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Social media has been a powerful force that has changed the way we conduct business.
Websites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have been helping companies. It helps them to increase their visibility and audience reach online. It also helps with keeping customers up-to-date on company information.
From communication with businesses to leaving feedback for a service or product. From communicating with friends and families to ordering groceries. The ways that we use the internet and social media is changing and so should the way that employers approach it.
With regards to business, a list of the impacts that social media has had on it would go on and on. From the way that our customers find and engage with us up to the way that they leave either positive or negative feedback.
Social media in the workplace
Depending on the type of business you’re running, encouraging the use of social media around the workplace can work wonders for your company.
Businesses understand the importance of social media, but most are reluctant to invest money in it. But, with the national minimum wage for apprentices is set to increase in April 2019, employers are looking to take advantage of this by starting apprentices to manage social media and other online platforms for company brands.
Millennials and Gen Z in the workforce
With the popularity of social media among millennial and Gen Z employees, employers are recognising the impact it has to their business. Not only does it help them reach out to a new audience, it also increases engagement with existing and potential customers.
Hiring tech savvy apprentices to build, manage and engage your audiences online can be especially useful for smaller businesses with limited advertising budgets.
Social Media policy
The first and most important thing to consider is having a social media usage policy in place. The policy should address potential issues that may arise in the future. The policy should include guidelines for employers and employees, details on cyber bullying and disciplinary procedures. You may have to introduce various social media policies, one for your employee’s personal social media profile and another for the corporate social media accounts.
The benefits of social media use in the workplace
Free promotional tool – Social media can serve as a free promotional tool for your brand. When employees are posting their own pictures at work or at company events, it goes on to show the public your company values.
Employee referrals – encouraging your existing employees to refer their connections to work for your company is a major advantage of encouraging social media use in the workplace. As a form of recruitment, employee referral accounts for over 45% of all new hires last year.
Recognition – Employees can take to social media to show off recognition or a promotion within the company. As a company invested in the growth and wellbeing of your employees, they should be excited to show off their achievements to their friends, families and other connections.
Mental break – Nothing is more important than the mental wellbeing of your employees. Social media provides a mental break. Breaks are important for avoiding burnout, breaking up your day with social media can help refresh your mind or even inspire you.
All these benefits set your company aside from the competition. It positions you as a company with values that cares about the wellbeing of their employees. This is a positive when it comes to recruiting. These days, potential employees are not only looking for a great pay package. They are also looking to work for a company that share the same sorts of values that they do.
