Virtual Water CoolerHuman Resource Management

Prepared By Manu Melwin Joy

Assistant ProfessorSCMS School of Technology and Management

Kerala, India.Phone – 9744551114

Mail – manu_melwinjoy@yahoo.com

Kindly restrict the use of slides for personal purpose. Please seek permission to reproduce the same in public forms and presentations.

Virtual Water Cooler• The water cooler is an

essential part of any company’s culture and crucial to your employees feeling like a team, even if they aren’t working on the same project together.

• Brainstorming sessions are important and the informal sessions around the water cooler are just as valuable.

Virtual Water Cooler

• Create a virtual space for

them to check in when

they can (especially if

they’re in different time

zones) and contribute to

the conversation.

Virtual Water Cooler

• Of course, instant

messaging and emails are

incredibly helpful with

this — but a dedicated

virtual space, a virtual

water cooler, is key for

your company’s culture.

Virtual Water Cooler

• This is where an internal social

network, a place where your

employees can communicate

with each other and use their

goals as a guide for discussion,

comes in. As a successful

manager, it’s your job to make

sure that your employees are

team players.

Benefits of Virtual Water Cooler

• Provide a platform for

people to share work-

related knowledge.

– For example, you can allow

employees to connect to

others within the organization

who have tacit knowledge of

a specific product or process.

Benefits of Virtual Water Cooler• Provide a platform for people to

share work-related knowledge.

– And while your staff members will

often be looking for knowledge

and know-how, they’re also often

looking for know-who. Think how

much time can be saved when

employees can easily find out who

knows something on a topic that’s

of interest?

Benefits of Virtual Water Cooler• Cultivate a sense of

organizational belonging for

employees.

– This is particularly beneficial if you

have a large and/or geographically

dispersed workforce. When

employees share their stories or

interact in a way that reinforces

company values, you are

constantly showcasing both your

culture and your brand.

Benefits of Virtual Water Cooler• Recognize the personalities and

accomplishments of your employees.

– When employees can personalize their

profiles and share not just work-related

information (job title, department) but

also talk about their hobbies, interests

and community affiliations, you’ll allow

them to build personal—and human—

connections. This can minimize the

distance often felt by remote workers

and even assist in breaking down

departmental silos and barriers.

Benefits of Virtual Water Cooler• Reinforces ties and a sense of

belonging

– A virtual water cooler fosters an

opportunity for workers to feel

stronger ties to not only each other,

but to the company, too. It creates

a safe zone in which workers can

casually drop in and out and feel

that they are not just isolated

telecommuters, but an important

part of something much greater.

Benefits of Virtual Water Cooler• Inspire new ideas.

– They are often also the

birthplace of fresh, new ideas.

Giving workers the space to

creatively connect (without the

pressure of obligatory

meetings) can help inspire

impromptu brainstorming

sessions that yield new policies

and procedures that can benefit

the company.

Virtual Water Cooler• Virtual offices and teams

are becoming more and more common. As you and your company move forward embracing the virtual model, you can still help maintain an old-school feel for your employees.

• Whether it’s physical or virtual, don’t neglect the water cooler.