By Adam Wakefield
Why is employee social media use important?
Steven Bosch, digital marketing strategist at Newsclip, says brands are defined by the overall experience and perception the public has of them. Therefore, the way employees conduct themselves on social media has become as important a part of how a company is perceived, beyond more controllable elements such as corporate identity.
“So, when an employee posts offensive content on social media, it may cause embarrassment for the companies they are associated with and even damage the brand’s reputation,” he says. “There are also situations where employees who post on behalf of businesses mistakenly post private reactions or show their frustration with customers by posting to the company’s official accounts.”
Bosch says people often forget that in the realm of the Internet and social media, they are publishing and broadcasting their thoughts to a wider audience and once a post is made, it cannot be deleted or taken back.
“Furthermore, once an employee’s comments have been associated with a business, disciplinary inaction and lack of communication is usually seen as support of an employee’s missteps,” he says.
How can companies and employees prepare for the rigours of social media?
Lisa Moretti, a digital strategist based in London, says the question of employee social media use must be addressed in the employment contract.
“In the same way that if you turn up inebriated to work you can get fired, the same needs to happen with social media. Training and education is another way to ensure that everyone in the company knows what is OK and what is not OK,” Moretti says. “Lastly, simply locking down your account to ‘private’ and not listing where you work is probably an extreme, but a good idea, for those who have no limits and can’t control themselves. Although saying that, you should probably remove yourself from a social network if that is you.”
Bosch says a well-communicated
social media policy is critical for employees to know and understand the company’s views on social media.
“If possible, a policy that is developed with employee input helps with buy-in and awareness of the reasons why such a policy is put in place in the first place,” Bosch explains. “I also believe that companies underestimate the value of employee advocacy on social media. Conducting workshops on best practice around this really helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page.”
One such example is technology company
Intel’s social media guidelines. In it, the company’s approach revolves around three rules of engagement. These are:
Disclose – “Your presence in social media must be transparent.”
Protect – “Take extra care to protect both Intel and yourself.”
Use Common Sense – “Remember that professional, straightforward and appropriate communication is best.”
Under each of these principles, beyond more technical aspects, Intel expands on each rule in a clear, easy to understand fashion, with little room for misunderstanding.
Moretti says it depends on how senior and public the employee is to the company.
“If you are making some pretty big decisions that impact people’s health and wellbeing, your employer probably has the right to have more sway over the way you handle your social media channels,” Moretti suggests. “A good rule of thumb for employees is: If the content you’re posting to social landed on the front page of a national newspaper that your parents read, would you be embarrassed? Yes? Don’t post it.”
Bosch says ideally, companies should negotiate a reasonable conduct policy with staff that covers what is acceptable and what is not.
“Employers should guard against being overly restrictive in this regard, as an overly invasive stance is certainly not advisable,” he says.
Bosch adds; “Finding the balance between responsibility and censorship, free speech and privacy is always going to be a challenge, and should be an ongoing discussion within organisations.”
Has your business encountered social media troubles with an employee? Tell us in the comments below.