HR Generalist and Social Networking Policy
We have hired you as an HR generalist for a semi-large multinational corporation that has been resistant to the trends of social media over the last few years. Management is giving you the opportunity to make the case for the use of new tools to help improve the organization (i.e., recruiting, communication, corporate culture). *If there is something that you feel strongly about, please check with the instructor.
Creating the policy: The 7 key questions
We should draft a perfect social networking policy that needs to cover new media using only a few words: “Be mature, be ethical, and think before you type.” Ultimately, you may decide that such brevity is what you want for your business. For the sake of completeness, though, here are the seven most important questions to ask yourself when drafting a social networking policy.
How far do you want to reach? Social networking presents two concerns for employers—how employees are spending their time at work, and how employees are portraying your company online when they are not at work. Any social networking policy must address both types of online use.
Do you want to permit social networking at work, at all? It is not realistic to ban all social networking at work. If you do this, you will lose the benefit of business-related networking. Further, a blanket ban is also hard to monitor and enforce.
If you prohibit social networking, how will you monitor it? Turning off Internet access, installing software to block certain sites or monitoring employees’ use, and disciplining of offenders are all possibilities, depending on how aggressive you want to be and how much time you want to spend watching what your employees do online.
If you permit employees to a social network at work, do you want to limit it to work-related conduct, or permit limited personal use? How you answer this question depends on how you balance productivity versus marketing return.
Do you want employees to identify with your business when networking online? We should make employees aware that if they post as an employee of your company, the company will hold them responsible for any negative portrayals. Or you could simply require that employees not affiliate with your business and lose the networking and marketing potential social media offers.
How do you define “appropriate business behavior?” Employees need to understand that what they post online is public, and they have no privacy rights in what they put out for the world to see. We can use anything in cyberspace as grounds to discipline an employee, no matter whether the employee wrote it from work or outside of work.
How will social networking intersect with your broader harassment, technology, and confidentiality policies? Employment policies do not work in a vacuum. Employees’ online presence—depending on what they are posting—can violate any number of other corporate policies. Drafting a social networking policy is an excellent opportunity to revisit, update, and fine-tune other policies.
General Guidelines:
You may work with 1 other student (not mandatory). If you work with one other person, each student needs to submit an Executive Summary before the intro (in Word Format). Make sure both your names are on that final. (if you fail to turn in an Exec Summary you will have half of the assignment grade deducted).
The Exec Summary is a mandatory part of the assignment. If you work with a partner, you only have to turn in 1 Exec Summary, if you work alone you have to turn in 1 Exec Summary.
The document should be in the following format. Page one is the executive summary, the 4 pages should cover the policy and the last page should be citations for a total of six (6) pages.
Double-spaced, using 12-point font, Times New Roman.
Special Topic for HR
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Code and Name
Instructor’s Name
Date
Special Topic for HR
Executive Summary
As an HR generalist for a semi-large multinational corporation, embracing social media and new tools can greatly benefit our organization. Social networking has become an integral part of modern communication, and it provides a platform for us to reach a wider audience and connect with potential employees, customers, and partners. Therefore, developing a policy regarding the use of social media is crucial to ensure that these platforms do not affect business operations. Social media can improve recruitment efforts and communication within the company and create a positive corporate culture. However, there are potential risks, such as the misuse of social media and the negative impact on employee productivity. To mitigate these risks, organizations should establish a clear social networking policy outlining the appropriate use of social media during work hours and guidelines for how employees should represent the company online. The policy should balance the needs of the organization with employees' privacy and autonomy, and it should communicate the consequences of violating the guidelines. Ultimately, the decision of whether to limit social network use to work-related conduct or allow limited personal use should be based on the specific needs and goals of the organization. It is also important to incorporate social media training programs for employees to ensure that they are aware of the company's policy and understand how to use social media effectively and responsibly. Additionally, the policy should outline the type of content that is acceptable to share on social media platforms, including guidelines on what types of posts are inappropriate or offensive. It's also important to have a plan in place for handling negative comments or feedback on social media, such as designating a specific team member to monitor and respond to comments. Finally, the HR generalist can measure the success of the company's social media strategy by regularly tracking engagement, followers, and other metrics to ensure that the efforts are meeting the company's goals and objectives.
Social Media Policy
The social media policy will govern the use of social media based on many aspects. Regarding how far we want to reach, social networking allows us to connect with individuals and organizations worldwide. By embracing social media and new tools, we can increase our visibility, expand our network, and ultimately improve our business outcomes. Social networking can also help us to recruit top talent, communicate more effectively with our employees, and create a positive corporate culture. However, it is important to acknowledge the concerns that come with social networking. We must address how employees spend their time at work and how they portray our company online when they are not at work. To do this, we can create a social networking policy that outlines the appropriate use of social media during work hours and guidelines for how employees should represent our company online. By creating a clear and concise social networking policy, we can mitigate potential risks and ensure that our employees use social media responsibly and ethically.
Social media can provide many benefits to the organization, including improving recruiting efforts, enhancing communication within the company, and fostering a positive corporate culture. Allowing social networking at work can help employees build professional relationships and networks that can benefit the company. Effective communication is essential for any organization, and social media can help improve internal and external communication. Social media platforms can be used for internal communication between employees, departments, and teams, allowing for quick and easy sharing of information and ideas. Externally, social media can communicate with customers, clients, and other stakeholders, providing updates and information about the company and its products or services.
A complete ban on social networking at work may lead to decreased employee satisfaction and engagement and potentially hinder the organization's ability to keep up with industry trends and developments. By allowing social networking at work, while implementing guidelines and policies to ensure that employees use these tools responsibly and in a manner that reflects positively on the organization, the company can reap the benefits of social media while minimizing potential risks. It is also not ideal to ban social media because it helps build organizational culture. By allowing employees to use social media to share positive experiences and stories about the company, the organization can create a positive brand image and improve employee morale. Additionally, social media can be a platform for recognizing and celebrating employee achievements, which can further contribute to a positive and supportive work environment (Ali et al., 2020). Regarding recruitment, social media can effectively reach a wider audience and promote job opportunities to passive candidates who may not be actively looking for new roles. By allowing employees to use social media at work, they can share job postings and information about the company with their networks, potentially reaching a larger and more diverse pool of candidates.
Monitoring s...