ratings.

Bain & Company: 4.7
McKinsey & Company: 4.3
Facebook: 4.3
MITRE: 4.1
Google: 4.0
CareerBuilder: 4.0
Slalom Consulting: 4.0
REI: 4.0
Trader Joe’s: 4.0
Apple: 3.9
General Mills: 3.9
Rackspace: 3.9
Salesforce.com: 3.9
United Space Alliance: 3.9
Dow Chemical: 3.9
Chevron: 3.8
Southwest Airlines: 3.8
National Instruments: 3.8
Wayfair: 3.8
Citrix Systems: 3.8
QUALCOMM: 3.8
SAP America: 3.8
Costco Wholesale: 3.8
J. Crew: 3.8
Procter & Gamble: 3.7
Fluor: 3.7
Reachlocal: 3.7
Johnson & Johnson: 3.7
Monsanto Company: 3.7
NetApp: 3.7
Morningstar: 3.6
Intel Corporation: 3.6
Disney Parks & Resorts: 3.6
Starbucks: 3.6
NIKE: 3.6
Cleveland Clinic: 3.6
Coach: 3.6
Ernst & Young: 3.6
Sephora USA: 3.6
Groupon: 3.6
Goldman Sachs: 3.6
Intuit: 3.6
Accenture: 3.6
Nordstrom: 3.6
PricewaterhouseCoopers: 3.6
Eli Lilly: 3.6
MTV Networks: 3.6
Scottrade: 3.5
NVIDIA: 3.5
FedEx: 3.5

What makes a good workplace? A recent article, 4 Factors That Influence Employees’ Views Of Their Workplace, says that education, age, gender and geographic location are important to employees. Also, employees like feedback — see How To Communicate Appreciation To Employees, — and motivation — see Study Reveals The Secret For Motivating Workers.

by KATE D'AMICO on JANUARY 10, 2012

Monday, January 9, 2012

10 Mobile Apps That Will Keep You On Your HR & Social Media Game

Small business owners are always looking for ways to integrate social media into their already extremely busy day. As a social media coach, I do try to help small business owners learn how to integrate social media into their marketing strategies. One of the most effective ways to do this is to take your social media strategy mobile.

It’s predicted that by the end of 2014, mobile use of the web will have outstripped desktop access. It’s clear that taking social media on the go saves time and energy – you can tweet while waiting in line at the bank, you can blog while riding the train and you can read RSS feeds while sitting in traffic (when you’re not moving, of course). While most of us have the necessary and very helpful mobile apps for Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus and Foursquare (and if you don’t – download then now!) there are many others apps that can help you stay on top of your social media game.

Ten Apps That Will Keep You On Your Social Media Game

● HootSuite: This mobile dashboard allows you to manage your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Foursquare accounts while on the go. You can schedule posts and tweets, add updates, track click stats and set up tracking columns to monitor keywords, hashtags and lists.

● Google Search: This app allows you to search the web faster and easier. It has features like voice search to allow you to search while on the go without needing to type, Google Goggles, which allows you to take a photo of what you see to get more info about products or landmarks and it allows users to find places near them without typing their location.

● NetNewsWire: An RSS reader for your iPhone. This allows you to read the news from millions of blogs and sites that publish RSS feeds. A definite must for those who need to fill wait times – either in line, on the bus or waiting for clients. You can star items or send them to instapaper to save them for later. You can also e-mail articles or post the links to Twitter.

● PitchEngine: PitchEngine is a web-based service that helps people create content-rich media releases. The mobile app allows businesses and organizations to create portable, one-page PR sites, with images and videos and publish it to the world, all while being away from the office.

● Buffer: Like the desktop version, the mobile version of Buffer app lets you schedule both Facebook and Twitter posts while on the go. Buffer allows you to spread your updates throughout the day. You can add updates easily with the bookmarklet whenever you are reading an article in your browser.

● Card Munch: This app by LinkedIn is a great way to turn business cards into contacts, with LinkedIn integration. You can easily convert business cards by scanning the card with the card reader and uploading the information without needing to type. Very useful at business meetings, conventions, trade shows and networking events.

● Mobile Payment app: With the mobile age, it is critical for merchants to find new ways for to close deals and accept payments when they’re on the go. There are many mobile app tools that enable businesses to process transactions and payments, with next day direct deposit to your bank account. I didn’t include a specific app as it depends in which country you are doing buisness in. Square, Intuit GoPayment are for US based banking, while Payfirma is Canadian. It is well worth looking into a mobile merchant app for your business.

