Do you use social media as one of your forms of communication with employees? A lot of companies have opted to start using social media in this way and have found that it can be a valuable communication tool.
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While social media probably won’t become your primary source of communication—not the least of which is because not all employees utilize it—it can be a fantastic supplement to other employee communication methods and can even drive employee engagement and interaction.
Here are some of the reasons you may want to consider adding social media to your communication toolbox:
- Social media can help you provide more details about the benefits on offer. For example, you could have a Facebook group that employees can join and use it to share videos that further explain some of your benefit options. By having this on social media, it’s more likely to be seen by employees who are using the social networks anyway, whereas it may not be seen as quickly sitting on the employer’s webpage or on an internal employee portal.
- Social media networks that are used appropriately by the employer can make employees feel more of a sense of belonging, which can foster better working relationships. When employees feel they’re in the loop, they feel valued at the organization.
- Social media networks can be a great way to send out reminders, simply because of their “always on” nature. Many people today have social media apps on their smartphones and are able to see updates almost in real time.
- It can be a great medium to share content you think employees might find useful, such as articles related to your industry, without the need for an official work communication.
- By encouraging social media interaction, it creates a space for employee collaboration as well. Employees can be encouraged to share tips with one another and thus transfer knowledge through the organization.
- You may be able to take advantage of the large networks your employees already have. If you use social media to communicate things that can be shared publicly—like new product announcements, for example—your employees will be able to easily share these things with their existing social media networks, expanding your reach.
There are a few caveats to keep in mind if you do opt to utilize social media as a communication tool:
- Don’t pressure. Of course, there shouldn’t be pressure on employees to use social media or to connect with the employer or join groups related to the employer. While you can, of course, give employees information about the benefits of joining these groups, making it mandatory could backfire, for example, in many states it’s illegal for employers to require access to their worker’s social media. Some employees may prefer to keep social media separate from their work life.
- Don’t inadvertently discriminate. Since not all employees will use any given social media network (or any social network at all), be careful not to unintentionally discriminate in any way. For example, if a work benefit is communicated via social media, it should also be communicated via the usual channels, and there should be ways to sign up for work benefits (or other activities) that do not rely on social media and therefore will not exclude those who may not have social media accounts, smartphones, or home internet access.
- Remember that online communications are not private or confidential—no matter your privacy settings. When using social media, be aware of privacy settings of your content, but also know that things online can be shared by anyone who can see them. That means that even if your privacy settings are not public, an employee could still share it outside of your network.
- An updated social media policy may be required. Whenever you’re encouraging social media use, there are also pitfalls to avoid. Consider crafting a social media use policy for the workplace to address any concerns.
Have you utilized social media in your employee communications?