Workplace Social Media: Engaging Employees with Authenticity and Purpose
While social media is often the center of people’s personal lives, it remains an untapped resource in many workplaces. Though often seen only as a way to assess stakeholder engagement, social media can have major positive effects on employee productivity and morale.
Social media enables Government leaders to engage their employees in a more informal matter. It allows leaders to achieve greater authenticity with their workforce – creating a workplace environment where employees are more comfortable discussing challenges they face. In this setting, employees become more motivated.
One of the common hurdles organizations face when introducing a new program is achieving buy-in from the intended users and stakeholders. This can be a challenge to focus on when developing a social media strategy for an organization. To counter this, leadership must actively use the platform – demonstrating the benefits it can bring – to achieve buy-in. For example, IT firm Unisys adopted this strategy and saw over 65% of their employees follow their executives’ lead in building profiles that detailed their individual areas of expertise to promote more efficient information sharing.
Authenticity is another obstacle. Attempts to make social media use mandatory or limiting discussion to work-related topics can hurt activity. Instead, allow employees to use internal social media in a way similar to how they do in their personal lives. Off-topic discussions between co-workers help improve morale and a sense of community. They also help bring up of work-related discussions organically. For example, by having leadership use social media to highlight employee success stories, build relationships by personally contacting and visiting employees, and encourage fun and non-work related conversations, Tupperware Europe saw its turnover rate fall by 15%.
Social media can have major benefits to boost employee morale and collaboration. By personally demonstrating the benefits of social media platforms and allowing them to be an open forum for discussion, Government leaders can strengthen relationships and inspire their workforce.
About Arc Aspicio
Arc Aspicio is a management, strategy, and technology consulting firm that takes a mission-oriented approach to complex client challenges. As a rapidly growing company, Arc Aspicio has a bold strategy for 2016-2018 that drives growth through new capabilities in strategy, design, human capital, data analytics, information sharing, cybersecurity, and strategic communications. The company is known for a strong, collaborative culture that values gratitude – for its clients and its great team. And, #welovedogs! Follow us on Twitter @arcaspicio or learn more at www.arcaspicio.com.
