Last January, we ran a poll among JHRL members and asked them how would they rename this Community. In total, we received 49 votes (representing 22% of the registered members) wherein 41% of them favored the re-naming of JHRL to The Japan HR Society (JHRS) effective 01 April 2009.

With this new name comes a new website using a much more robust and stable platform, one which is designed specifically for association or communities like us.

Here are the basic features and enhancements you can expect from the soon-to-go-live JHRS website:

• "Cleaner" and faster interface due to the elimination of non-JHRS ads or banners. That is, we now have complete control as to what advertisements may appear to our website.
• More secured data management capabilities. Control the type and amount of information you want to share with the rest of the community. That is, share as many or as little as you want about your profile, subscribe or unsubscribe to discussion forum, RSS future JHRS events to your email, etc.
• Current month's access rights to The HR Agenda - Online Edition. Now, all the stories, tips, and information you came to love from HRA is now accessible 24/7...anywhere (read below related article).
  
• JHRS Career Portal (coming soon). In partnership with a  leading job portal provider, search and apply for HR (and non-HR positions as well) and step-up your career.
• Discussion Forum. Read, comment, and initiate to more than 25 discussion areas, including JHRS community news and updates, HR News Digest, JHRS advocacy programs, and almost 20 HR departments or focus areas. Share your expertise with the group and learn from theirs as well.
• JHRS Bookstore. A listing of HR and/or business-related books we strongly recommend to our members and other HR and business professionals to help keep their skills up to date.
• JHRS Photo Galleries. View pictures of JHRS-hosted or endorsed events. 
• HR Video/Podcasts.A collection of carefully-selected HR videos or podcasts designed to enhance your HR learning.
• HR Tools and Templates. In partnership with www.explorehr.org, this feature provides basic or generic HR tools and templates you can use to help you do your job as an HR professional. 
• ChangeThis on HR.This section contains thought-provoking manifestos related to HR management and is powered by the ChangeThis initiative.

And of course, for those discerning and value-oriented members:

• Paid Membership Option. All existing members of JHRL automatically become "Associate Members," which is the basic and free level of membership of JHRS. A paid-membership (i.e., Virtual or Premium) is an option members can take (read below related article) to be ahead of the pack in terms of value, knowledge, opportunities, and reach.