How to handle Challenges on social media

 Figure 01: How to overcome challenges

Having a particular section in your employee handbook that addresses the expectations and standards surrounding social media is the single most crucial solution that many businesses neglect to implement from the beginning. There is no defense for failing to grasp the rules if they are clearly stated, and as an employer, you will be in a much stronger position if you have already specified the potential penalties for breaking the code of conduct.

Having a zero-tolerance policy is likely to result in it being broken more frequently than it is kept, leaving you vulnerable to accusations of favoritism if you do not follow it.

The need for an enterprise social media policy

Employers shouldn't forbid staff from utilizing social media and discussing their jobs. The correct rules serve as a useful reminder for staff members to be respectful, accepting, and upbeat both at work and outside of it.

Social media provides special opportunities to engage with customers, market content, publicize sales, highlight events, and hire new employees. For businesses, it may be a helpful marketing tool. Employees that promote their employers can increase social media's potential and reach more people. Each employee is having the opportunity to promote the company's goods and services as a brand ambassador. (WhatIs.com, 2022)

Use of social media and its effects at work

The line separating personal and professional lives has blurred as a result of the growth of social media, with employers now having greater access than ever to details about employees' private lives. Employers may consequently find it challenging to choose which information they should act upon, and which should be ignored.

There is also the potential influence on the typical working day to take into account; according to some research, social networking alone costs the UK economy as much as £14 billion annually. Social networking isn't always a terrible thing because it can foster better relationships, increase communication among coworkers, and promote mutual understanding.

The key concerns

Despite the advantages that social networking can offer, there are several problems that could develop that, if not addressed, could create a precarious scenario.

Among the issues that require prompt attention are the following:

Theft of time: Employees update social media pages, check them frequently, and respond to personal messages during work hours.

While it's acceptable to vent in public if you've had a horrible day, there have been many cases where employees have been caught naming and shaming, criticizing the firm, or divulging information that wasn't intended for the public.

Acceptable behavior when absent from work: Thanks to the enhanced knowledge that is now available, an employer is much better informed about what an employee does when they are "off ill." This can be pictures or social media posts about nights out when they claimed to be sick and couldn't go to work. (THE HR BOOTH, 2022).  

These issues raise difficult subjects like freedom of speech, invasion of privacy, defamation, and cyberbullying and open a real can of worms. Due to the significance of these potential issues, preparation is crucial.

These are the main ideas that businesses should cover in their social media policies.

• Encourage staff to be respectful
• Address use of personal social media during work hours
• Follow social media etiquette
• Avoid sharing private company information
• Explain copyright and legal issues.
• Increase employee engagement
• Make sure the employee's opinions do not represent the business.
• Avoid misusing the corporate logo
• Avoid responding to criticism.

References

THE HR BOOTH, (2022).  How to prevent social networking becoming a problem in the workplace [Online] Available from  https://www.thehrbooth.co.uk/blog/hr-support/how-to-prevent-social-networking-becoming-a-problem-in-the-workplace/   [Accessed on 30th November 2022]

WhatIs.com, (2022).  9 essential social media guidelines for employees [Online] Available from  https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/9-essential-social-media-guidelines-for-employees [Accessed on 30th November 2022]