Avoiding a Social-Media Melee

Avoiding a Social-Media Melee

by Elaine Varelas | Human Resource Executive Online

 

The ambiguous nature of social-media sites -- with their blending of the personal and the professional -- can create tricky issues in the workplace. Here are some aspects to consider before developing a social-media strategy.

 

The use of social media sites has exploded over the past several years. Even if you live in a cave, you can have a LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook account, just as long as you have a smartphone and Wi-Fi access. It is easier than ever to connect with hundreds, even thousands, of people in an instant through social media web sites.

 

At the same time, the line between personal and private time is getting increasingly blurred as more people telecommute, bring their laptops home with them to work after hours and stay in touch with the office virtually around the clock through technology. By design, social-media sites foster a blend of the professional and the personal. On any given user profile, a person is likely to have contacts ranging from college roommates and old flames to current clients and co-workers.

 

Given their ambiguous nature, social-media sites can create a tricky confluence of factors in the workplace.

 

It can be challenging for HR professionals and company leaders to develop a policy that both satisfies employee access to the benefits of the technology and protects the company from the dark side of these sites.

 

Here are five things HR leaders should consider when putting together a social media strategy:

 

1. No policy is a risky policy.

Some HR professionals, so overwhelmed by the complexity of regulating the use of these sites, try to crawl into their proverbial caves and pretend the technology doesn't exist. Others leave it up to individual managers and still others believe that employees can police themselves ("We trust our employees to make appropriate choices.")

 

Unfortunately, not having a policy can expose the organization to an embarrassing incident, bad publicity or even legal action.

 

There are currently several pending lawsuits involving people who have sued their former employers after being terminated because of a post on a social-media site. While it is noble to trust employees, some people may not know how to use the technology appropriately.

 

All it takes to create a potentially cringe-worthy situation is one novice user posting in the wrong place.

 

2. Blocking sites may hurt the organization.

Some organizations address the challenge by blocking social-networking sites from the company's server. Of course, this action comes with its own risks.

 

By cutting access, organizations may also be turning away business. Many companies attribute a significant portion of their annual sales to social networking, and some organizations request that their employees maintain LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. Blocking these sites can also put your company at a hiring disadvantage, as they can be valuable recruiting tools.

 

3. A policy should be explicit and specific.

It only takes one employee who doesn't understand the ramifications of using a social-networking site incorrectly to put the company at risk. Assume everyone knows nothing when developing your policy. Be specific about the dos and don'ts for employees.

 

Some questions you might want to consider are: Can employees list the company as their workplace? Can they befriend clients and vendors? Can they post about clients, vendors, colleagues or the competition? Give examples of what is OK and what is off-limits.

 

Also, let employees know the consequences of inappropriate actions. Having a policy also takes the pressure off employees who may not know what is expected of them when it comes to the way they should be using these sites.

 

4. Define private.

Many people are under the impression that what they do (or post) during their personal time on their personal computer remains private. Remind employees that posting on public forums is never private.

 

Cyber-bullying a co-worker or badmouthing a manager, direct report or the organization on the Internet is akin to writing the message in spray paint on the office building and signing your name. Just because the action took place after hours using personal equipment, it is still an attack on the company.

 

Employees need to know they will be held accountable for what they post on these sites, and that company representatives will be checking sites periodically.

 

5. Give employees the tools to use social media effectively.

You wouldn't put employees on a manufacturing floor without being trained on how to use the heavy machinery. The same philosophy applies to social media. Organizations can take advantage of the vast business potential of these sites, but they must give employees the training they need to do it properly.

 

There is tremendous opportunity for organizations to tap into social-media websites to increase their profits. With new users joining every day, it seems irresponsible for companies not to take advantage of this growing potential pool of customers, clients and future employees. Yet, these sites can be dangerous because with the click of a mouse, employees can broadcast any message or photo they choose across the Internet.

 

HR leaders can help their organizations leverage these sites while mitigating risk by creating a detailed policy for employees to follow and giving them the training they need to use the sites correctly.

 

By giving employees permission to use the sites at work along with education and guidelines, they can post, link and tweet their way through cyberspace while growing the business as well.

 

 

[About the Author: Elaine Varelas is managing partner at Camden Consulting Group, a provider of integrated talent management solutions for organizational and leadership development, and has over 20 years of career development and HR experience. She also serves on the board of directors for Career Partners International, the world's largest career management partnership.]