Asking Good Questions on the Community

Our community is a vibrant hub of HR professionals where asking questions will help you solve challenges, connect with experts, and empower your growth. By learning how to craft clear, concise, and context-rich questions, you'll receive faster and more accurate answers, connect with expert insights, and build a valuable knowledge base. So, here is a guide to crafting effective questions:

1. Question Types:

Keep our community helpful by asking relevant, broad questions. Please consider these guidelines:

Ask	Avoid
HR-related questions about practices, challenges, and strategies. "How do you effectively communicate changes in benefits packages to employees?" Broadly applicable questions that benefit many. "What are the best practices for developing internal mentorship programs?"	Overly specific case-study questions. "Need help with an HR question in the automotive industry in Germany." Membership or support questions. “How do I renew my membership?” Lesson content questions should be asked in lesson comments “In the strategic hR Metrics Coourse, can someone explain to me etc..”

2. Craft a clear and concise title

Summarize your question: The title should act as a quick overview of your inquiry.
User keywords: Incorporate relevant terms that people are likely to search for.
Keep it short and to the point: Aim for a title that's easy to read and understand at a glance.

Good	Avoid
"Building a Digital HR Team: Best Practices?" "Encouraging Talent Team Buy-in for Succession Planning" "Core vs. Secondary HR Functions: What's the Difference?"	"Help!" or "Question about HR" (Vague title) "Need some assistance with a complicated situation involving employee performance and benefits..." (Long title) “Anyone can help with Talent Management” (Lacks focus) "Need help with an HR question in the automotive industry in Germany." (Overly Specific

3. Be clear and concise with your question (body):

Get to the point: Start with your core question. Avoid lengthy introductions or rambling narratives.
User precise language: Clearly articulate what you're struggling with or seeking information about.
Focus on one question at a time: If you have multiple questions, post them separately for better organization and targeted responses.

Example:

Instead of: "I've been working on employee performance reviews, and I'm not sure how to handle a situation where an employee is underperforming, and I've tried a few things, but it's not working. What should I do?"

Try: How do I effectively address consistent underperformance during employee performance reviews?"

4. Give context to the community:

Provide relevant background: Briefly explain the situation or problem you're facing. Include any relevant details, such as the size of your organization, the industry you're in, or the specific challenges you're encountering.
Specify what you've already tried: If you've attempted solutions, share what you've done and why it didn't work. This helps others understand your current state and avoid suggesting redundant solutions.
Be specific about your desired outcome: What are you hoping to achieve by asking this question? What kind of answer or guidance are you looking for?

Example (continuing from above):

"How do I effectively address consistent underperformance during employee performance reviews? I've already implemented a performance improvement plan, but the employee's performance hasn't improved over the past quarter. We are a medium sized technology company. I am looking for strategies to improve the performance, or documentation to help with the termination process if needed."

5. Add a tag by choosing the HR Domain(s):

Use relevant tags: Categorize your question by selecting the appropriate HR domain(s) (e.g., Talent Management, Compensation & Benefits, Employee Relations, Learning & Development).
This ensures your question reaches the right experts: Tags help community members with specific expertise quickly identify and respond to your questions.

6. Once you've got a helpful answer, mark it as the "Best Reply":

Acknowledge helpful responses: Show appreciation for community members who have provided valuable insights.
Mark the best answer: This helps other users quickly find the most helpful solution and acknowledges the contributor's expertise.
Contribute to the knowledge base: By marking the best answer, you help build a valuable resource for future users.

This will help you maximize your chances of receiving helpful and timely responses from our community of HR professionals. We look forward to your questions on the Community!