"I need your help!" he wailed over the phone. "An employee of ours just posted a YouTube video with really negative comments about our company. What do we do?"
Over the past 24 months, my phone rings on an almost daily basis with clients, colleagues and friends in a panic about something to do with social media. That led me to start working with organizations to help them develop and then roll out social media policies for their organizations. Through researching and reading over 150 social media policies for corporations, hospitals, universities and non-profit organizations and helping my clients develop their own organizational policies, here's what I've learned:
One size does not fit all
A hospital needs a very different social media policy than a literacy organization. The size and scope of the organization will determine, in part, the characteristics of its social media policy. There are however, some common characteristics.
Focus on personal responsibility
What an individual posts on line is ultimately his or her responsibility. Privacy settings may not be as secure as people assume and developers of social media platforms reserve the right to modify their global settings at any time. The bottom line is that individuals, not organizations, are responsible for their online activity. This is true in print, in video and in photos.
Understanding the permanency of a digital footprint
Employees need to know that what they post on line leaves a digital footprint, even if they modify or delete it. Others can capture your online activity using screen shots or video capturing software. Drawing awareness to the permanency of online activity helps employees understand the risks of posting angry videos, drunk photos or angry rants. This goes hand-in-hand with personal responsibility.
Reputation management
Along with the permanency of a digital foot print goes the management of personal and organizational reputation through the use of social media. Employees need to be aware that they may be "Googled" by their current or future employeers. It is
Representing the organization
Employees represent an organization whether they are on or off duty. In today's world, "clocking out" is a figurative phrase. It is not that organizations "own" their employees, but rather that, when it comes to social media, the lines between where work ends and where personal life begins can become blurred. Employees need to be aware that they represent the company wherever they go. Some companies are beginning to write into their terms of employment that new hires must agree to represent the company in a positive light in social media. Including it in the organization's social media policy is becoming common, too. Employees may need coaching on how to share meaningful information in a positive way.
Encourage honesty and transparency
Employees are people and people are what drive social media. If a company folds, its website, Facebook page, Twitter account and other social media dry up and fizzle out (while still leaving a digital footprint, of course). Social media is all about real people connecting in honest, sincere, helpful ways.
Encourage a conversational tone
Social media is about being, well, social. Organizations that hyper-focus on policing their employees or producing only content written in sterile "corporate speak" are less likely to have successful social media engagement. Employees are encouraged to be interactive, conversational, respectful and professional, all at the same time.
Avoid spamming
This includes two parts. Internal spamming is when an employee blasts out requests to organization-wide lists that he is selling cookies for his child's soccer team. External spamming is when an employee sends out mass emails on behalf of the organization. External communications to a mass audience should be handled by the communications department or the individual in charge of communications.
Respect others
It may seem like common sense, but making it an organizational policy to respect others when in social media and other electronic spaces helps an organization eliminate workplace bullying, harassment and abuse. Organizational social media policies should, at the very least, align themselves with the law and prohibit interactions that are illegal, libelous or harassing. Including a process to deal with unexpected situations or circumstances where one person feels offended and another says, "It was only a joke!" make it clear to employees that they are expected to act respectfully at all times.
Confidentiality
Organizations need to be very clear what is and is not considered confidential information. Content relating to internal labour negotiations or grievance cases that are in process and not yet resolved could negatively impact the outcome of the situation. Similarly, intellectual property, ongoing research and product development are also areas to be addressed. Employees need to be made aware that certain documents are for internal use only and should never be shared in a public space.
Discourage disputes
Arguments are best had face-to-face. The chances for misunderstandings and the escalation of emotion are much greater on line. Social media policies often discourage disputes between individuals, as well as large-scale disputes. There have been more and more cases recently about employees using Facebook and Twitter accounts to mobilize themselves around labour disputes. This creates a tricky situation for representatives on both sides of a negotiating table. At the very least, discussions should be kept internal, using password protected intranet sites. It is inappropriate to post internal disputes on public sites. It is up to the company to make this clear with its employees, as well as any unions they work with.
When in doubt, leave it out
Employees need to be encouraged to trust their own judgement. If they are questioning whether or not to post something online, then the answer is probably no, don't do it. Social media policies are as much about developing good digital citizens as they are about policing them. In fact, truly effective policies strike a balance between discipline and freedom.
Avoid irrelevancy
Content should relate to the company, its activities and its employees, as well as include useful industry information, upcoming events and other content related to the day-to-day business and purpose of the organization. Employees can ask themselves questions such as "Is this relevant to 75% or more of the entire organization?" before posting to internal sites.
Time allocation
Organizations need to be clear about whether they will allow employees to post on social media during work hours or whether this is to be saved for coffee breaks and lunches. If posting is allowed during business hours, setting limits on how much time is becoming more common in social media policies. Posting should not interfere with meeting deadlines or getting the work done.
Consequences and discipline
While a collaborative approach to using social media is ideal, organizations also need to out line how they will deal with infractions and inappropriate online behaviour. This is tricky because the range of what can be defined as "inappropriate" varies widely. Nevertheless, making it clear to employees that what they do online may have consequences. Organizations are developing plans and processes to proactively deal with situations when they arise. Prevention and intervention processes are also considered as part of social media policies.
Seek permission and ask for help
When in doubt, ask. Organizations are beginning to develop processes that allow employees to ask an internal advisor whether something is allowed to be shared on social media or not. Having a process whereby employees can ask questions helps to build positive communications in the workplace. Due to the immediate nature of social media, employees need a clear, reasonable answer quickly. This is not a process that can be put through a committee that meets on a quarterly, or even a weekly basis. Answers are needed swiftly.