In February 2009, I reviewed fledgling blog Employment Buddy, and declared it “one to watch”. It was at an early stage then, many of its sections labelled ‘There are no posts in this category’. A year on, is there any improvement?
Yes, I am pleased to report. The Employment Buddy elves seem to have been very busy over the past 12 months, and all of the sections are now populated.
Visually, it’s not the most attractive blog. It looks very static, and a little too much as if a stack of work documents have been put online. Some pictures would break it up, and better use of colour would make it more appealing. But don’t let this put you off.
Content-wise, the first thing that strikes me about the blog is the list of topics. It’s a smart list, and well thought-out. How often do you see an HR blog with a section labelled ‘family-friendly’? Rarely – yet this is a hugely important topic within the world of work. Other topics include recruitment and contracts, discipline and grievance, and employee relations. Clear labelling makes it an easy blog to find your way around.
In terms of the actual stories, there’s nothing that will set your world on fire, but it’s a solid round up of HR, recruitment and employment law news. Each post is accompanied by a comment, or perhaps a relevant tip. For instance, a report on a banker recently caught looking at sexist material during office hours was followed by suggestions on how to avoid a similar situation in your own organisation – and how to deal with it, should it occur.
It’s quite plainly written, without any of the cleverness you associate with blogs, but that’s not necessarily to its detriment. The main site (blog-aside) pitches itself to those in need of HR advice ‘on a limited budget’, and this is reflected in the tone of the blog. It’s basic, but in a good way – one of those ‘does what it says on the tin’ services. Readers without specialist HR knowledge will find it particularly useful.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
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Recruitment-focused tweets, but of broader interest. At the time of writing, Halliwell was tweeting his top 10 recruitment tips. An active tweeter, he hasn’t gone down the dull road of just tweeting about what he’s doing, instead opting for comments on the many business events he whizzes to. He reads widely and is happy to share his findings with Twitter followers. Halliwell’s tweets are both fun and useful, and work-related comments are occasionally interrupted by welcome posts on less weighty topics – such as how he feels about TV’s Cilla Black.
