About the Live Chats

The live chats at Workforce Online give you access to experts in the field without having to travel.

Chats are scheduled for a specific date and time. Workforce Online members around the country can pose questions to the expert host. The host then chooses which questions to answer, and users see the question and the expert’s answer to such queries.

If you want, check out the chat archives. In addition, here are some tips for getting the most out of a live chat:

• Hop on a couple minutes early. That way, if you have any trouble (i.e. you forgot your password), there will be time to get it sorted out.

• Be specific. Say it’s an HR Career Forum. You ask, “What are some good online recruiting sites?” With 7,000 or so out there, that’s a tough one to answer. A question like “Can you give me a couple leads on good recruiting sites for hiring an exec?” is more digestible.

• Be patient. Sometimes, the host will want to finish his or her current line of questioning before getting to yours. If your question isn’t answered, you can pose it again later in the chat. The expert won’t be able to get to everyone, and if your question isn’t answered, shoot it to Workforce Online in an e-mail after the chat and we’ll see if we can get it answered by the expert.

Chats are only open to Workforce Online members. It’s easy to become a member and have access to all the Community Center features. Plus, you’ll receive the free weekly e-mail newsletter, Workforce Week, giving you content updates, chat schedules and the HR buzz.