Feature Two

Pivoting the business business to help HR to help HR professionals professionals embrace the embrace the new world new world of digital of digital experience experience

By Teresa Flannigan

Over the past five years, we’ve seen a huge shift with HR embracing the digital transformation revolution with a ‘slowly but surely’ attitude and building confidence levels in the use of technology, however COVID-19 has most certainly provided a quantum leap for many HR professionals and their willingness to learn as much as there is to know about a world in the clouds, that only ever seemed to appeal to the ‘geeks’ among us.

Since the start of the pandemic and a huge increase in digital technology use, with millions of remote meetings taking place around the world on a daily basis, video communications provider Zoom has recently reported an increase in users of their platform of almost 360%, taking revenue from $200M to $328M in a matter of months.

The ability to transform HR & business practices as we know it and the opportunities it offers, is truly mind blowing!

But how far is the HR profession willing to go to make life so much easier by fully embracing this rich new digital world?

Just like in the saying ‘Talk is cheap’, whilst it’s one thing to talk about a digital HR transformation, it’s an entirely different thing to do it!

There is no doubt however that we are working in a far more digitally savvy environment due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and the subsequent lockdown restrictions placed on employers to ensure that their staff remain safe and continue to work remotely, to avoid contracting the virus.

Businesses have been hit exceedingly hard by the coronavirus outbreak and many are likely to be facing a sudden and dramatic drop in revenue. Many others, who were caught out by the pace of the pandemic and unable to pivot their business, have sadly run out of time and have found themselves closing their doors for the final time.

The Hr NETWORK business is no exception to the effects of COVID-19 and the publishing arm of the organisation Media Avenue Limited, which relies on hosting large industry events including the Hr NETWORK Conference & Exhibition and the Hr NETWORK National Awards, has seen a huge drop in revenue since March this year.

With social distancing guidelines likely to be in place for the coming months, like many other businesses that have had to think about a Plan B – pivoting the Hr NETWORK business is just what has happened.

Hr NETWORK has recently announced the launch of Hr MARKET, the brand new digital search and networking platform for HR professionals across the UK.

Designed and developed completely during the COVID-19 lockdown by Media Avenue, the publishing arm of Hr NETWORK magazine, Hr MARKET offers free searching for a wide range of product and services as well as extensive networking opportunities across the platform.

Low cost listing packages are available for advertisers who wish to promote their products, services, jobs, and events including webinars and options range from one listing for one month to 10 or 50 listings for 12 months for advertisers with a higher level of activity.

A list of early adopters of the new Hr MARKET platform from across the UK business community includes:

Roffey Park Institute Search Consultancy Talent Solutions Right Management Law At Work

LHH

Sterling Lexicon

Strathclyde Business School

Navigator: Navigator Employment Law

Taranata Group

Johnston Carmichael

Jobtrain edo MIDAS …and many more! “Hr MARKET is an exceedingly dynamic, innovative and responsive networking tool designed to help HR and business professionals across the UK source and connect with a wide range of service & product providers, jobs, events, charities, consultants and the lifestyle section showcases a range of options from eating out to travel”, said: Hr NETWORK’s Lee Turner.”

Visitors to the site will discover a really vibrant platform with exceptional search capability. Simply entering the type of services or products, i.e. leadership development or talent attraction in the search field will produce a range of providers in this sector, all showcased in their own dedicated profile listing complete with a background on the business and their services, key people within the organisation and full embedded social media platforms to track their communities and activity.

Turner added: “With the rapid increase in the digital experience market due to remote working models being implemented across the UK resulting from the lockdown, as well as the huge impact on Hr NETWORK as a business and not being able to host our usual events from which we generate most of our income, the need to flip the business model and create a high-quality digital experience for our community, including our sponsors and commercial partners, was essential.”

“The impact of COVID-19 is only going to heighten the demand for more digital experience market products and we knew we had to act fast in developing an effective tool to be able to support our community in the absence of all our usual events and gatherings”, said Lee.

Some of the Hr MARKET benefits and features include:

Connecting HR people with a world of business opportunities A dedicated network for showcasing your products and services Easy to use with powerful search features Introduce your key people to HR professionals Share your activity, news and stories Promoting latest jobs, events & webinars Highlight all your social media activity Be part of a thriving, dynamic and exciting community

The launch of Hr MARKET offers the HR and business community across Scotland and the wider UK the chance to discover a world of business and networking opportunities and in doing so, driving an agile digital transformation for Hr NETWORK and it’s survival out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hr MARKET is both a timely and comprehensive response to the needs of the community it serves, the market in which it operates and the new world of digital experience.