Author: Audrey Allen
Member – Member Services Committee
Social media
networking is engrained in our personal and professional lives. The younger generation have become totally
immersed in the internet and interactive mobile technologies such as texting,
instant messaging, blogging and social networking. Consequently, it has become necessary to
implement rules and regulations to efficiently manage and monitor the use of
this phenomenon in the working environment.
But what is social
media? Hemsley (2012) defines social
media as the set of platforms that enable “people to connect, communicate and
collaborate. Two key aspects of any kind
of social software are that they allow for users to self-organize into social
networks, and they support conversational interaction and social feedback that
facilitates building trust and signaling reputation within a community”.
Social media is
often considered only as some well-known sites, such as Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn and YouTube. It actually goes
further however, encompassing the Internet technologies that enable people to
share contents through social networks, blogs, videos, photos, wikis, online
reviews. All of these platforms work
together to create a rich set of tools that allows users to find information
and stay continuously connected to friends and people with whom they share
interests.
The growth of
social channels, networks and media tools are progressing rapidly, according to
a study conducted by the Canadian Media Research Consortium in November 2011:
- 800 million users for Facebook
- 200 million Twitter Users per day
- LinkedIn has over 10 million users
Benefits
and Challenges
There are several
benefits of social media networking, as mentioned in a SHRM 2010 Report. Your
organization’s participation may
- Increase traffic to company website
- Improve your organization’s reputation/authority
- Build connections
- Assist in Recruitment
- Obtain instant feedback
- Conduct competitive intelligence analysis
- Discover resources, expertise, potential prospects
- Innovate and solve problems
- Build a sense of community
On the other hand, there is the “dark side”
of the social media. Utililization may
- Present a compromise to confidentiality. Company information can be obtained by cybercriminals; consequently naïve users engaging in friendly chats may lead to unintended disclosure of company information.
- Open up the possibility for hackers to commit fraud and launch spam and virus attacks.
- Increase the risk of people falling prey to online scams that seem genuine, resulting in data or identity theft.
- Result in negative comments from employees about the company or potential legal consequences if employees use these sites to view objectionable, illicit or offensive material.
- Result in lost productivity, especially if employees are busy updating profiles, etc. Research has indicated that half of employees access Facebook during working hours.
Why
do we need a social media network policy?
The main purposes
of a social media networking policy are
- The opportunity to build company’s brands, based on the benefits outlined earlier. There is a need to manage and monitor what is being said about the organization
- Crisis Management. There is a huge risk for employees to inadvertently damage the brand of organization. Guidelines are required to mitigate these risks.
Blocking of the
social networking sites on the company network to achieve these objectives
should not be considered as an option as employees also post from home. A ban or block will likely cause frustration
and resentment among younger workers. which may result in employees identifying
a way around this restriction, for example through anonymous proxies which
could damage corporate defenses or by leaving the organization.
The policy will
therefore serve to guide employees in the use of the social media network
within the workplace. Organizations need
to exert some control on how sites are used and not just hope that employees
will exercise some common sense. In
addition, penalties cannot be administered for violation of rules that do not
exist. Discussions on this subject by
panelists at the HRMAJ General Meeting held on Thursday, May 31, 2012,
emphasized two important characteristics of the policy. It is critical that it is explicitly clear on
what is permissible and the consequences that will result in relation to any
breaches to such policy. There should
also be effective communication throughout the organization as it relates to
the details and implementation of the policy, with an indication of employees’
understanding and acceptance on record.
This will be very useful in the event of any possible litigation
process.
While social media
network policies are tailored to the needs of the organization, experts have
suggested that the following elements be included:
- Definition of social networking, particularly pertaining to your organization so employees know exactly what is meant by the term
·
Establishment of a clear and defined purpose for the policy
- Communication of benefits of social networking and of having a policy
·
Monitoring of Employees
- Consideration of any legal ramifications of not following laws
- Reference to proprietary and confidential information at risk
- Productivity in terms of social networking
- Provides guidance regarding social networking outside of company time/property that could be associated with the company, employees or customers
- Outline of disciplinary measures to be taken for policy violations
·
Employee’s Acknowledgment
The most concerning aspect of social
networking platforms is that they encourage people to share personal
information. Even the most cautious and well-meaning individuals can give away
information they should not; the same applies to what is posted on
company-approved social networking platforms.
Employees may not be aware of how their
actions online may compromise company security. Educate employees as to how a
simple click on a received link or a downloaded application can result in a
virus infecting their computer and the network.
Remember that just because employees may have an online profile, it
doesn’t necessarily mean they have a high level of security awareness.
The inclusion of these guidelines into your
social media network policy should alleviate any possible misunderstandings
which may arise with the use of this ever growing trend within the working
environment.