Clark and Roberts (2010) criticize the way employers make use of Social Networking Sites for background checks about applicants. They argue that applicants use Social Networking Sites for social interaction and they are unconscious that employers use these sites to collect 17 character information. Therefore, employers have to be aware of this fact and take this into account. Schäuble et al. (2008) figure out that new strategies and approaches in recruitment lead to changes and challenges for companies and their Human Resource departments. (Abel, 2011: 16-17) Companies have to take critical factors such as privacy of data and ethics into consideration. Additionally, recruiters have to spend a lot of time working with these new technologies so as to learn the ropes of them. One the one hand, technologically inexperienced employees have to be familiarized with the new technologies, and, on the other hand, companies have to define data protection regulations and user regulations for the use of these sites. Another challenge for companies is the development of know-how and the time invested in active recruitment. This factor of financial and personnel resources must not be underestimated. Moreover, a monitoring of the market is necessary in order to prevent the discrimination or exclusion of possible candidates. Companies have to consider carefully the information about the qualities of the Social Networking Sites, which is discussed in the following paragraph.(Abel,2011:16-17) Social media culture and social media networking platforms have had a major impact on business communication, practices and processes, increasing profitability, sustaining reputation and empowering employees. And social media is also being used in human resources for internal communication and in learning as well as for recruitment purposes. In fact, according to a 2009 Jobvite Survey, a growing number of companies are using social media to recruit talent, forgoing traditional job posting sites and printed publications: 95 percent are using LinkedIn, 50 percent are using Facebook and 42 percent are using Twitter. Last year, Microsoft saved $88,000 in recruitment fees by using LinkedIn, while brewer SAB Miller saved $1.7 million employing 120 people directly from the site.(Abel, 2011:16-17) So lets look at the benefits of utilizing social media in terms of recruitment: Firstly, it is more efficient. Companies are able to use social media to recruit much more easily by advertising vacancies and searching for recruits on LinkedIn, for instance. However, LinkedIn and other social media applications can actually be used for much more than simply a job post site. Indeed, social recruiting can be used to enhance effectiveness and set new and deeper relationships between employees and employers. Technology is essentially being used to provide better quality links to potential employees, developing and maintaining a relationship over a number of years, which can be tapped in to at later date. There are a number of ways in which this can be done, for example, LinkedIn, Facebook and other social networks offer the chance to form a community based on a topic determined by the organization. However, while an organization like Goldman Sachs globally invests over 100,000 hours each year in conversations with prospective employees, it is not always practical for organizations to put this much effort into their recruitment. That said, social media does make it simple for any organization to proactively develop some kind of relationship with potential employees to the best if its ability. (Abel, 2011: 16-17) Social media applications are also being used to rate and compare employees, determine cultural fit and extend internal initiatives, like the referral scheme, to an external audience and using social media to compliment their hiring process: 75 percent are using LinkedIn for background checks and 48 percent are using Facebook for background checks. In fact, more than two-thirds of all HR professionals now run internet searches on job applicants. According to Microsoft, one in four HR employees has rejected a candidate’s application based on their social networking profile, while only 37 percent of people see it as their responsibility to protect their online reputation. (Abel, 2011: 16-17) It is interesting that despite a full 35 percent of employers who screen job candidates online presence choosing not to hire an applicant, so many job seekers continue to make mistakes or fail to clean up their profiles, particularly at a time in the market that is so competitive. (Abel,2011:16-17)
3.POTENTIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
Used correctly, social media can benefit an organization. However, if not managed effectively, it can create many legal, financial and personnel risks. Given the potential risks and benefits of social media in the workplace, it is critical for managers to develop policies and procedures governing its appropriate use. (Ployhart R., 2011:1) Many companies using social media try to successfully integrate it into their daily business processes. The challenge is mainly within the creation, execution, and enforcement of social media policies. Many organizations do not create policies to govern social media usage or can find their policy difficult to enforce due to lack of employee engagement and training on the topic. Given these challenges, it is not surprising that many executives prefer to avoid the topic by saying that they have no need for social media or policies to manage it. However, as companies begin to realize the true value to be gained by social media adoption, consideration of workforce risk is essential for avoidance of loss of employee goodwill, information breaches, and reputational damage.(Isaacson K., Peacey S., 2012:9)
Social media presents the enterprise with two unique sets of risks:
Internal • Employees inadvertently or deliberately leak privileged information that belongs to the organization • The creation of public, and therefore “discoverable,” public record related to internal employment issues • Ownership issues regarding public forums/networks where employees might engage with customers to discuss business issues •Introduction of sensitive personal information into the workplace (politics, religion, sexual orientation, lifestyle issues) .(Isaacson K., Peacey S., 2012:10)
External •The potential for viral growth of negative sentiment either in response to organization communications or simply a market discussion on products or services • Inappropriate or inaccurate commentary on organization financial performance • Misrepresentation of organization’s position on public issues • Damage to company’s reputation or desired brand image •Data privacy breach related to lost personal identifiable information. (Isaacson K., Peacey S., 2012:10)
4.HOW SHOULD THE ORGANIZATION IMPLEMENT SOCIAL MEDIA?
