Back in August I published a blog posting regarding social media’s
impact on revolutionizing the enterprise (for reference it can be found by
clicking here). Based on the feedback and questions that were
sent to me, it was well received. One of
the themes from the comments were how social media was perceived as a threat
towards the corporate presence as well as how information regarding the
business has been made available. Over the
past few years social media has truly altered how news is reported. Not only has it modified the timing of when
we receive news and information, but it has also essentially turned 3 billion
plus internet connected people (http://www.internetlivestats.com/internet-users/)
into a reporter of some kind. So why is
this concept of information sharing still seen today as a threat by the
majority of enterprises?
IT Industry experts are predicting that we will begin to see
more social media updates and blog posts in 2015 from companies, but only
because they have to. In order to obtain
a competitive edge in not only attracting new talent, but being seen as a stand
out employer and retaining talent, companies recognize the need to use social
media. Thesocialskinny.com has stated
that 58% of people are more likely to want to work for a company if they use
social media on a regular basis, while 20% of existing employees will stay for
the same reasons. Really? By using only one technology tool not only
are you able to attract talent, but keep it?
The reasoning behind this is that people want to work for interesting
companies, as well as honest and transparent companies.
Candidates feel that if they see social media posts, it gives them a
better sense of what the organization is all about. They don’t want to see only corporate websites
and press releases on financials. They
are looking for something more “real” and of which they can relate to.
When harnessed properly, social media has tremendous
potential to impact business operations in a positive manner. Not only can it be used to influence your
brand, but it can also be used to separate yourself from the competition. Even with these large upsides, the feeling by
businesses continues to see social media as a threat, and surround such
mechanisms with very tight policies around its use, primarily restricting work
discussions or job functions on your personal profiles. Given that about one in five status updates
on Facebook are job or career related, one wonders if this is a lawsuit waiting
to happen.
On almost a weekly basis I have discussions with company
leaders discussing how their employees have used a social media site while on
the job, and what recommendations do I have in order to restrict this. I respond with there should be no threat in
what people are posting, and that the control lies in how they manage their
people. If your employees feel the need
to air “dirty laundry” on social media, perhaps the root cause stems from
management style. My belief is that
departmental leaders need to accept people will use social media to talk about
work. Instead of taking a hardline
stance by banning or blocking its use, we should instead implement policies
that educate staff about potential damage to the business. Corporations should consider giving guidance
about constructive comments, rather than simply penalizing them over indiscretions. The impact on the brand and how potential
employees see the organization will leave a positive impression. Without even trying, a company will be seen
as embracing new technologies and understanding the importance of using social
media tools as it relates to an employee’s need for self-expression. And truthfully, if we do not embrace an
employee’s want for this freedom, they will simply rely on under-cover tools
such as glassdoor.com to get their point across anyways.
As a job seeker, many organizations will provide career opportunity
for them to use their skillset. It is
the added experience of training, technology tools, and user policies surrounding
things like social media that can separate you as an organization from the
others. Some companies have begun to
advertise this along with job postings just to show the kind of business they
are. I know I like to use the latest and
greatest in technology tools. It’s this
drive that keeps consumers lining up during cell phone release days.
As a decision maker on hiring the next candidate to fill a
vacancy, ask yourself do you simply want an individual who puts in their 40
hours a week, and does the bare minimum?
Or are you looking for an individual who not only fulfills a niche, but
is willing to bring fresh ideas to improve efficiency, a flexible person who
can use more than the corporate technology and someone who is engaged in the
daily process? What is social media if
not simply a tool to engage and encourage people?
I’m Mike M.