● Vignature: With most businesses going mobile, its important to be able to access and legally sign documents while on the go. Vignature lets you access your documents from email or dropbox and open it within the app. You tap to sign and pose for a photograph. Your image is integrated into your signature, along with a date stamp. You can then email the signed document to yourself and any other required recipient.

● Wordpress for iOS: With WordPress for iOS you can easily manage your WordPress blog or website from your iOS device. You can moderate comments, create or edit posts, add images and video. You can now write, edit and mangage your blog while waiting for the bus or riding the train to work.

● G-Whizz: This Google Apps Browser is a great way to access all your Google Apps, even from a non-android phone. You have access to over 20 apps right on your smart phone including Google Docs, reader, Google Voice, Gmail, plus Facebook and Twitter. You can send free text messages, track your schedule with Google Calendar, get driving directions and stay up to date with Google News.

Posted by:

Ali Goldfield

13 Secrets to Long Tail Keyword Selection

Rand Fish of SEOmoz covers the art and science of choosing long tail keywords that will convert for your business. All HR & marketing professionals should see this video. http://bit.ly/sGMTl0

What to Ask as You Start 2012: Why Would Somebody Work For You?

As we enter the doors of 2012, the prognosticators have all given their respective thoughts on what is coming into focus for the year.These are all great readings, but if you have survived these past few years of economic turmoil (and the aftermath), you know that, really, who knows?

All organizations have basically put together their various strategies for either getting back into the game, moving to the next level, or something similar. Some of those strategies will be called into focus as the year progresses. Think Verizon and their slogan — “Can you hear me now?”

As I read Sunday’s New York Times, there was an article that encapsulated IBM strategy that was devised by Samuel J. Palmisano, who is departing as IBM’s chief. In the article, Palmisano mentioned that he focused on four key questions to drive strategy and growth when he took the helm of IBM.

4 questions for business excellence

He says his guiding framework boils down to four questions:

“Why would someone spend their money with you — what is unique about you?”
“Why would somebody work for you?”
“Why would society allow you to operate in their defined geography — their country?”
“Why would somebody invest their money with you?”

The No. 1 question for HR executives and the C-Suite

I continue to read over these questions and marvel as to how these four powerful questions would frame a conversation about any organization. To me, the most powerful question in the group is the simplest — “just why would somebody work for you?” I would love to pose that question to any senior level executive as they embark on a 2012 that, by all accounts, will be another year of uncertainty.

Just imagine during the interview process if his question was posed to the interviewer, whether that is the recruiter, hiring manager or senior executive. “My question is why should I come to work for your company, what makes your organization so unique from a people prospective?” As Emeril Lagasse of Food Network, would say “ BAM.”

How would YOU answer the question?

In some companies, it would result in a deer-in-the-headlights look from the other side of the table, and probably, that powerful question would not derive a credible answer. But every person that you sit across the table from (yes, including all the employees in your organization) are asking that question in some way, shape, or form.

A low level of engagement in your organization is an incubator for these types of questions. The clarity of specific words may not be formed in this way, but they are hovering around in the employee mindset.

Can you sell your Employee Value Proposition?

This brings me to most important message that an organization must live, eat breathe and sleep — the Employee Value Proposition. This is the key link to your employer branding. Every organization should not only think through this powerful question, but also need to develop a mission statement the specifically focuses on why an employee would want to work with you.

So, what is unique about you and your organization?

What are the major people policies?
What processes and programs demonstrate the organization’s commitment to employees?
How does your organization create and sustain employee growth?
How are you developing your managers and employees?
Are your employee rewards in balance with an employee’s performance level?
Is your corporate social responsibility policy telling a compelling story?

People plans need to relate to business strategy

The essence of the Employee Value Proposition should be the central reason that people choose to commit themselves to your organization.

The branding message should be shouted from the mountaintop and used in all recruitment efforts as well as any other opportunity that offers the opportunity to tell others about your organization’s people strategy.

High performing companies know that their business strategy is viewed through the prism of their people strategy. Going forward into this New Year, there is simply no other way to get to your prescribed destination.

So, if you can’t answer the question as to why somebody should work for you, you may want to go back to the drawing board.

Believe me, everyone will be listening for your response.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Don’t Get Burned Passing the Torch

by Joel Koblenz, December 13, 2011

In the recent Atlanta Journal Constitution article from December 2011, “Don’t Get Burned Passing the Torch,” founding partner of the Koblentz Group, Joel M. Koblentz was quoted extensively on the importance of succession planning as “the” seminal responsibility of corporate boards.