For organizations planning to use social media for human resource, marketing or other purposes, the process must begin with defining goals and identifying metrics.
Define the goals and scope of engagement with social media. Clearly define what the organization is trying to achieve. What are the metrics for success? For example, despite all the talk about the benefits of social media for recruiting, there is actually little hard evidence to suggest that it results in better quality hires or is faster or less expensive than conventional recruiting methods.
Which type(s) of social media should be used? Given the defined goals and scope, determine which types of social media best support the goals. For example,professional networking sites (e.g., LinkedIn) might be more useful for sourcing candidates than social networking sites (e.g., Facebook)
Align the new social media policy with any existing corporate privacy policies.
Set timelines and deliverables. Estimate the amount of time needed to implement the plan and identify specific deliverables expected.
Determine ownership. Who is responsible for ensuring the success of the social media program? Who has budget responsibility? Who is responsible for posting information? If the program is monitored, who has responsibility for reviewing the content? Who has final authority or responsibility for making changes to the content?
Monitor progress. Evaluate the effectiveness of social media activities on an ongoing basis and regularly measure progress against the metrics defined. Make course corrections as needed. (Ployhart R., 2011:1)
Conclusion
Social media is altering the way individuals connect and share information. LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other social media are converting the way we interact, and many companies are trying to respond. Even companies attempting to avoid social media but they must be aware that many of their employees and clients are using it, which can directly influence the company. Social media suggests many potential benefits but none of which are guaranteed. Thoughtful managers should carefully take into consideration the benefits and risks of social media, just as they do when developing other new policies or evaluating a new vendor. Currently, no definitive standard of best practices exists. In order to minimize risk, leaders must remember that the same compliance, legal and ethical principles that apply to other employment practices also apply to social media.
REFERENCES:
Abel S. (2011). The Role of Social Networking Sites in recruitment: Results of a quantitative study among German companies: 16-17.
Isaacson K., Peacey S. (2012). Human Resources and Social Media, KPMG: 2, 9-10
...
Clark and Roberts (2010) criticize the way employers make use of Social Networking Sites for background checks about applicants. They argue that applicants use Social Networking Sites for social interaction and they are unconscious that employers use these sites to collect 17 character information. Therefore, employers have to be aware of this fact and take this into account. Schäuble et al. (2008) figure out that new strategies and approaches in recruitment lead to changes and challenges for companies and their Human Resource departments. (Abel, 2011: 16-17) Companies have to take critical factors such as privacy of data and ethics into consideration. Additionally, recruiters have to spend a lot of time working with these new technologies so as to learn the ropes of them. One the one hand, technologically inexperienced employees have to be familiarized with the new technologies, and, on the other hand, companies have to define data protection regulations and user regulations for the use of these sites. Another challenge for companies is the development of know-how and the time invested in active recruitment. This factor of financial and personnel resources must not be underestimated. Moreover, a monitoring of the market is necessary in order to prevent the discrimination or exclusion of possible candidates. Companies have to consider carefully the information about the qualities of the Social Networking Sites, which is discussed in the following paragraph.(Abel,2011:16-17) Social media culture and social media networking platforms have had a major impact on business communication, practices and processes, increasing profitability, sustaining reputation and empowering employees. And social media is also being used in human resources for internal communication and in learning as well as for recruitment purposes. In fact, according to a 2009 Jobvite Survey, a growing number of companies are using social media to recruit talent, forgoing traditional job posting sites and printed publications: 95 percent are using LinkedIn, 50 percent are using Facebook and 42 percent are using Twitter. Last year, Microsoft saved $88,000 in recruitment fees by using LinkedIn, while brewer SAB Miller saved $1.7 million employing 120 people directly from the site.