FAQ

How can I obtain a copy of your editorial calendar?

HR.com does not use a standard editorial calendar to schedule articles. Some articles are scheduled but most go up on the site right away in order to offer our members the freshest content out there. We have 15 communities that are filled with articles, case studies, whitepapers, wikis, forums, polls and blogs on a daily basis. Let us know what you are looking for and we can help to find it. Send an email to writers[at]hr.com for assistance with this.

Do I have to be a member of HR.com to contribute articles to the site?

No, but if you want to have a proper bio show up onsite with your article and you would like to post your article or blog right away, we highly recommend that you become a member. Membership is free and you'll have access to our content editor in which you can input your articles or blogs directly onto the site yourself. To join, go to www.hr.com/memberships. As a member, you'll have access to all of the articles on site as well as a personal url in which you can share with your friends. We are always open to new writers. We welcome all articles that are written to intrigue or assist HR professionals. We ask that writers submit full articles instead of ideas or proposals so that they can appear onsite as quickly as possible. You can send them to our Magazine Editor at writers[at]hr.com or post your content directly. The latest content is featured on our outgoing newsletters.

How do I submit a blog or article and have it posted right away?

You must be a registered member of HR.com to input a blog or article directly onsite using our content editor system. To join, go to www.hr.com/memberships and sign up for a free guest membership or premier membership. Once logged in, you'll need to go to the social networking function called My Content. You will find this link directly underneath the main navigation tabs.

What is a Personal HR space url?

When you register with HR.com or when you update your profile, you can choose a name for your personal hr space url. It looks like this: www.hr.com/members/putyournamehere. If your name is Debbie McGrath, it could look like this: www.hr.com/members/debbiemcgrath. When you submit articles, blogs or conduct a website on HR.com, all of these are categorized and shown in your personal profile page. Look at Debbie's example to see how this will display. You can then send it to your friends so they can view all of your work in one place. Improvements are being made to this page to make it the most interactive HR space on the net!

What are “My Contacts”?

“My Contacts” are the community members you have agreed to let view your profile. These may be HR professionals that you have worked with previously, met an event, interacted with online or they may be people you choose to connect with due to similar interests. You decide who you want to add to your contacts and whose contact list you wish to be added to.

What happens when I send a request to someone asking to add them as a contact?

A message will be sent to their HR.com inbox letting them know that you would like to add them as a contact. They may choose to accept or decline. You will be notified of their response.

What happens when I agree to add someone as a contact?

They will now be able to view your profile and you will be able to view theirs. You will also be able to make notes on the person and send them private messages via HR.com.

On my Profile Information page it says “Visitors of my Profile”. What does this mean?

This shows you the name and date of the most recent people to visit your profile. This helps you know what community members are viewing your profile the most often.

On my Profile Information Page it says “Members Who I Visit”. What does this mean?

This is simply the number of members you have visited. To view more detail on the date and member visited simply click on the number next to “Members Who I Visit”.

What is “My Contact’s List of Contacts”?

You can click on this to see who your contacts have added to their contact list. This is a great way to see if you have any of the same contacts or perhaps you will notice that many of your friends and colleagues are in touch with someone who should also add to your contact list.

What are my “Messages”?

These are private message between you and other members. You can view sent messages, new messages and received messages.

What are “New Members”?

On your Profile Information page you will be able to see the name, title, company and profile image of the most recently added community members. This is a great way to see who is joining and you never know who might see there!

What are “Next Birthdays”?

When you enter your profile on HR.com, you will be asked to enter your birthday. The “Next Birthdays” feature allows you to see what members have upcoming celebrations. It is a handy reminder for you to send them your best wishes. It’s just another way to stay in touch with your community friends.

What are “My Forum Messages”?

We encourage all members to participate in our forums! A forum is an online discussion that allows you to comment and respond to different questions asked by other community members. You can see your posted comments and the thread responses to your comments under “My Forum Messages”.

In order to participate in a forum, go to the community of your choice, click on the latest form. After this you will see a listing of different threads. Scroll down to the bottom where you will see " Create new topic" click on that and add your question. This question will be the one that shows up in the community container.

What is “Portal News?”

This section showcases the latest news in your community.

What is “My Shopping”?

This is where you will find your shopping history. Anything you have purchased on the Marketplace can be viewed here.

Use this page to enter your contact information. This is where you can set your privacy levels and decide what contact information you want your personal contacts to see.

What is my “Network Contact Data”?

