Peer to Peer Magazine

15 WWW.ILTANET.ORG BEST PRACTICES » Set Communication Expectations: It is to be expected that HR and IT professionals will speak different "languages." Due to the differences in communication styles and terminology, any difficult communication around a project should be done in person or via a video-based platform where body language and voice inflection can be seen and heard by both groups. Firms take different approaches to communication regarding a project. Some use a centralized project management tool, others might use an instant messaging system and some prefer to hold weekly face-to-face status meetings. Consider your firm's culture around meetings, remember the personalities in the room and adapt accordingly, as miscommunication oen happens when people lack the ability to understand the nuances of nonverbal communication. » Celebrate Success: At each project launch, HR and IT have a unique opportunity to celebrate together! The successful launch (and, ultimately, the successful conclusion) of a project is the perfect time to acknowledge milestones, which helps create a cohesive partnership between the two groups. Building relationships is key to creating a successful partnership. Continue To Align As HR and IT professionals within law firms continue to increase their visibility as business partners, the need for strategic alignment between the two groups will only continue to grow. P2P other security protections needed to deal with confidential client maers outside the office. While HR creates the remote work policies covering issues such as worker's compensation, overtime and insurance. Providing employees with mobile devices to work on the go also creates the need for strategic alignment between HR and IT to monitor employee productivity while minimizing risks for the firm. IT confirms that mobile devices being used have approved security measures in place, while HR creates the mobile device management policy. Workforce Planning and Analytics: HR and IT want to increase firm productivity. HR is now looking at metrics that track everything from recruitment analytics to turnover ratios. The information obtained from this data can help reduce hiring costs and employ different staffing models to maximize productivity. IT's work comes in finding the right tool or set of tools to produce the smallest number of headaches and the greatest amount of "good" data. HR can formulate the end result, but IT is needed to ensure feasibility with the systems. Strategies for Partnership Establishing a strategic partnership between the HR and IT departments in these three areas takes hard work. Here are some strategies that will help: » Define Common Goals: Defining a common goal helps IT and HR teams unite on tasks and gives them a target to work toward together. Create a common goal for each project that clearly states the expected outcome of the project and how it ties into the overall strategic plan of the firm. » Clarify Roles and Responsibilities: Clarifying roles and responsibilities helps everyone respect the expertise in the room. Capitalizing on the strengths of the employees in each department is a great way to define who will be responsible for specific aspects of a project. 3 Aligning Human Resources and Information Technology Strategies ELIZABETH GREENE Elizabeth Greene, MBA, is the Assistant Director of Human Resources at Fennemore Craig, P.C. Elizabeth is responsible for creating and managing staff retention and development programs, including rewards and recognition programs to instill a team-based culture within the firm. Architects training program platforms to support continuous skills assessment and development, and measures the effectiveness of the human resources programs. Contact her at egreene@fclaw.com. Capitalizing on the strengths of the employees in each department is a great way to define who will be responsible for specific aspects of a project.

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