(Abel, 2011:16-17) So lets look at the benefits of utilizing social media in terms of recruitment: Firstly, it is more efficient. Companies are able to use social media to recruit much more easily by advertising vacancies and searching for recruits on LinkedIn, for instance. However, LinkedIn and other social media applications can actually be used for much more than simply a job post site. Indeed, social recruiting can be used to enhance effectiveness and set new and deeper relationships between employees and employers. Technology is essentially being used to provide better quality links to potential employees, developing and maintaining a relationship over a number of years, which can be tapped in to at later date. There are a number of ways in which this can be done, for example, LinkedIn, Facebook and other social networks offer the chance to form a community based on a topic determined by the organization. However, while an organization like Goldman Sachs globally invests over 100,000 hours each year in conversations with prospective employees, it is not always practical for organizations to put this much effort into their recruitment. That said, social media does make it simple for any organization to proactively develop some kind of relationship with potential employees to the best if its ability. (Abel, 2011: 16-17) Social media applications are also being used to rate and compare employees, determine cultural fit and extend internal initiatives, like the referral scheme, to an external audience and using social media to compliment their hiring process: 75 percent are using LinkedIn for background checks and 48 percent are using Facebook for background checks. In fact, more than two-thirds of all HR professionals now run internet searches on job applicants. According to Microsoft, one in four HR employees has rejected a candidate’s application based on their social networking profile, while only 37 percent of people see it as their responsibility to protect their online reputation. (Abel, 2011: 16-17) It is interesting that despite a full 35 percent of employers who screen job candidates online presence choosing not to hire an applicant, so many job seekers continue to make mistakes or fail to clean up their profiles, particularly at a time in the market that is so competitive. (Abel,2011:16-17)
3.POTENTIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
Used correctly, social media can benefit an organization. However, if not managed effectively, it can create many legal, financial and personnel risks. Given the potential risks and benefits of social media in the workplace, it is critical for managers to develop policies and procedures governing its appropriate use. (Ployhart R., 2011:1) Many companies using social media try to successfully integrate it into their daily business processes. The challenge is mainly within the creation, execution, and enforcement of social media policies. Many organizations do not create policies to govern social media usage or can find their policy difficult to enforce due to lack of employee engagement and training on the topic. Given these challenges, it is not surprising that many executives prefer to avoid the topic by saying that they have no need for social media or policies to manage it. However, as companies begin to realize the true value to be gained by social media adoption, consideration of workforce risk is essential for avoidance of loss of employee goodwill, information breaches, and reputational damage.(Isaacson K., Peacey S., 2012:9)
Social media presents the enterprise with two unique sets of risks:
Internal • Employees inadvertently or deliberately leak privileged information that belongs to the organization • The creation of public, and therefore “discoverable,” public record related to internal employment issues • Ownership issues regarding public forums/networks where employees might engage with customers to discuss business issues •Introduction of sensitive personal information into the workplace (politics, religion, sexual orientation, lifestyle issues) .(Isaacson K., Peacey S., 2012:10)
External •The potential for viral growth of negative sentiment either in response to organization communications or simply a market discussion on products or services • Inappropriate or inaccurate commentary on organization financial performance • Misrepresentation of organization’s position on public issues • Damage to company’s reputation or desired brand image •Data privacy breach related to lost personal identifiable information. (Isaacson K., Peacey S., 2012:10)
4.HOW SHOULD THE ORGANIZATION IMPLEMENT SOCIAL MEDIA?
For organizations planning to use social media for human resource, marketing or other purposes, the process must begin with defining goals and identifying metrics.
Define the goals and scope of engagement with social media. Clearly define what the organization is trying to achieve. What are the metrics for success? For example, despite all the talk about the benefits of social media for recruiting, there is actually little hard evidence to suggest that it results in better quality hires or is faster or less expensive than conventional recruiting methods.
Which type(s) of social media should be used? Given the defined goals and scope, determine which types of social media best support the goals. For example,professional networking sites (e.g., LinkedIn) might be more useful for sourcing candidates than social networking sites (e.g., Facebook)
Align the new social media policy with any existing corporate privacy policies.