If you use Skype, ICQ, AIM, Yahoo or MSN to engage on online chat or VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) then you may enter this information here. This allows other HR.com community members that utilize the same tools to contact you this way.

What do I enter under “I want to meet people who”?

If you are looking to connect with individuals who have a specific skill set, work for a specific organization or have recently solved a particular business challenge, you can enter it here. This is just another tool you can use to connect with HR professionals who have the solutions to the challenges you are facing.

What do I enter under “Organizations”?

This is where you can add the names of any organizations you may be a member of. This tool will help you find other members who share the same interests as you.

What do I enter under “Interests”?

Whatever you like! You don’t have include HR-specific information here. It’s always nice to meet other HR professionals who share your passion for HR and whatever else you’re interested in!

What if I have attended multiple educational institutions or hold multiple degrees, diplomas, etc.?

No problem. Simply list them all and separate them with a comma. This will ensure that our search function is able to read your entries properly. Please be as specific as possible in this space in order to ensure that we can correctly locate other individuals that share your background.

What is “Notes on this Person”?

This function enables you to keep PRIVATE notes on an individual. They will never be able to view the notes that you have made on them. This is a great way to keep track of your contacts and what you have discussed.

What is “Add to Contacts”?

Use this button to send a request to an individual asking them to be added to your contact list.

What is “Report Abuse”?

The HR.com community is an online social network that is dedicated to helping HR professionals and organizations solve challenges and learn from one-another. It is not a place where personal attacks are welcome. If you feel that an individual is making hateful, disruptive or inappropriate comments or contributions, then we encourage you to report them by clicking on “Report Abuse”.

What does the “Introduce this Contact” button do?

This allows you to introduce a contact to another contact. For example, if one of your contacts is an expert in HR outsourcing and you know of another HR.com community member that is currently undergoing some HR outsourcing challenges, you can use this function to introduce them to one another.

What does “Send Message to This Contact” mean?

This allows you to send a private message to a particular contact. To send a message check the box next to the individual or individual’s names and click “Send Message to This Contact” to write your message.

What does “Remove” mean?

You can use this button to remove a contact from your contact list. A message will be sent to the person indicating that you have removed them from your list. When you remove a contact you will no longer have access to their profile and they will no longer have access to yours.

What does the “Introduce this Contact” button do?

This allows you to introduce a contact to another contact. For example, if one of your contacts is an expert in HR outsourcing and you know of another HR.com community member that is currently undergoing some HR outsourcing challenges, you can use this function to introduce them to one another.

What happens when I click on “Accept Marked Request”?

The person who has requested to add you to their contact list will be notified that you have accepted their request. They will now be able to view your profile and you will be able to view theirs.

What happens when I click on “Decline Marked Request”?

The person who has requested to add you to their contact list will receive a message letting them know that you have declined their request. You will not be able to view their profile and they will not be able to view yours.

What happens when I “Cancel Marked Requests”?

If you have sent out a contact request and wish to cancel it, you can do so my clicking on the box next to the contact and then clicking on cancel marked request. The contact request will then be removed from the individual’s inbox.

What do I use the "Invite" feature for?

This tool allows you to invite your colleagues and friends in HR to join the HR.com community. Simply enter their name, their email address and a personal message telling them about what a fantastic resource HR.com is!

What do the stars next to my story title mean?

HR.com community members are encouraged to vote on each piece of content. This allows others in the community to quickly assess the value of content. It also ensures that the most helpful content is the most popular. The more stars you have, the more valuable the community finds your content.

What is my “View Count”?

Your “View Count” is the number of times that your content has been viewed on HR.com.

What does the number under “Comments” mean?

The number indicates the number of comments left by community members in response to your content.

How do I edit, copy or delete my story?

Click on the pencil icon to edit, the double page to copy and the trash can to delete.

Can I create my own story template or do I use one of the three options?

You must use an existing template. The HR.com platform is very specific and will not allow user designed templates. Should you have a creative streak, feel free to use it on your content!

What do the stars next to my blog title mean?

HR.com community members are encouraged to vote on each piece of content. This allows others in the community to quickly assess the value of content. It also ensures that the most helpful content is the most popular. The more stars you have, the more valuable the community finds your content.

What is my “View Count”?

Your “View Count” is the number of times that your blog has been viewed on HR.com.

What does the number under “Comments” mean?

The number indicates the number of comments left by community members in response to your blog.

How do I edit, copy or delete my blog?

Click on the pencil icon to edit, the double page to copy and the trash can to delete.

