This is my first foray into the mist of CIPD online discussions and I have to admit to being a bit disappointed with the quality of some discussion for debate.
Not to say that the items listed are not relevant but I think it would be better to have an 'advice section' for those individuals who have simple questions about practice to be answered?
Then the space for discussions can be recogised and valued more as one where real debate will occur.
Can only really add that I have found the community very informative and helpful in the 14 or so months that I have been using / contributing to it. I do agree with Amanda that some of the items posted for comment do appear to lack in quality - but then it does depend from where we're standing. Like many contributors I have more years experience than I care to remember and only wish there had been the forum available when I started out in HR - i am sure many of my questions then would have seemed to lack quality to those more experienced. As Steve intimates, offerign advice to colleagues with problems they are facing is rewarding in itself - so long as people remember it is only my opinion and not necessarily correct! But then as has been posted above, others with more experience will usually correct or clarify any issues when necessary. Prior to 14 months ago I didn't really know it existed!
Much of the debate raised is thought provoking (as is this one) and stimulating. If the topic is in an area about which i have no interest or knowledge I don't usually open it - but just do so for those which i think will be interesting and helpful - to me or others.
Maybe we could have a topic choice for "debate" or "support / advice" so that it is clear what the posting is looking for without having to read it all - then we could make a judgement about whether to open and read it?
Overall though a great resource and, despite the inevitable shortcomings in some areas (duplication etc) it would be a shame not to have it!
Peter
Steve is of course paid to say and collect things like that, (voiced on behalf of my cat - Schroedinger's) all other opinions may have less of a fiscal interest.
I do think there is some merit in separating the thoughtful from the transactional. Some days this reads less like a community (how do you read one?) and more like ask Deidre.
Anna, I agree with you, and here's my interpretation.
Can't these communities just be whatever they are on the day, or in the moment - meeting the needs of whoever chooses to read, contribute, answer or whatever is their leaning?
Personally, what I get out of these is learning through others expertise, opinion, questions, answers and thoughts and an opportunity to help others where I can or choose to. I welcome the fact that topics are not filtered and is a bit of a jumble of opinions, cries for help, debates, occasionally disagreements and most often, thoughtful development of ideas and intelligent expositions of various perspectives. It is more reflective of life that way, and richer for it.
Even the occasional "lazy" post where someone could quite clearly google what we all can, gets a gentle steer in the appropriate direction to help them think for themselves.
There is a inference here that a 'quality' discussion is in someway superior to any other kinds.
Even if it is, what's wrong with 'non quality discussions'?
...and most particularly David: Who defines what is a quality discussion? :-)
Here; here, Megan; and Re you last point: Although (as I have said above) I do not condone people trying to wheedle exam answers or workplace solutions they should be resolving themselves out of "communities" I have not problem with open requests of the: "Hey guys, has anyone got an XXX policy off the shelf that I can build on..." variety, or people asking for reviews of exam-work they've already done, or guidance on whether their planned approach seems appropriate.
P
If I may, a general observation:
I do think the Communities exceedingly useful, even for reason that 'all HR life is there' - with problems like those recounted here daily, who needs coursework or textbook scenarios ??
And, even if one's own self or workplace hasn't encountered most of these problems, it's still potentially valuable to read up on the worst-case scenarios and to be prepared if similar ever happens - pehaps using the search facilities to find it again.
Not sure whether the 'quality of discussions' is too relevant in this context, assuming that the majority of the responses reflect sensible and informed professional judgments.
Often, the responses of others are based on their own past experience, so aren't just hypothetical.
Just as there's rarely any single 'right' answer to many problems raised here, I think there's rarely any very meaningful distinction to be made between that which is 'quality' and that which is dross: it merely reflects our stock in trade, which is people.
I find communities really useful. Although I tend not to ask questions (lucky enough to have some very knowledgeable colleagues for that), I find that I learn a lot from other people's questions, and the responses give, and some of it has come in handy several months after reading it. Also, sometimes what starts as a simple question does turn into a debate - such as the pet bereavement thread recently.
Emily
I've come to this discussion a bit late thanks to a busy few days but I have to say, Megan sums it up for me! These Communities are a cross section of HR life and I think they give us a great overview of HR across the UK.
One thing I've observed is that it's the Q & A type questions that tend to get the most answers - the ones prompting debate seem to get far fewer answers, such as the ones in the Strategic HR area, and seem to be read by far fewer people. I think this tells us a little bit about what most people want from the forums! Maybe we should ask ourselves why people don't respond to these debate type questions and see how we can reframe our posts to encourage that debate? Admittedly my one attempt at provoking a debate (the infamou sacking by text thread *grin*) didn't provoke the kind of debate I'd hoped for as most people couldn't see past the provocative title to the content!
These Communities are dynamic and evolve based on what we, the contributors, put into them - if we want more debate, lets try and get more debates going and make them the type of debates people want to respond to.
Jackie
Sorry, I meant to say one other thing and forgot (not going to blame the baby brain as apparently scientists have proved that's a myth).
One of the reasons i don't contribute as often as I might is that my answer would be identical to something that someone else has posted and if a few people have agreed with that answer, I tend to think that me adding my agreement won't necessarily add anything to the discussion. So perhaps that's another reaon why people don't contribute?
Jackie