Set timelines and deliverables. Estimate the amount of time needed to implement the plan and identify specific deliverables expected.
Determine ownership. Who is responsible for ensuring the success of the social media program? Who has budget responsibility? Who is responsible for posting information? If the program is monitored, who has responsibility for reviewing the content? Who has final authority or responsibility for making changes to the content?
Monitor progress. Evaluate the effectiveness of social media activities on an ongoing basis and regularly measure progress against the metrics defined. Make course corrections as needed. (Ployhart R., 2011:1)
Conclusion
Social media is altering the way individuals connect and share information. LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other social media are converting the way we interact, and many companies are trying to respond. Even companies attempting to avoid social media but they must be aware that many of their employees and clients are using it, which can directly influence the company. Social media suggests many potential benefits but none of which are guaranteed. Thoughtful managers should carefully take into consideration the benefits and risks of social media, just as they do when developing other new policies or evaluating a new vendor. Currently, no definitive standard of best practices exists. In order to minimize risk, leaders must remember that the same compliance, legal and ethical principles that apply to other employment practices also apply to social media.
REFERENCES:
Abel S. (2011). The Role of Social Networking Sites in recruitment: Results of a quantitative study among German companies: 16-17.
Isaacson K., Peacey S. (2012). Human Resources and Social Media, KPMG: 2, 9-10
....
Clark and Roberts (2010) criticize the way employers make use of Social Networking Sites for background checks about applicants. They argue that applicants use Social Networking Sites for social interaction and they are unconscious that employers use these sites to collect 17 character information. Therefore, employers have to be aware of this fact and take this into account. Schäuble et al. (2008) figure out that new strategies and approaches in recruitment lead to changes and challenges for companies and their Human Resource departments. (Abel, 2011: 16-17) Companies have to take critical factors such as privacy of data and ethics into consideration. Additionally, recruiters have to spend a lot of time working with these new technologies so as to learn the ropes of them. One the one hand, technologically inexperienced employees have to be familiarized with the new technologies, and, on the other hand, companies have to define data protection regulations and user regulations for the use of these sites. Another challenge for companies is the development of know-how and the time invested in active recruitment. This factor of financial and personnel resources must not be underestimated. Moreover, a monitoring of the market is necessary in order to prevent the discrimination or exclusion of possible candidates. Companies have to consider carefully the information about the qualities of the Social Networking Sites, which is discussed in the following paragraph.(Abel,2011:16-17) Social media culture and social media networking platforms have had a major impact on business communication, practices and processes, increasing profitability, sustaining reputation and empowering employees. And social media is also being used in human resources for internal communication and in learning as well as for recruitment purposes. In fact, according to a 2009 Jobvite Survey, a growing number of companies are using social media to recruit talent, forgoing traditional job posting sites and printed publications: 95 percent are using LinkedIn, 50 percent are using Facebook and 42 percent are using Twitter. Last year, Microsoft saved $88,000 in recruitment fees by using LinkedIn, while brewer SAB Miller saved $1.7 million employing 120 people directly from the site.(Abel, 2011:16-17) So lets look at the benefits of utilizing social media in terms of recruitment: Firstly, it is more efficient. Companies are able to use social media to recruit much more easily by advertising vacancies and searching for recruits on LinkedIn, for instance. However, LinkedIn and other social media applications can actually be used for much more than simply a job post site. Indeed, social recruiting can be used to enhance effectiveness and set new and deeper relationships between employees and employers. Technology is essentially being used to provide better quality links to potential employees, developing and maintaining a relationship over a number of years, which can be tapped in to at later date. There are a number of ways in which this can be done, for example, LinkedIn, Facebook and other social networks offer the chance to form a community based on a topic determined by the organization. However, while an organization like Goldman Sachs globally invests over 100,000 hours each year in conversations with prospective employees, it is not always practical for organizations to put this much effort into their recruitment. That said, social media does make it simple for any organization to proactively develop some kind of relationship with potential employees to the best if its ability. (Abel, 2011: 16-17) Social media applications are also being used to rate and compare employees, determine cultural fit and extend internal initiatives, like the referral scheme, to an external audience and using social media to compliment their hiring process: 75 percent are using LinkedIn for background checks and 48 percent are using Facebook for background checks. In fact, more than two-thirds of all HR professionals now run internet searches on job applicants. According to Microsoft, one in four HR employees has rejected a candidate’s application based on their social networking profile, while only 37 percent of people see it as their responsibility to protect their online reputation. (Abel, 2011: 16-17) It is interesting that despite a full 35 percent of employers who screen job candidates online presence choosing not to hire an applicant, so many job seekers continue to make mistakes or fail to clean up their profiles, particularly at a time in the market that is so competitive. (Abel,2011:16-17)