Can I start a blog and then save it for posting later?

Yes, simply click on the “Save” button on the bottom of the page.

How will I know what my blog will look like on site?

Click on “Preview”.

How can I cancel my blog and start again?

Click on “Cancel”?

What formatting options do I have in my blog?

You may use the options that are indicated by the icons above the content field. These include bold, italics, right justified, left justified, centered and font size. The formatting icons used here are the same as the icons found in Microsoft Word.

What kinds of events can I add to the HR.com events listings?

This tool is for HR and business-related events only. Events that are not of value to the HR.com community will be removed.

Can I add an event that is happening in my local area?

Of course! If it is of interest to the HR community then we encourage you to let other members know. Simply fill out the form on the “Add Event” page to add your event.

What if someone has already added the same event?

We ask that you do a search of existing events before adding a new event.

Do I need to fill out all of the information on the “Add Event” form?

Ideally, yes. The more information you provide, the more likely that your HR.com community members will attend.

What if I only want my contacts to be able to view the event?

You can set the visibility of the event by clicking on “Only My Contacts” at the bottom of the form.

What if I want everyone in the community to be able to view the event?

You can set the visibility of the event by clicking on “Public” at the bottom of the form.

I am currently a Guest Member, how do I upgrade to Premier Membership?

Simply click on the “Upgrade” button at the bottom of the Membership screen. It’s easy and the value is immeasurable!

What does the “Search Access” page allow me to do?

This page offers you the ability to search multiple HR websites at one time. For example, if you are a member of SHRM and IHRIM then you may enter the URLs and your username and passwords for these sites here. Then, the next time you need to find information quickly, you can return to this page and click “Conduct Search” to enter your keywords. The Pure Discovery search function will then search HR.com, SHRM and IHRIM for the most relevant content to your keyword search. This function saves you from having to visit and search on multiple sites and it ensures that you get the most relevant information and resources for your needs.

I’m not sure I’m comfortable entering my login information here for other websites.

Your login and password information will remain private and secure at all times. Should you have further questions, please feel free to review our Privacy Policy by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

I am no longer a member of a site that I added to my “Search Access”. What do I do?

Simply click the “Delete” button next to the site information on the “Search Access” page and Pure Discovery will no longer attempt to access that site during its searches.

How do I create a new group?

To suggest a new group, click on the “Suggest a New Group” button. When you suggest a group, you automatically become the Group Manager.

What if I suggest a group that is already in existence?

HR.com will run a search to see if a similar group to the one you suggested already exists. If it does then we will notify you by email and cancel your request to start a new group.

What is a community?

A community is a group that has been pre-established by HR.com based on the way content is organized on the site. You may join one or many communities based on your areas of interest. Simply click the checkmark next to the community and then hit the “Update button”. You may use the “+” sign to view sub-communities under each main community heading.

Do I have to receive emails from HR.com?

Guest Membership to HR.com remains free due to the support of our sponsors. HR Promotions will be sent out to all Guest Members on a weekly basis from our valued HR solutions provider partners.

Do I have to signup to receive a HR.com newsletter?

You don’t have to but we certainly recommend that you do! Our community newsletters are jam packed with the most valuable content on HR.com. In addition, you’ll find special deals and announcements that you won’t find anywhere else. HR.com newsletters are a great tool to share with your colleagues and we feel confident that you will enjoy the read and find it to be a valuable resource!

Who can register to attend a webcast?

Any HR.com member may attend any of our webcasts for free.

How do I register for a webcast?

To find out what webcasts are coming up you can visit the Upcoming Webcasts page on our site. Click on the title of the webcast you are interested in and click Register

What do I need to do to attend a webcast?

Participants in the live webcast will need access to a computer connected to the Internet. HR.com highly recommends you test your computer in advance of the webcasts.

Once you register for the webcasts, you will be sent an email confirmation which will provide a link to test your computer. If your computer supports sound, the presentation will be broadcast to your computer.

An alternative call-in line will be provided for those whose computer does not support this option.

What is a wiki?

A wiki is an online tool that allows multiple users to edit and add to a single document or multiple documents.

Here at HR.com we have multiple wikis for forms and templates, presentations, definitions and HR metrics. You may add a document to the wiki or take a document and customize it for your own personal use.

The HR.com wiki function allows members to share their knowledge and resources in a dynamic and interactive forum. Over time, as new items are added to the wiki, it will become larger and more comprehensive. It’s all about connecting you and your peers with the solutions you need.