These days, boards of directors at most large companies consider succession planning one of their key tasks, said Joel M. Koblentz, senior partner at the Koblentz Group. Often, boards now formally monitor CEO’s efforts to develop their potential replacements, as well as candidates for other members of the senior executive team, said Koblentz, whose Atlanta firm advises companies on succession issues and helps them recruit executives and board directors.

“It’s only in the last few years that boards have taken it seriously,” he said. But now, in the wake of numerous financial scandals and corporate missteps over the past decade, company directors are “much more cautious” about vetting a CEO’s hand-picked heir-apparent, he said. They’re also insisting on a wider choice of candidates.

“Because it’s a lengthy process, they’re starting earlier,” said Koblentz. “The best companies are doing it continuously.”

He said it usually takes at least two years to set up a viable succession plan because it takes that long for the current CEO and board of directors to pick candidates, become familiar with their strengths and weaknesses, and rotate them through jobs to broaden their experience.

Smaller companies are at a disadvantage, he added, because often their bench isn’t deep enough to allow such juggling of jobs to groom candidates.

“There are many emerging and midcap companies who struggle with this because the costs are so expensive,” said Koblentz. “But many are concluding that it’s more expensive not to do it.”

Sometimes, however, even the largest companies appear to stumble, either because they didn’t have a good replacement waiting, the board didn’t challenge the CEO’s hand-picked successor, or board members and other players become involved in internal power struggles.

“The process fails when the CEO designates the crown prince and the board just says, ‘OK,’ “ he said.

Even so, there is an advantage to appoint executives who are in the company today.

Koblentz commented that insiders naturally have an advantage over outside hires. “They know the business. They know the culture. They know how the trains run.”

Joel is a good friend and his sage advise is something that a;ll HR executives should listen to and read his blog on www.koblenzgroup.com

Thursday, December 29, 2011

5 Reasons to Use Job Boards in Your Job Search

The world of job search is a little like the current Republican race for the presidential nomination: the lead contender is constantly shifting. In job search, although networking has always been king, the ways to do it are constantly evolving along with technology.

While searching for a job and applying online through big boards was judged to be a worthwhile activity some years ago, now there are new big kids on the block: LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, in that order.

What do we know about how effective job boards actually are at yielding new hires? Richard Bolles in What Color is Your Parachute 2011, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, estimates your job board success rate at 4-10%. CareerXroads found in a 1/2011 study that 25% of hires from external sources come from job boards. Why the difference? One reason is that a lot of hires come from within a company or from employee referrals, so a correspondingly higher percentage of hires come from job boards.

Still, whether the number is the 1% (est. # of hires from Monster.com), the 4-10% or the 25%, spending your time on job boards is not the best use of your time.

However...you will still find many (most) of job seekers spending a lot of time on job boards. So what is the seductiveness of using job boards?

▪ It's easy. You can roll out of bed and open your favorite job boards and see some that look good to you. You don't have to pick up the phone and cold call or even call a networking contact.

▪ It's simple. The jobs give you title, often name of company, job description, requirements, and instructions for applying. You can form a picture in your mind of the job and of you doing it. You don't have to network your way into an organization seeking one of the hidden jobs whose names or requirements you may not know.

▪ It feels proactive. You can submit your resume to any number of positions and feel a sense of accomplishment (whether warranted or not).

▪ You can do it when you feel tired or discouraged. Job search is so hard. Let's face it. Networking, whether traditional or enabled by social media, requires enough moxie to actually do it. You may not always have the energy or the courage at that particular moment.

▪ Betting is fun. Yes, you say to yourself, the percentages don't look great, but I just might be one of those who gets hired this way.

I actually think these are all acceptable reasons to give job boards a shot, particularly the niche job boards or company job portals. Even though the percentages are dwarfed by the other, more effective methods, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU NEED A BREAK. No one can be on their best game 100% of the time. It's simply not possible. Why not use the slack time to surf the boards and apply to a few jobs? It's a better bet than playing Angry Birds.

Just as the food police say that eating healthy fats should be a modest part of one's daily diet, so keeping an eye on job boards specializing in your function or industry can be a small part of a highly effective job search campaign. So keep networking and leveraging social media, but, when you need to, relax and do what's easy. Happy New Year!

from Careerhubblog.com

Human Resources Strategy