The growing popularity of social media is challenging companies to use it for more effective communication between their top management, middle managers and employees. But how should you start and how can you actually get your people to work together better thanks to social media? The Incentive Magazine website brought ten practical recommendations.
1. Create a shared site
Give all employees central online access to key documents for their work and to other information about the company.
2. Stick with the timetable
Communication works better when it’s regular. That is why you should create a timetable for publishing important news about company events, new projects, customers, etc. Then use the internal social network to spread the word so that employees can forward the news easily.
3. Establish private groups
Share company data with employees in a way that preserves the needed degree of privacy protection. Establish private chat rooms or a locked Facebook page that only employees have access to.
4. Don’t be passive
Don’t wait for the discussion to start automatically. Use the internal or public channels to spread news so that your people have everyday access to information about the company.
5. Include rewards
Align rewards for the fulfillment of goals with communication using social media. As soon as employees find out about a new project, they will be motivated to help the company achieve better results.
6. Involve the competition principle
Use social media to spread information about which employees helped the company to attain certain results. You will be motivating others to strive for the same.
7. Don’t look at positions
Ask everyone in the company to communicate via social media without regard for their position in the management hierarchy.
8. Use social media in recruitment
Use it to advertise job openings and new opportunities in the company.
9. Get top management on board
They should be using your social network to talk about the company’s strategy, its future direction as well as about where your company currently needs the most help.
10. Ask and request feedback
Do not think of social media only as an instrument for spreading news. Learn to use it to listen to employees.
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