Time Management - The Electronic Recruiting News

IBN: Defining Excellence in Electronic Recruiting

interbiznet.com

Electronic Recruiting News

Our Rate Card

LIST OF TECHNICAL RECRUITERS

LIST OF EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRMS

interbiznet
BOOKCLUB

interbiznet
LISTINGS

OUR HOME

Social Media:
The Next Frontier in Employee Communication

(March 13, 2008) Watson Wyatt Experts Say Social Media Can Benefit Employers; Guidelines for Use, Change Management the Key.

Social media has begun to improve companies' ability to enhance employee communication, say experts at Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a leading global consulting firm.

"When properly rolled out, social media and Enterprise 2.0 tools can help companies meet their No. 1 internal communication goal - engaging employees," said Michael Rudnick, global intranet and portal leader at Watson Wyatt. "Instead of simply mass e-mailing information or posting to an intranet in hopes employees will see it, social media tools help employees actively participate in creating and sharing information. This shift to employee-generated content has resulted in employees'; becoming more engaged online."

However, at the moment, many companies are focused on the risks of social media. Executives often express concern about giving employees the ability to create content, and many information technology departments are blocking employee access to the most popular external social media tools.

Rudnick says these concerns are reminiscent of the productivity fears raised, and subsequently disproved, when the Internet was introduced into the workplace in the mid-1990s. The way for employers to address these concerns is to do just as they did 10 years ago; setting clear guidelines for acceptable use while adopting social media for a productive, internal purpose.

"Companies need a plan to introduce these new technologies into the workforce. Simply deploying the technology is not enough - and can even be counterproductive," Rudnick said. "However, employers that avoid social media altogether are missing an important opportunity and running the risk of alienating Generation X-ers and Millennials. Embracing the technology with proper planning, guidelines and change management for its use are effective approaches to ensuring success."

A good example of how employers can adopt social media internally is to enhance their static intranet with more dynamic Web 2.0 technology. On most intranets, news is posted primarily by a limited number of communicators. A social media-driven intranet allows most, if not all, employees to create information and participate in a companywide dialogue. Content can be contributed in a variety of ways, including blogs, blog feedback, wikis, vlogs, podcasts and other Web 2.0 tools. This more collaborative approach provides for relevant and up-to-date content on intranets without dramatically increasing the burden on a company's communications function.

However, guidelines, training and change management about appropriate use, along with strong firewalls (to keep prying eyes out), are needed to ensure that social media is used productively and sensitive information is not inappropriately or inadvertently disseminated, Rudnick said.

www.watsonwyatt.com

Articles from www.onrec.com.

September 9 & 10.
Online Recruitment Conference and Expo 2008. Donald E. Stevens Convention. Sponsored by Onrec.com. Center, Chicago, IL.

- . Permalink . - . Today's Bugler . - . Send To a Friend . - . Readership Feedback

Read the Bugler for daily industry news. Click here to subscribe.

TopUSAJobs.com: Guide to Top Specialty Boards Where Top Candidates Seek Career Opportunites
Accounting / Finance	JobsintheMoney.com
Accounting / Finance	AccountingJobsToday.com
Analytics / Statistics	DataShaping.com
Call Center	CallCenterJobs.com
Construction	ConstructionJobs.com
Drivers / Trucking	JobsInTrucks.com
Employee Benefits	EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com
Enviro/Occup. Health & Safety	EHSCareers.com
Executive	RiteSite.com
Executive	NETSHARE.com
Financial Services	BrokerHunter.com
Health / Medical	HealthJobsUSA.com
Hispanic / Bilingual	LatPro.com
Logistics	JobsInLogistics.com
Manufacturing	JobsInManufacturing.com
Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing	MEPJobs.com
Retail	AllRetailJobs.com
Security Clearance	ClearanceJobs.com
Security Clearance	IntelligenceCareers.com
Tax Specialists	TaxTalent.com
Telecom / Wireless	TelecomCareers.net
For more Specialty Boards, visit: The Employer's Corner on TopUSAJobs.com marketing@TopUSAJobs.com

Read Today's Bugler Read current Blogging News: BERT

Download Authoria's complimentary white paper
-Staffing Strategies: Can You Find, Recruit, and Retain the Talent You Need?
Kennedy Presentation: Adventures In Search Video.
Presentation from John Sumser, Recruiting Is A Conversation is available for download.

NEW:
Presentation from John and Bridget Sumser, Rethinking The Workforce is available for download.

Ten Principles for Recruiting An Integenerational Workforce from John Sumser.

To receive this Newsletter in Email each weekday, please use the form on the linked page.

Contacting Us:
Copyright © 2008 interbiznet. All rights reserved.
Mill Valley, CA 94941
415.377.2255
Send comments to colleen@interbiznet.com

interbiznet's
Electronic Recruiting News

FEATURES:

EMAIL NEWSLETTERS:
  - Bugler
    (Sign-up)
    Daily Industry News

  - ERNIE
    (Sign-up)
    ERN in Email

RECENT ARTICLES:

ARTICLES:

ERN ARCHIVES

RESOURCES:

ADVERTISING:

Our Rate Card

All material on this website is the property of interbiznet. You may download a copy for personal use. Redistribution without permission is strictly prohibited. All material on this site is © 2008 interbiznet.