18 March 2008

The next frontier in employee communication

Watson Wyatt spells out the benefits of social media.

“Social media has begun to improve companies’ ability to enhance employee communication,” say experts at global consulting firm, Watson Wyatt Worldwide.

Michael Rudnick (pictured, right), Watson Wyatt’s global intranet and portal practice leader, and one of the Hub's editorial board, says social media tools can help companies meet their primary internal communication goal – employee engagement.

Active, not passive
The key benefit of social media tools is to help employees actively participate in creating and sharing information. Mass e-mails or intranet posts are passive by comparison. Watson Wyatt says this shift to employee-generated content has resulted in employees becoming more engaged online.

But executives are still concerned about allowing employees to create content, with IT departments blocking access to popular external social media tools.

Rudnick says similar fear were raised, and disproved, when the internet entered the workplace in the mid-1990s. He advises employers to address concerns by publishing clear guidelines for acceptable use of social media within the organization.

A plan is essential
“Companies need a plan to introduce these new technologies into the workforce. Simply deploying the technology is not enough and can even be counterproductive,” Rudnick cautions.

“However, employers that avoid social media altogether are missing an important opportunity and running the risk of alienating generation X-ers and millennials. Embracing the technology with proper planning, guidelines and change management for its use are effective approaches to ensuring success.

“Guidelines, training and change management about appropriate use, along with strong firewalls (to keep prying eyes out), are needed to ensure that social media is used productively and sensitive information is not inappropriately or inadvertently disseminated,” Rudnick says.

Help during economic downturn
The Hub asked Rudnick how companies can use social media tools and employee engagement expertise to best effect during the looming economic downturn.

He explains that social media tools give great value. “They’re a terrific, non-expensive way of keeping people informed and moving information around a company to make the company more customer responsive.”

He says social media tools help keep employees more engaged when they may be distracted by challenges in the economy. Social media differ from traditional media with its expense, planning and significant overhead to achieve the same objective – to keep employees focused and engaged.

“Social media is much faster and much easier. Therefore I think it’s even more applicable when capital expenses are tight,” Rudnick says.

See Michael in action
Rudnick will be leading Melcrum's Intranet 2.0 and Portal Makeover Forum in Florida in May. Hub members receive a 15% discount off the full price – call us now to register: 866.MELCRUM or 312.379.6500. Or e-mail ustraining@melcrum.com.

Rudnick also shares his tips for Hub members via the Hub editorial board.

Have your say
The use of social media tools to enhance employee engagement is definitely the next big thing – and is already being used to good effect in leading edge companies.

But many senior leaders are still cautious. How well do these tools work in your organization? How do you help the organization’s technophobes enhance their communication? On a personal note, to what extent do you use social media tools in your day-to-day life?

Discuss these issues with other comms practitioners by joining the Internal Comms Hub members' group on the Communicators' Network.

Other recommendations:
A communicator's guide to Generation Y

TOOL: Social media strategy worksheet

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