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FAQ: Improving employee engagement through social media

Organizations can use social HR to boost employee engagement and other functions in the workplace through streamlined processes. Social media can be used to improve recruitment, engagement and productivity.

5 min read

Management

FAQ: Improving employee engagement through social media

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Every day, HR professionals search for best practices online. We’ve listed some of this quarter’s most frequently asked social HR questions from across the internet and compiled the answers here for you.

What are the best uses for social media in the workplace?

Companies can have their HR departments use social media to improve everyday functions in the workplace. With the right platforms, workers can stay on top of tasks, effectively communicate with team members and cut down the number of emails sent. Research from McKinsey shows social media platforms could increase productivity by up to 25% by substituting emails for social media communications.

In addition, social HR can provide a platform for coworkers to praise their peers. When employees feel appreciated, turnover drops, and productivity and satisfaction increase. 

Encouraging high-performing employees to share accomplishments, work experiences and successful projects is an important step for them to find meaning in their work. By taking ownership of their efforts, team members can become highly engaged at work while boosting the organization’s brand. LinkedIn posts that highlight a worker’s project can be shared and viewed by clients, potential job candidates and other important audiences.

How can organizations integrate social media into their workflows?

To get workers involved in your organization’s social HR efforts, make sure all team members are granted access and education. Allowing and encouraging employees to use their smartphones and laptops, rather than outlawing them as some companies do, will promote social collaboration. Training employees will make them more willing to participate, while opening their eyes to the possibilities and benefits of using social technologies.

Setting up a social media policy for staff to follow is an important step for integrating social media into an organization’s workflow. The implemented management system should state the protocol for handling crises, set up guidelines for social media use and outline the benefits. Highlighting how employees can benefit from using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn will motivate them to engage and participate.

Creating a simple process will promote engagement in any workplace initiative, so using the right tools is important for getting employees involved. Slack and Dropbox are good examples of some of the options for bridging the gap between content creation and submission. Both tools have useful mobile apps for working across different devices.

Finally, tracking and analyzing an organization’s social media efforts is a great way to reinforce the value and show employees what it can accomplish. Checking engagement on social media platforms and online reviews can provide evidence of a successful campaign. For engagement management, HR professionals can use an employee engagement survey to uncover issues or collect suggestions on how to improve within the organization.

How can social media in HR improve employee engagement?

Companies can use social media as a tool to improve employee engagement, reinforce company culture and effectively teach team members new skills to increase business outcomes. Punchball and Badgeville are popular social tools that HR departments are using to increase employee engagement, motivate their teams and encourage training.

Working environment, company culture and individual experiences are key contributors for long-term employee engagement. HR departments can use social media to give employees a voice to share feedback, views and opinions on the organization. Social media can allow managers to reach all employees, remote or not, and improve internal collaboration.

To use social media as an effective HR strategy, employees need training and encouragement to make the most of it. Social media itself is a tool for achieving this and can receive employee feedback, so managers know which areas need the most improvement.

Importance of social media beyond employee engagement

Social media has many HR functions besides employee engagement, including talent acquisition, establishing a reputation and communicating culture. All organizations can use social media as a cost-effective tool to improve their business and reach new milestones.

Employment-related social media sites such as LinkedIn can provide HR professionals with a large pool of talented candidates with ease. Social media increases the size of an organization’s audience, making recruiting easier and cheaper. It’s an excellent tool for vetting candidates and shortening the hiring process.

To entice top candidates, companies can use social media to display their corporate cultures. Team-building efforts, health and wellness initiatives and office functions can be highlighted to give potential employees a glimpse of what it’s like to work at an organization. Posting articles congratulating employees’ achievements is an example of a positive use of social media that can build a company’s reputation and give audiences a better understanding of its culture.

 

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Riley Gunther is a member of the editorial team at SmartBrief. He focuses on newsletter creation, project management and SEO. Connect with him on LinkedIn.