HRfocus, May 2006, Vol. 2006, No. 6

Copyright 2006 Institute of Management & Administration
All Rights Reserved
HRfocus

May 2006

SECTION: HUMAN RESOURCES Vol. 2006 No. 6

HEADLINE: HR RESEARCH: How to Enrich and Expand Your Internet Searches

BODY:
Main article
The Internet can be a great place to look for answers to questions about HR practices, technology, and more. Knowing where to look can make it even easier to take advantage of the Internets many resources.
To help you get the most in the shortest amount of time, HRfocus shares information about some sites, plus an explanation about a factor that you may not realize affects your Internet searching.
SEARCH ENGINE ADS
They can be annoying, but did you know that search engine ads affect the quality of your sbbearch results?
The ads take two forms: popups and banners, which are easy to recognize, and sponsored links triggered by keyword ads, sometimes known as adwords, which steer your search to the advertisers Web site. Thus your search for a word or phrase (such as "executive compensation") triggers a sponsored link, which then becomes an integral part of the search results. You need to know to what degree the paid-for adwords influence the ranking of the search results.
HR SITES
Here are some of our favorite HR Web sites, including what you are probably already familiar with and some that may be new to you. We recommend them all as worthy of "bookmarks" or "favorites" on your Web browser:
SHRM (www.shrm.org). The Society for Human Resource Management has a well-organized database for easy searching and excellent bulletin boards.
Bureau of National Affairs (www.bna.com). IOMAs parent company contains news and other materials on human resources and business topics.
IHRIM (www.ihrim.org). Although IHRIM is a major organization addressing HR information systems and technology, youll find very useful information on broader issues such as the role technology now plays in a variety of HR processes and practices.
Human Resources Planning Society (www.hrps.org). This group of mostly large-organization senior HR professionals tackles issues related to the developing profession and business of HR.
U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov). The main site for federal government information on HR topics including wages, benefits, employment, demographics, and safety.
National Labor Relations Board (www.nlrb.gov/nlrb/home/default.asp). This is where youll find federal law related to organized labor.
Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov). Information about the Sarbanes-Oxley Act can be found at this site.
Center for Advanced HR Studies at Cornell University (www.ilr.cornell.edu/depts/cahrs/). Research on varied HR topics from a leading university.
HR Internet Guide (www.hr-guide.com). Links to many different HR-related Web sites, including equal-employment opportunity, staffing and selection, incentive plans, job analysis, and training and development.
HR Software (www.hr- software-net). Links to vendors galore, ranging from employee self-service to intranets to 360-degree feedback.
HR Blogs. The latest in online communications, blogs are a way to tap into discussions about a wide range of topics. Check out these HR blogs: HR for the leader in you (hrleaders.blogspot.com); Kevin Eikenberry Group (www.kevineikenberry.com/blogs/index.asp); BNET (blogs.bnet.com/hr/index.php?cat=) contains links to many other HR blogs and resources; and HR Megablog (www.hrmegablog.com) has lists of HR blogs and resources.
OTHER SITES
Theres more to the Web than just Google, Yahoo, and MSN for searches. Here are some sites weve found that may be helpful for general research:
SMEALsearch (smealsearch. psu.edu). Search engine for academic business information.
The List of Lists (www. specialissues.com/lol/). Looking for the top companies in a specialty market? LOL contains a database of them.
NewsDirectory (www.newsdirectory.com). Provides easy access to thousands of global news sources, including newspapers, magazines, and television stations.
Daypop (www.daypop.com). As a supplement to Google or Yahoo news searchers, Daypop offers breaking news from 60,000 current event sites.
Search Engine Watch (www.searchenginewatch.com). An e-site that covers the search engine market. Youll find lots of information about new search engines and search engine functionality here. Check out "Search Engine Resources" for lots of tips on how to search better on any search engine.
Complete Planet (www.completeplanet.com). This site can help you find specialty search engines.
Info.com (www.info.com). If you are in a hurry and would like a way to explore a lot of search engines all at once, try this site. It provides results from 14 search engines, including Google, Ask, Yahoo, About, and others. You can also shop, get news, and use other features.
Blogs. These sites will help you locate blogs on almost any topic you can think of: Technorati (www.technorati.com); LiveJournals search engine (www.ljseek.com); Opinmind (www.opinmind.com); and BlogSearchEingine (www.blogsearchengine.com).
Yahoos Pixelfast (www. pixelfast.com/overture). A great site to find out what others are looking at on the Webyou can find out the most popular searches. The service allows you to purchase (by bidding) the names of people who searched the topic. Sounds like one way to tackle that passive job searcher situation (by checking on who has been visiting your job Web site).