Is Knowledge Management an HR Priority? Should It Be?

APQC research suggests that while many aspects of knowledge management (KM) relate to the work force, KM isn’t typically a top priority for HR. But at organizations where HR is involved in KM efforts, the benefits to business performance can be significant.

In the new book, The New Edge in Knowledge: How Knowledge Management Is Changing The Way We Do Business, APQC’s Carla O’Dell and Cindy Hubert describe the great extent to which KM involves the work force. They write that KM is about helping people share knowledge. They assert that “KM programs should:

• connect employees to one another to help them excel at their jobs,
• connect employees to knowledge assets (just enough, just in time, just for them), and
• connect those with experience or know-how with those who need it.”

A recent APQC Webinar on the intersection of KM and HR revealed that at many organizations KM and HR function as separate silos, but that at best practice organizations the two are integrated resulting in increased organizational performance.

At your organization, how involved is HR in KM efforts? Share your experiences and perspectives regarding HR and KM.

Then to learn more, checkout the APQC Webinar recording Creating a Knowledge Based Work Force which we have temporarily made free to nonmembers.