Strategic & sustainable improvements in workforce information skills require alignment with HR
Jinfo Blog

By Robin Neidorf

Abstract

The third and final insight from Jinfo's Research Focus, "Developing an information-savvy workforce through strategic alignments", discusses the benefits to the business of partnering with another key department to develop information skills.

Item

The most effective partnership you can develop to create sustainable improvement in workforce information skills is with human resources or the equivalent. 

This is not a partnership that most information services develop naturally. Unlike IT, which regularly overlaps the interests and expertise of information professionals, human resources may not cross your radar except in limited, project-specific ways.

But the value of information for work depends on the right mix of content, technology and user behaviour... and developing the right behaviours is the expertise of HR. 

Developing alignment and partnership with HR requires your research skills. You need to understand:

• How the department is structured to identify your potential inroads

• What the priorities and incentives for the department are - what they are focused on, and how they define success

• The typical cycle of projects, initiatives, deadlines and reporting, where you might enter and influence.

When you successfully frame information skills development as a workforce risk, you can tap into HR's expertise with evaluation, training and development and strategic planning for future workforce needs. 

Imagine the impact it would have on your efforts to improve the way workers interact with information if HR incorporated these skills into job descriptions, testing, and enterprise development plans. Alignment and partnership with HR are challenging, but doable. The rewards to the business are worth it.

Get started right away: leverage Jinfo's research and experience

Free: key insights

The main lessons learned of this three-month Research Focus, plus a thematic index to all content published, are listed in the "Insights and Actions" report for the Research Focus, "Developing an information-savvy workforce through strategic alignments". 

Non-subscribers: request a free copy by registering your interest.

Subscribers: sign in now to download your copy and access all premium content.

Content

The content in the current Research Focus, "Developing an information-savvy workforce through strategic alignments", provides guidance and research-based analysis on investigating key partnerships and how to develop them. 

Use these items from the Research Focus for specific guidance (paid subscription):

• Picking the best partners to drive information skills development
• What's strategic alignment without a strategy?
• Case study on Praxair - an information centre reporting into HR

The following webinar will also be useful (paid subscription):

• Finding the right partners to develop an information-savvy workforce

Community

Join with your peer group in Jinfo Community sessions to work on these issues (paid subscription, with Community option included):

• Developing strategic alignments to nurture an information-savvy workforce

Consulting

Jinfo Consulting is working with customers today on bespoke analysis, workshops and coaching to identify, prioritise and implement strategies to create alignment with HR. Contact us to learn how we can help you.

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