Why HR Can’t “Just Say No” to Social Media

In 1982 a young school girl asked the First Lady of the United States of America what to do if someone offered her drugs.  Nancy Reagan’s simple, straight-forward answer became the theme of a national campaign and a phrase that will forever be remembered:  “Just Say No.”

That same year, the first issue of USA Today was published, the first CD player was sold in Japan, and TIME chose “The Computer” as the next Man of the Year.

Wow.  Things seemed simpler back then.  A little more black and white.  A little more yes or no.  A little more tangible.

But today, we are inundated by technologies and tools we’d never thought of back then.  Who knew we would Google every day?  Or that when you wanted to find the nearest Thai restaurant, “There’s an Ap for that?” 

We had no idea that we’d spend so much time on TIME’s Man of the Year, or that it would give us access to this phenomenon called social media. 

That’s why it surprises me to find businesses reverting to old rhetoric when faced with today’s multi-dimensional challenges.  Case and point, a recent survey by Robert Half Technology found that 54% of businesses are completely banning social media from the workplace. 

Nancy Reagan would be proud.  But it’s probably not the most effective policy.

It’s not as simple as employees “wasting time” on their office computers.  They’re tweeting from their personal cell phones every time they think your business does something cool… and every time you tick them off. 

They’re using social media to network with other people in the industry, evangelize your products and meet people that may be your next biggest customer.  Then they go home and, good or bad, post their thoughts about you, your business, your company’s products, the industry and every other aspect of their lives on Facebook. 

Heck, they might even blog about you, make an entry about your company on Wikipedia or post a crazy YouTube video of themselves dancing on your CEO’s desk. 

It’s way too late to “Just Say No” to social media. 

A better approach is to understand how your employees use social media and the risks and value of social media to your business.  Collecting that level of intelligence will help you develop a policy that:

• Protects your brand (image and reputation)
• Helps you create a better, more engaged workplace
• Protects workplace productivity while addressing social media needs
• Enforces existing employee relations policies (like sexual harassment), even if they occur in cyberspace
• Enables your sales and marketing teams social media flexibility
• Keeps IT issues like bandwidth and downloading viruses in check
• Protects your business from legal implications

So, how do you get there?  First, survey your business teams and your employees about their social media use – at home and at work, personal and professional.  Convene IT, marketing, customer service and legal to present the results and discuss the risks and advantages to your company.

Then, develop a policy that is as open as it can be while still protecting your business. 

And, if it seems overwhelming, call in help.  We launched an effort last month called the Social Media Policy Pack to do exactly that. We’re helping HR understand the social media landscape and then focus in on what it means for their unique workforce.

Social media can be a good thing, with a lot of advantages for HR and business.  I recommend investigating what it means for your business before you just say no.

Maureen Dorgan-Clemens is vice-president of organizational consulting services at Perspectives Ltd. She has more than 24 years experience consulting with organizations around management development, team development, conflict management, performance coaching and leadership training, and EAPs. Find out more about Maureen on LinkedIn.

Recent articles include: 
HR FYI: Your Employees Are Talking About You In Cyberspace, Working World Café Blog

Tags: employees, HR, human resources, Maureen Dorgan Clemens, social media, Social Media Policy Pack, workplace