Our team has been detailing an on-going list of questions clients at 123 have regarding the functional models of employee communication.
One of the core elements we continue to discuss is the social media policy frameworks for what is acceptable behavior for different types of industry communications.
As part of the social media policy goes, there are A LOT of areas that management and workforce personnel should give some thought to.
It boils down to questions…
Rather than focus on where we see market trends a going, sometimes the most effective way to figure out where the boat is sailing is by asking the crew what they think. In many cases the messages being sent from ‘the top’ are often misunderstood by the team of people who need to accomplish the tasks at hand.
This often leads to confusion, lack of focus, and sometimes mutiny. The 10 most common questions employees had about corporate social media policy in 2011 (results from personal client surveys through-out the year)
- Who do I ask about what is okay?
- Who owns things I contribute on social media sites?
- When am I officially ‘off the clock?’
- Should I friend my boss?
- Can my boss tell me to friend them?
- What information should I keep away from my employer?
- What if I access sites using my personal smart phone?
- What happens if I quit / get fired?
- How do I report an employee for bad behavior?
- Can I contact colleagues and clients?
The Biggest Employee Question
A critical and often overlooked component of social media policy is addressing
‘What is in it for me?’
Employees are not ignorant of the fact that company policy and internal documents are often written in the best favor of the employer brand.
Taking the time to craft a valuable set of social media policies and guidelines allows employees to properly consider how they can best work with the company to help them, help the company.
