Does Your Workplace Have A Social Media Policy?

As social media continues to develop, statistics in Australia shows all platforms use is increasing.

This usage challenges workplaces as it brings to the fore the blurring of the lines between personal and professional communication.  Arguably what you do in your personal life is no longer private, what you do in your professional life is no longer private as we now share so much information online.

With social media being more extensive than simply having a Facebook account understanding the vastness of social media is vital for employers.  Social media involves a spectrum of technologies that include web and mobile technologies including blogging, LinkedIn, text messaging, MSN Messenger, Skype and all Web 2.0 platforms that encourage interactivity.

With this enormity, employers who make social media sites inaccessible in the workplace don’t fully comprehend that blocking such sites is realistically not practical in this age of smartphones.

What does this mean for the workplace?

The surprising aspect of workplaces is that the majority don’t have a social media policy for their workplace.  Considering the prolific usage of social media this is astounding.  One of the most crucial things an organisation can do to manage social media is to have a social media policy, which is only one part of the solution to managing social media in the workplace.  The Fair Work Commission has even stated that not having a social media policy “in this current electronic age was not sufficient” (Glen Stutsel v Linfox Australia Pty Limited [2011] FWA 8444 [19 December 2011]).

No one policy will work for all organisations.  Such policies need to be tailored to the culture of the workplace as well as the industry.  Working with employees to draft a policy is important.  This, though, is something that most employers don’t do well and are very sceptical and uncomfortable about doing.  However, with smartphones and instant communication working with your employees is not only vital, it is a must. Done properly employees can be used as brand ambassadors for your business as well being more confident that their after hour usage will less likely impact the organisation.

There is no doubt that the use of social media in the workplace has become one of the hottest issues in HR for a number of years.  Social media is part of the dynamic and constantly changing world of communication in the 21^st century.  A social media policy is one aspect that is critical to managing social media in your organisation.  Furthermore a collaborative and proactive approach is in tune with a modern workforce and more likely to yield positive results.

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Tags: HR • SMEs • social media in the workplace • Social Media Policy