Should Your Organization be a Social Enterprise?

With more than half of all organizational HR professionals turning to some form of social media to network and connect with the public, should yours follow suit?

A 2012 Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) report stated that 40 percent of all polled organizations have some type of social media policy in place, with 55 percent having clear guidelines for social media communications. Another 52 percent said their marketing departments were consistently turning to social media as a way to connect with influencers online. Clearly, social media is here to stay and businesses are tapping into this resource to become “social enterprises”.

In order to embrace this new form of communication, however, HR officers must make sure there are some controls in place to manage social networking. In this way, social media can become a productive way for your organization to communicate with employees, recruit new ones, and convey a branded message to the masses.

Here are some helpful guidelines for being a successful social enterprise:

1. Develop a fully branded presence across all social media networks, with your corporate logo and theme.
2. Consistently manage content on your social media platforms so you are conveying the same messages across all channels.
3. Hire a social media manager to professionally guide you through the waters of social media – it’s not for beginners!
4. Have a plan for every social media post with a well-organized editorial calendar of timely topics and newsworthy items relevant to your industry or expertise.
5. Avoid confrontations or negative posts about competitors, members, or any industry association at all costs.
6. Connect with people by sending out welcome messages to new followers and learning more about their networks.

So, should you engage with others online as a social enterprise? The answer to this is up to the goals of your organization. Yet, many are finding that social networks are very good places to share information, recruit new hires, and network with others in the HR field.

Getting into social media can be a fun and productive way to spread the word about what your organization has to offer the world. Join the billions of other companies who share information on social networks every day, but do so with a plan of action.

Feel free to post your comments and questions below – the HR Writer would like to hear from you!