Social media is changing everything about how business works. HR is no exception to that.
Of course, the digital world is constantly evolving at a pace many companies struggle to keep up with. The changes social media spearheads are often based on trends and user activity. Deciphering which trends are fleeting and which users are worth listening to can be tough.
Miscalculations in evolving an HR department can be incredibly risky. When managed properly, these entities give a firm its backbone and integrity. Everything from branding to recruitment can be run through these teams and changing their formula can cause many complications.
Social media can provide many answers on how to adapt HR practices for the better. Here’s what companies need to know about that.
Examining Employee Behaviour
Many people have a professional persona they adopt at work. Once they’re home, though, the façade can drop, detrimental to a firm’s reputation if an employee misbehaves online.
Even those with more esteemed job roles aren’t spared from the firing line regarding online misconduct. Workers must be positive representatives of their workplace, whether on the clock or not. Of course, that doesn’t mean they need to act professionally in their time, but it does mean that employees should:
- Should not speak disparagingly of their workplace or colleagues via their social media accounts.
- Not engage in the bullying and harassment of others.
- Not post on their personal accounts while they’re supposed to be working.
Remember, what’s posted online sticks. If there are any allegations of online misconduct, a quick examination of social media profiles or screengrabs secured by an involved party may allow HR departments to launch disciplinary proceedings quickly.
Learning From Others
HR no longer needs to be a solo endeavour within a business. Social media is changing HR rapidly, and sometimes experts are needed to help firms keep pace with it all
Social media can also connect companies to knowledgeable HR specialists, like HR Dept. Not only can these experts provide crucial guidance around disciplinary and grievance procedures, but they can also provide a steady influx of social media posts connecting users with franchise recruitment teams, HR news updates, and blog listicles of HR management advice. If firms enable notifications, they may be able to make crucial HR adjustments the second fresh guidance from these entities goes live.
Because social media searches can lead to a fruitful education around changing HR requirements, much peace of mind can be felt. Instead of making changes aimlessly, firms can strategise around industry expertise and feel more confident about adapting their processes. There’s a lot of misinformation online, but reputable sources post useful information of great significance!
Businesses can also share or retweet what these entities post. It can send a signal to competitors, customers, and investors that the company is aware of how social media is impacting HR and is keen to keep tabs on the situation. It’s a display of competence, awareness, and ethics, in that HR is critical to well-being-related and principled decisions in business.
Making HR Visible
HR has to be seen and heard. It needs to radiate a positive influence constantly.
Unfortunately, many employees tend to distrust their HR department, believing they ultimately represent the business they work for and are more inclined to protect their interests than help workers. These doubts can be further fuelled by ‘invisible’ HR departments that provide lip service rather than support with any substance.
Social media can make HR departments more visible. Companies can adapt to this by inviting employees to contact the department directly via these platforms. That way, they can enjoy personal correspondence at anytime from anywhere, rather than needing to send work emails or attend in-person meetings during work hours.
HR shouldn’t just be a mysterious entity operating ‘behind the scenes’ in a business. It must be in the foreground, so people feel comfortable using it. Social media is built on a sense of connectivity and openness, and HR departments need to lean into that more.
Attracting Top Talent
Top talent is hard to secure. The chances of building a stronger workforce increase by casting a wider net during the recruitment process.
An active HR presence online may also attract top talent. Job hunters will be able to see that the business is engaged with protecting workers’ rights and maintaining a positive, uplifting work culture. Inviting that talent to get in touch and send off their CVs could be a great way to adapt to those improving attitudes.
HR departments could also post their job advertisements on their social media channels. It can also be a more cost-effective approach to sourcing talent than creating physical advertisements or launching elaborate recruitment campaigns.
Of course, the great thing about this is that top talent can be engaged and persuaded even when they are not actively looking for a new role. If a good worker is scrolling their Twitter feed while lamenting the poor working conditions they’re currently experiencing, a well-optimised HR recruitment tweet from another company may just turn things around.