Do HR professionals see real value in social networking sites or is it just a fad?
23rd November 2011
By Bill Paris, Executive Search – HR
The results of a recent survey of HR professionals showed that three out of five organisations are already using social media as part of their HR strategy, most notably in recruitment, and a further 25% plan to do so in the future. For Generation Y, social networks are a way of life and their knock-on effect has changed the way many people interact and view information online. But should one demographic cause us all to change our ways? Below are a few of the positives and negatives of the social media phenomenon to see if there is ultimately value in it for those in HR.
Without looking into the specifics of individual social networking websites as they are too numerous to mention, there are a number of more general benefits that social media presents to HR professionals, most notably as a communication tool. Online communities of peer professionals deliver relevant news faster; allow the promotion and sharing of best practice; and allow you to easily find and reach potential employees and clients worldwide. Being part of a likeminded group of contemporaries visibly positions you in your sector and being an active member of that network reinforces both you as an expert and your organisation’s brand. While it does require an investment of time and energy, there is potential free PR to be broadcasted; an audience of potential stakeholders to be courted; and importantly, the chance to stay ahead of, or at least alongside, your competitors.
On the downside, enforcing the use of social media can be a dangerous policy. Its time consuming nature can have a negative result on productivity; disenfranchise older employees who may not have embraced the new technology; and may not show any obvious ROI for a very long time. It can be a full time job sifting through the information overload to find anything worthwhile, not to mention the effort involved in maintaining your own online profile with interesting comments and articles. For HR professionals, in terms of recruitment alone, if the adoption of social media increases, so will the number of applicants and the related time to review them, while inevitably the quality will decrease. There is also a risk of negative PR from disgruntled employees or clients, as you have no control over what other people say online.
In conclusion, if you’re going to be involved in social media networking, then be properly involved – a blog or Twitter account with no activity will never be effective – but bear in mind that any new media should only be used to complement, not replace, existing proven practices. As an HR professional, you should draw up a social media policy and ensure it is inclusive, with training for those who want it. Protect your organisation by clarifying how social media is to be used internally and externally in terms of confidentiality and sensitive information. Social media networking is a relatively new experience for most businesses and as such is still largely unproven to be of actual value. While it is important to keep up with competitors, clients and employees who use it, it’s worth remembering that the next big thing is always just around the corner, so be aware of how much time and energy you invest in it.
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The main challenges with social media as I am experiencing it are;
1 It’s the latest buzzword and there’s a “we must not miss the boat” attitude towards it which means it may end up being a few hastily constructed feeds and threads that fizzle if not maintained
2 ROI can be tough to measure
3 It’s high maintenance. Without coming over all fluffy, it needs to be set up and maintained and tended to and that’s often not thought through or contributors can lose interest.
4 Unless you have a very clear workflow of the type of traffic you want to drive and where you want to drive it to all that interest and click through can dissipate very easily as attention spans can be short.