This week, BC HRMA officially launched its Online Community. Truly, it’s a fantastic service for HRMA members.
HRMA volunteers create groups for members to join, which are specific to HR roles or situations. I am the moderator for the Emerging HR Practitioners group. Ultimately, it’s an opportunity for those who are at the beginning of their HR careers to converse with others who are in the same situation.
The website also enables members to easily create a blog, reply to discussion threads in a forum, collaborate on a wiki, and share valuable resources by accessing an online library.
What I love about the Online Community is that it gives members new access to each other. You can directly sent a message or an email to someone you’ve been wanting to meet, or simply comment on what he/she has already posted. If you’ve set up an informational interview with someone, you can read up on that person`s comments online before meeting to prepare an icebreaker for yourself.
The HRMA Online Community is professional online networking at its best; it breaks down the barriers between members by allowing them to speak directly to whoever is registered. The site functions similarly to LinkedIn, except that only BC HRMA members can register. This restriction adds value to the community by making the information shared that much more exclusive.
Posted by Geraldine Sangalang 
