Three Reasons Every Company Needs a Social Media Policy – HR Affiliates Blog
Social media can be confusing for a lot of companies. Sure, businesses can utilize social media marketing to build a customer base and bolster a brand. But what happens when an employee posts controversial or polarizing views from a personal account? To address this increasingly grey area, we’ll highlight three reasons why your company needs a social media policy.
- Consistency – HR Executive John Feldman of Insperity claims employees often approach social media platforms differently. For example, an employee might publish industry-oriented, professional material to their LinkedIn account but may simultaneously post potentially disparaging viewpoints in their Twitter feed. A social media policy will help your employees understand that they should treat all platforms consistently.
- Productivity – How (or can) your employees use social media at work? A recent study found that responsible social media use in the workplace actually improved employee engagement. Social media has the potential to positively influence your company’s culture and can encourage collaboration, but only through a solid foundation. Your social media policy will offer your expectations directly, enabling employees to use social media meaningfully and productively at work.
- Ownership ‒ A robust social media policy will outline how the personal viewpoints expressed by your employees on the web are distinct from your company’s. Here’s an example of a thorough social media policy. In our technological moment, practically every employee acts as a brand ambassador through social media. If an employee posts a controversial message that conflicts with your company’s, your trusted social media handbook will offer the appropriate procedures to follow.
We’ll further explore the intersection between social media and HR in the future, but for now, take a look at some suggestions for contemporary recruiting in our post Trouble with recruiting? Employ some different tactics.