Table of contents
Staff directories in practice
Provides a visual summary of the results of a public survey conducted into the adoption and usage
of staff directories in both public and private sector organisations.
Benefits of a staff directory
Identifies eight main business benefits to be gained from implementing a staff directory, and uses quotes from the survey participants to highlight each point. A worked example is also given that shows how to quantify the benefits of a staff directory (ROI).
Core staff directory fields
Identifies eleven key fields that should make up the core of an effective staff directory, including name, job role, location and special roles. Guidelines are provided for each field, along with screenshots from real systems to illustrate key points.
Additional staff directory fields
Expands on the core fields to explore a wide range of additional fields that can be used to increase the value and usage of the staff directory. In all, eighteen extra fields are documented including language, skills and expertise, resume and blogs. Guidelines, tips and screenshots are provided.
Designing the staff directory
Looks at each of the major pages that make up a typical staff directory, and provides design
guidelines and suggestions for each. This includes quick search, advanced search, staff profile and
editing interface.
Maintaining the staff directory
Discusses the main methods of keeping a staff directory up to date (including centralised and
decentralised approaches), and discusses the issues with each. Also looks at how to initially roll out the staff directory, how to promote it, and what to do when staff members leave.
Implementing the staff directory
Focuses on the technical aspects of the system, and explores the major options for implementing a new staff directory, such as building a system in-house versus purchasing a third-party solution. Also discusses integration challenges and the role of LDAP.
Guidelines and suggestions
This section draws upon the experiences gained in dozens of organisations to identify “best practice” guidelines and suggestions. These cover everything from usability testing to integration with IP telephony.
Full survey results
Provides a full break-down of the results of a public survey of staff directory adoption and usage.