497 - Video Noontime Snacking; Personalized Targeted HR
January 5, 2008 Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Jan 5, 2008.
#497 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,071 Readers -http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host, Learning Systems ‘08 - April 10 & 11 - Las Vegas, NV.
1. Noontime Video Snacking Rises … Learning Opportunities?
2. Targeted and Personalized HR Policies
3. TRENDS 500 Approaching
1. Noontime Video Snacking Rises … Learning Opportunities? There is a visible growth in employee viewing of video content during lunch breaks. There is an acute spike in bandwidth usage during the lunch hour as employees watch video from sources like YouTube, CNN, ABC and television networks. A genre of lunchtime video is emerging, with daily targeted, short segments produced for the lunchtime crowd. The phrase “video snacking” refers to this emerging trend, which The New York Times addressed in an interesting article today:
“In some offices, workers coordinate their midday Web-watching
schedules, the better to shout out punch lines to one another across
rows of desks. Some people gravitate to sites where they can reliably
find Webcasts of a certain length — say, a three-minute political
wrap-up — to minimize both their mouse clicks and the sandwich crumbs
that wind up in the keyboard.
“Go take a walk around your office” at lunchtime, said Alan Wurtzel,
head of research for NBC. “Out of 20 people, I’m going to guarantee
that 5 are going to be on some sort of site that is not work-related.”
The midday spike in Web traffic is not a new phenomenon, but media
companies have started responding in a meaningful way over the last
year. They are creating new shows, timing the posts to coincide with
hunger pangs. And they are rejiggering the way they sell advertising
online, recognizing that noontime programs can command a premium.”
So, what if we harnessed the concept of Video Snacking for learning?
Imagine your organization producing a short, 5 to 7 minute show every
day for viewing during lunch. Ideas?
2. Targeted and Personalized HR Policies: As organizations look at
strategies to attract and retain younger workers, there is a
conversation starting about Targeted & Personalized HR Policies. For
years, organizations have focused on the “fairness” of a common HR
policy. Everyone got the same formula for vacation days. But, as we
see a new generation enter the workplace, with very different and
individualized preferences, there is an opportunity to use a
personalized HR model as a retention strategy.
For example, some employees are only planning on staying with the
organization for 6 months to 2 years. And, they are very focused on a
side-line hobby or business. One could imagine a personalized HR
Policy for them that was quite different than a career-focused 40-year-old manager. The hiring process might actually drive a menu model that
blends compensation, time allocation and development opportunities. This
could yield a contract for HR with this person (sort of My-HR Policy),
which would be re-visited each year. And, I could see the information
from an updated LMS system being part of this experiment.
Organizations might even experiment with a range of HR policies and
see the impact on performance, employee retention and even
satisfaction. I know, this is not your father’s HR world. It takes us
beyond the “collective bargaining” model of a unified and “fair” HR
handbook. And, please note: this is way more provocative than giving a
cafeteria model of benefits to workers. This would actually yield a
complex but perhaps highly effective approach to HR.
3. TRENDS 500 Approaching: In just a week, the 500th edition of
Learning TRENDS will be published. Started over 10 years ago, TRENDS
is one of the favorite things that I get to create/distribute. Help me
with the 500th edition. We have heard from hundreds of Learning TRENDS
readers with some words, notes, raves, rants or thoughts about
Learning. We’ll include these in a special 500th Edition. Send me an
email to emasie@masie.com
Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services:
Performance Support LAB & Seminar: Jan. 30 - Feb 1, Saratoga Springs, NY.
Learning Leaders Academy: March 10 - 12, Saratoga Springs, NY.
Learning Systems ‘08 Conference: April 10 and 11, Las Vegas, NV.
Learning 2008: Oct. 26-29, Orlando, Florida. Information and Registration: