Science & Technology
Tue, January 27, 2009Mon, January 26, 2009Sun, January 25, 2009Sat, January 24, 2009Fri, January 23, 2009Thu, January 22, 2009Wed, January 21, 2009New Research from Saba and The Human Capital Institute Uncovers Opportunity for Organizations to Deliver Corporate Value from E
Published in Science and Technology on Monday, January 26th 2009 at 7:31 GMT, Last Modified on 2009-01-26 07:33:36 by Market Wire
WASHINGTON & REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Saba Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: SABA), the premier provider of people management software and services, and the Human Capital Institute (HCI) today announced the results of a new study, Tappingthe Power of Social Networking to Manage Talent. This new researchshows that there is a tremendous opportunity for HR leaders to greatly enhance employee performance at work by becoming early movers in Social Network Analysis (SNA) and Corporate Social Networking (CSN).
"Social Network Analysis is the foundation for successful corporate social networking initiatives," said Allan Schweyer, executive director and senior vice president-research of HCI. "SNA reveals an organization's information flow and true knowledge hierarchy. By knowingly applying SNA to its own social networking, organizations can begin to both improve existing networks and build new ones that will improve both talent management and overall organizational performance."
The report uncovers that today, less than 2 percent of human resources professionals are familiar with social network analysis — the mapping and measuring of flows of knowledge between people, groups, organizations or other components. However, more than 60 percent of organizations are already using some form of social networking tools that can enable the new, informal structures revealed by SNA. According to the study, organizations are more than likely to be using social networking to improve onboarding (71 percent) as well as support recruiting (62 percent) and mentoring/leadership development (61 percent).
The study notes that to fully capture the benefits of the network-building and improvement activities now occurring, organizations need to become aware of the importance of looking at their networks analytically. SNA can be an organization's most effective tool to understand how information flows and to identify its most active, valuable employee hubs and connectors. A single, enterprise-wide platform for social networking can complement SNA as an actionable means for organizations to both improve their networks and consolidate knowledge flow to drive better performance around the talent lifecycle.
"It's time for social networks to become a mainstream talent management process. Many are dabbling in it to see if it works," said Dr. Rob Cross, professor of management at the University of Virginia and author of the just-released book, Driving Results Through Social Networks: How Top Organizations Leverage Networks for Performance and Growth. "This research proves that in today's technology-driven economy, a formal SNA strategy can help organizations better acquire, develop, and retain their top performers."
The study will be unveiled January 27, 2009 in a joint Saba and HCI webcast entitled, "Tapping the Power of Social Networking to Manage Talent." To register for the webcast, visit [ www.hci.org ] or call 1-866-538-1909. In partnership with Professor Robert Cross of the University of Virginia, the study was undertaken by Saba and led by HCI senior researcher Dr. Ross Jones. Its purpose was to identify the level of Social Network Analysis awareness and use, and ascertain at what levels it can be integrated into an organization's talent management process. The study was based on research with 319 individuals from public and private sector organizations.
"This study exposes an immediate opportunity for HR to evaluate their organization and leverage enterprise social networking to drive productivity and lower costs," said A.G. Lambert, vice president of marketing for Saba. "By identifying key employees, roles and contributions, organizations have the increased visibility to strengthen informal networks and conduct more effective employee development and workforce planning to drive competitive advantage."
Saba recently unveiled a new enterprise social networking platform — Saba Social — which is intended to support SNA by enabling organizations to analyze the contributions of employees, partners, and customers; build connected corporate communities; and accelerate high-quality knowledge exchange. Saba Social is designed to uniquely combine a rich person profile and competency framework with real-time collaboration and comprehensive social networking tools to capture knowledge and connect people with expertise. Saba Social is planned for general availability in mid-2009. For more information, please visit [ www.saba.com/sabasocial ].
A full copy of the Tappingthe Power of Social Networking to Manage Talent study is available to interested industry analysts and members of the media and will be available to the public at [ www.saba.com ].
About the Human Capital Institute
The Human Capital Institute (HCI) is a catalyst for innovative new thinking in talent acquisition, development, deployment, and new economy leadership. Through research and collaboration, our global network of more than 138,000 members develops and promotes creativity, best and next practices, and actionable solutions in strategic talent management. Executives, practitioners, and thought leaders representing organizations of all sizes, across public, charitable, and government sectors, utilize HCI communities, education, events, and research to foster talent advantages to ensure organizational change for competitive results. [ www.hci.org ]
About Saba
Founded in 1997, Saba (NASDAQ: SABA) is the premier global provider of strategic Human Capital Management (HCM) software and services. Saba's people management solutions are used by more than 1,300 organizations and over 17 million end-users worldwide. Saba's solutions increase organizational performance by aligning workforce goals with organizational strategy; developing, managing, and rewarding their people; and improving collaboration.
Saba product offerings address all aspects of strategic HCM and are available both on-premise and OnDemand ([ www.saba.com/products ]). To ensure long-term customer success, our global services capabilities and partnerships provide strategic consulting, comprehensive implementation services, and ongoing worldwide support.
Saba customers include Alcatel-Lucent; Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ; BMW; Caterpillar; CEMEX; Cisco Systems; Daimler; Dell; Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu; EDS, an HP company; EMC Corporation; FedEx Office; Insurance Australia Group; Kaiser Permanente; Lockheed Martin; Medtronic; National Australia Bank; Novartis; Petrobras; Procter & Gamble; Renault; Royal Bank of Scotland; Scotiabank; Singapore Ministry of Finance; Sprint; Standard Chartered Bank; Stanford University; Swedbank; Tata Consultancy Services; Wyndham International; Weyerhaeuser; Underwriters Laboratories; and the U.S. Army, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Department of Treasury/Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Navy.
Headquartered in Redwood Shores, California, Saba has offices on five continents. For more information, please visit [ www.saba.com ] or call +1-877-SABA-101 or +1-650-779-2791.
Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including, without limitation, statements regarding future releases of Saba's products. Saba's actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties Saba faces that could cause results to differ materially include risks associated with: Saba's dependence on growth of the markets for Saba's products, dependence on acceptance of Saba's products by customers and channel partners, fluctuation in customer spending, length of Saba's sales cycle, competition, rapid technological change, dependence on new product introductions and enhancements and potential software defects. Readers should also refer to the section entitled "Risk Factors" on pages 11 through 21 of Saba's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2008 and similar disclosures in subsequent Saba periodic SEC reports. The forward-looking statements and risks stated in this press release are based on information available to Saba today. Saba assumes no obligation to update them.
SABA, the Saba logo, Centra and the marks relating to Saba products and services referenced herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Saba Software, Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
