SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE WORKPLACE

Business Use

From HR departments using social media to evaluate candidate backgrounds to CEO Twitter feeds, social media is enmeshed in our business culture as well as our personal lives.

During the hiring and firing process, HR departments have the responsibility to acknowledge and consider the overall “brand” of a candidate, and whether we realize it or not, social media has created brands out of all of us. What policy do you have in place for your HR department to gather, interpret, and apply that information?

Legal Issues in the workforce

The above-mentioned HR situation could become a legal issue if an employee or candidate felt he was being discriminated against through social media research. In fact, any action a company takes based on social media information can be scrutinized. It can be almost crippling to think of all the ways social media can hurt you and your business. So where do you begin?

Talk to your lawyer. Many documents in your business may have to be revamped: non-disclosure agreements, company policy handbooks, and employee conduct expectations are all affected by social media. If you don’t have a clear plan in place, your employees can spend hours on Facebook, share sensitive information, even cause incredible backlash on your company within seconds of a poorly planned Tweet.

SEC disclosure is also an issue. As employees Twitter, update their Facebook status, or comment on blogs, they may be subtly disclosing information about their workplace, sometimes without realizing it. Employees with access to sensitive information also have to understand the responsibilities involved in handling that information- and protecting it from social media.

Should Facebook be banned?

As social media becomes more prevalent and employees feel the pressure not only to create social media accounts but also to maintain those accounts to build their own brand online. How do you monitor their social media time? Banning social media completely can be counter-productive not only to the employee’s growth in the company, but to their edge in the workplace. They can easily connect with a client on Facebook that will lead to a lasting relationship for your company.

When creating your social media plan, consider the following:

-Productivity. The amount of time your employees spend on all personal activities should be kept to a minimum, but tolerated within reasonable boundaries, just like personal phone calls. When Facebook or Twitter become their main focus, however, it’s important to let them know they’ve crossed an important boundary and the consequences that may result.

-Disclosure. As discussed above, employees should understand what they are allowed to disclose and what will not be tolerated, under any circumstance. Ensure they sign the appropriate legal forms making them liable for any damage caused to your company, and you’ll be sure they’ll watch what they say.

-Monitoring. Employees like to be trusted, and when given the benefit of the doubt, will often excel. However, good monitoring practices will help you keep your team honest and their productivity high. Have a procedure in place and make them aware of the rules.

-Penalties for misuse. Unfortunately, there will come a time when you’ll have to respond to misuse of social media- whether an employee simply can’t stop playing Farmville or your next merger was leaked on Twitter. Plan for this and make the penalties known to your employees to avoid surprises on either side.

The bottom line is: have a plan in place for dealing with social media. You’ll lessen your chances of being caught unaware and take a proactive step for your company.