3.POTENTIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
Used correctly, social media can benefit an organization. However, if not managed effectively, it can create many legal, financial and personnel risks. Given the potential risks and benefits of social media in the workplace, it is critical for managers to develop policies and procedures governing its appropriate use. (Ployhart R., 2011:1) Many companies using social media try to successfully integrate it into their daily business processes. The challenge is mainly within the creation, execution, and enforcement of social media policies. Many organizations do not create policies to govern social media usage or can find their policy difficult to enforce due to lack of employee engagement and training on the topic. Given these challenges, it is not surprising that many executives prefer to avoid the topic by saying that they have no need for social media or policies to manage it. However, as companies begin to realize the true value to be gained by social media adoption, consideration of workforce risk is essential for avoidance of loss of employee goodwill, information breaches, and reputational damage.(Isaacson K., Peacey S., 2012:9)
Social media presents the enterprise with two unique sets of risks:
Internal • Employees inadvertently or deliberately leak privileged information that belongs to the organization • The creation of public, and therefore “discoverable,” public record related to internal employment issues • Ownership issues regarding public forums/networks where employees might engage with customers to discuss business issues •Introduction of sensitive personal information into the workplace (politics, religion, sexual orientation, lifestyle issues) .(Isaacson K., Peacey S., 2012:10)
External •The potential for viral growth of negative sentiment either in response to organization communications or simply a market discussion on products or services • Inappropriate or inaccurate commentary on organization financial performance • Misrepresentation of organization’s position on public issues • Damage to company’s reputation or desired brand image •Data privacy breach related to lost personal identifiable information. (Isaacson K., Peacey S., 2012:10)
4.HOW SHOULD THE ORGANIZATION IMPLEMENT SOCIAL MEDIA?
For organizations planning to use social media for human resource, marketing or other purposes, the process must begin with defining goals and identifying metrics.
Define the goals and scope of engagement with social media. Clearly define what the organization is trying to achieve. What are the metrics for success? For example, despite all the talk about the benefits of social media for recruiting, there is actually little hard evidence to suggest that it results in better quality hires or is faster or less expensive than conventional recruiting methods.
Which type(s) of social media should be used? Given the defined goals and scope, determine which types of social media best support the goals. For example,professional networking sites (e.g., LinkedIn) might be more useful for sourcing candidates than social networking sites (e.g., Facebook)
Align the new social media policy with any existing corporate privacy policies.
Set timelines and deliverables. Estimate the amount of time needed to implement the plan and identify specific deliverables expected.
Determine ownership. Who is responsible for ensuring the success of the social media program? Who has budget responsibility? Who is responsible for posting information? If the program is monitored, who has responsibility for reviewing the content? Who has final authority or responsibility for making changes to the content?
Monitor progress. Evaluate the effectiveness of social media activities on an ongoing basis and regularly measure progress against the metrics defined. Make course corrections as needed. (Ployhart R., 2011:1)
Conclusion
Social media is altering the way individuals connect and share information. LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other social media are converting the way we interact, and many companies are trying to respond. Even companies attempting to avoid social media but they must be aware that many of their employees and clients are using it, which can directly influence the company. Social media suggests many potential benefits but none of which are guaranteed. Thoughtful managers should carefully take into consideration the benefits and risks of social media, just as they do when developing other new policies or evaluating a new vendor. Currently, no definitive standard of best practices exists. In order to minimize risk, leaders must remember that the same compliance, legal and ethical principles that apply to other employment practices also apply to social media.
REFERENCES:
Abel S. (2011). The Role of Social Networking Sites in recruitment: Results of a quantitative study among German companies: 16-17.
Isaacson K., Peacey S. (2012). Human Resources and Social Media, KPMG: 2, 9-10
