HR Professional - April/May 2008 - (Page 6)

EDITOR’S LETTER IF YOU CAN’T BEAT ’EM, JOIN ’EM s of press time, Facebook reports Canada has seven million active users and a global total that doubles every six months. It seems everyone is networking online through one social media site or another—LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, YouTube, Classmates Online. But embracing social media in the workplace gives rise to a host of complex HR issues. A U.S. study conducted by Clearswift found that 64 per cent of companies denied their employees access to social networking sites and more than half disciplined staff for wasting time on the Internet. And while there’s no denying productivity losses due to inappropriate Internet use has a real impact on the bottom line, social media also offers a wealth of employer branding benefits. Take accounting giant Ernst & Young, which hosts one of the largest corporate networks on Facebook and even uses the site as part of its formal recruitment strategy. Journalist Elizabeth Kelly explores the pros and cons of banning social media in the workplace on page 20. The issue I find most concerning is corporate security and, in a larger context, privacy. How do employers govern what employees say about their work while online? To find out what employers’ rights and responsibilities are in this area, we talk to Colin MacKay, head of public education and communications for the Privacy Commissioner of Canada on page 43. And lawyer Susan Sorensen rounds out our look at social media with an article on the legal hazards of employee blogging on page 16. Our April/May issue also offers some great news coverage in our upfront section (page 12), the results of Mercer’s employee rewards survey (page 18) and best practices for exit interviews (page 37). Enjoy! PROFESSIONAL VOL. 25/NO. 3 April/May 2008 EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Meredith Birchall-Spencer Art & Design Marianna Gajewska Associate Editor Duff McCutcheon Legal Editor Malcolm MacKillop, Partner Hodgson Shields DesBrisay O’Donnell MacKillop Squire LLP Contributors Annie Hsu, John Johnson, Elizabeth Kelly, Carly Pelham, Stuart Stark, Jay Somerset, Catherine Thomas HRPA OF ON TA RIO Chief Executive Officer William Greenhalgh Director, Finance and Administration Gary Monk Director, Events and Sponsorship Marta Pawych Director, Government and External Relations, General Counsel Stephen Rotstein Director, Marketing and Membership Chris Larsen Director, HR Excellence Claude Balthazard, PhD N AY L O R Publisher Bob Phillips Project Manager Kim Davies Sales Manager Derek Kuzina Editor Janine Strom Layout & Design Emma Law Advertising Art Lesley Helash Senior Sales Manager Steve Urias Advertising Sales Manager Wayne Jury Advertising Sales Representatives Gordon Jackson, Cheryll Oland, Dawn Stokes, Sabrina Turton, Norma Walchuk Research Elsbeth Russell EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Angela Aubry, Regional HR Director, Cintas Canada Ltd. Monica Beauregard, CHRP, President, Bridgepoint Inc. Dr. Nick Bontis, Director, Institute for Intellectual Capital Research Inc. Robert Canuel, CHRP, VP Human Resources, Hallmark Canada Inc. Cheryl Fry, CHRP, Senior Manager, Performance Excellence, CBC Television Alex Gallacher, CHRP, Partner, Engage HR Solutions Mary-Jane Irvine, CHRP, Manager, HR, The Canadian Kennel Club Suzanne L. Jaekel, CHRP, Director, HR, Trudell Medical Marketing Ltd. Simone MacIsaac, CHRP, HR Manager, Torkin Manes Cohen Arbus, LLP Theresa O’Connell, CHRP, VP, Human Resources, Redwood Custom Communications Inc. Mary-Alice Vuicic, CHRP, Senior VP, HR & Organizational Development, Shoppers Drug Mart HR PROFESSIONAL is published six times per year for the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) of Ontario, 2 Bloor St. West, Suite 1902, Toronto, ON, M4W 3E2, tel. 416-923-2324, toll-free 1-800-387-1311, fax 416-923-7264, e-mail info@hrpao.org, www.hrpao.org, www.hrprofessional.org. HRPA of Ontario’s vision is to be a global leader in advancing the human resources profession as the essential driver of business strategy and organizational success. As the premier HR association in Canada, HRPA of Ontario is internationally recognized and sought out for its knowledge, innovation and leadership. With more than 17,000 members in 28 chapters in Ontario, and other locations around the world, HRPA of Ontario connects its membership to an unmatched range of HR information resources, events, professional development and networking opportunities. HR Professional magazine is published by Naylor (Canada), Inc. 2 Bloor Street West, Suite 2001, Toronto, ON M4W 3E2, Tel. 1-800-665-2456 – Winnipeg or 1-800-461-4828 – Toronto, Fax 1-800-709-5551. www.naylor.com © 2008 Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) of Ontario. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of HRPA of Ontario or a license from Access Copyright. For a license, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call 1-800-893-5777. SUBSCRIPTIONS (Prices include shipping and handling) $29 per year in Canada; $49 per year in the United States; $69 per year International. $60 of membership dues are allocated for subscription to HR Professional. Published articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of HRPAO. ISSN 847-9453 HRPA of Ontario is proud to be a founding member of the Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations. Published March 2008/HRP-S0208/7050 A Meredith Birchall-Spencer Editor This publication is printed on 50 per cent recycled coated sheet, 15 per cent post consumer waste, acid- and chlorine-free paper stock. 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Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Professional - April/May 2008

HR Professional - April/May 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Contributors Leadership Matters By the Numbers On the Web Careers World Watch Accounting Health & Safety Foreign Professionals Management Office Life Legal Compensation Web 2.0 @ Work Talent Management Systems On Message Strategy HR 101 Interview With Colin Mackay Off the Shelf The Last Word

HR Professional - April/May 2008

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