Recruitment

In the not-so-distant past, recruiters and staffing managers pored over resumes,
posted vacancies on job boards and hosted expensive job fairs to find candidates.
Now, the use of social media sites is pervasive in the recruitment function, with 84
percent of surveyed organizations using social media for recruitment. See Using
Social Media for Talent AcquisitionRecruitment and Screening and Is Social Media
Making Recruiters Complacent?
Social media sites can be used for informal networking, mining for talent or simply
posting openings. For example, employers can use social networking sites to post
challenging technical questions and then contact respondents who provide the best
answers.
Recruiters can use relationship management tools to build and track relationships
with passive job candidates who are not currently job-hunting. New recruiting
applications designed for smartphones, tablets and other devices can let recruiters
create better online searches or exchange information easily. Social media allow
creation of specialty recruiting sites for specific industries. Employers are also using
Twitter to announce employment opportunities to job seekers who subscribe to the
company's Twitter feeds. See Social Recruiting Goes Viral andSocial Networking
Websites Popular as Employer Recruiting Tool.
The use of social media in recruitment carries legal risks unique to the social media
environment. For more about these risks, see the "Legal Issues" section below.
Employee engagement
Employees tend to feel more engaged in the workplace if they feel informed and if
they believe their opinions are heard. Social media can give employers a way to
spread the word as well as a way to channel employee comments.
Some organizations use a corporate Facebook page to communicate new programs
or policies to their employees. A key benefit is that employees can react to
announcements immediately with comments or questions. Other employers use a
corporate blog or video sharing to keep employees around the world engaged in
regular meetings. Social media can be an excellent tool for quickly disseminating
information on the state of the organization and have all employees feel involved,
making them feel more connected and more a part of the organization and its
mission. See Experts: Flexible Workplaces Should Rely on Social Media.
External communications
Organizations can use social media to promote their brand. Many organizations have
a digital presence on sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn or other industry-related

sites. Leaders often have a presence on Twitter or a blogging site to broadcast

important developments within the organization. Organizations use Yammer or other
collaboration sites to link both internal groups and external sources such as vendors,
clients or industry experts.
Learning applications
Social media are radically changing the way learning happens in organizations.
Social media allow employers to embrace the younger generation's need to
collaborate and learn, which in turn will transform the workplace into an environment
where people learn naturally with each other all the time, not just during a single
training event. Social media allows for interacting with employees both before, during
and after the actual training session. But organizations will need to change how they
think about training and learning programs. Training models that focus on controlling
the content and pushing information down to learners will not work in the
collaborative environment of social media. See Social Media Can Enhance
Employees' Learning.
Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration
Social media provide a great opportunity to leverage the deep and diverse expertise
many organizations already possess. Rather than turn to outside consultants or thirdparty providers, companies can harness internal expertise with tools, including
microblogging, wikis, YouTube-like repositories of learning videos, expert directories
or communities of practice. See Group Learning.
Internal discussion boards or social media spaces allow employees to collaborate
and exchange ideas and experiences. These tools are also being used for selfservice benefits enrollment, matching current employees to open positions and more.
Some of the most innovative ways to foster collaboration across an enterprise
include those listed below.
Blogging
In blogs, writers regularly post entries for public view, often on specific topicsor on
behalf of a specific organization. Blogs for business can be aimed at attracting the
attention of potential employees, promoting a brand or a company, or disseminating
information out to customers, among other uses.
Blogging can be externalreaching the publicor internalto improve business
processes. For example, Marsh Inc., a global risk management and insurance
broker, uses blogs internally for training. When the company wanted to teach finance
to one employee group, it did not enlist instructional designers or vendors to create
or tailor traditional training courses. Marsh turned instead to its finance experts, who

created a 27-part blog series that included both written content and videos created
with flip cameras and screen-capture technology.
Microblogging and microsharing
These technologies allow users to exchange information in small snippets and in real
time. Twitter is an example of a microblog, but today some organizations use other
microblogging tools they can secure behind their computer firewalls and restrict to
those inside the company. Employees can ask or answer questions, exchange
information with peers, find out who has needed expertise and quickly give their
input on projects. They can post their comments about documents, proposals or
presentations. Yammer and Chatter are other examples of microblogging platforms
designed for internal communication. Employers are also using microsharing
programs to make these immediate communications part of everyday workflow,
rather than using them as stand-alone tools. For example, Marsh uses the
tool Socialtext in its budgeting process. The tool gives users a box at the bottom of a
budgeting screen where they can make comments as they go through a document,
and others can see those comments instantly. Managers across divisions can
communicate in real time to ask questions and address their budgeting challenges.
Expert directories
Another social media toolan expert directorysimplifies and improves the process
of connecting subject matter experts to others within an organization. These
directories can include information on experts' specific competencies, current and
past projects, and more. Creating a culture in which experts are willing to share their
knowledge internally can be extraordinarily powerful.
Similar benefits can be enjoyed by others through the use of existing public-domain
networking sites or basic freeware such as Ning.
Communities of practice
To foster informal, employee-driven learning, employers have created communities of
practice, groups where workers with similar expertise or interests can swap ideas
and ask questions on internal forums.
For instance, Accenture integrates its knowledge-sharing systems with thousands of
communities of practice. Community members ask questions on discussion boards,
contribute or download content on specific topics, and have content digests e-mailed
to them.
Employers need to realize that such communities change membership over time and
that employee participation waxes and wanes. Also, not all of the comments shared
by employees on discussion boards, blogs or wikis are factually accurate. Those

overseeing social media networks have to walk a fine line between censoring content
and ensuring that information is accurate.
Video instruction
The use of video has gained traction as an employee learning tool, fueled by the
growth of smartphones with high-definition video and broadband networks. As a
result, more organizations are creating YouTube-like repositories on enterprise
networks where employees post videos created to share knowledge.
Role of Human Resources
HR may be tempted to leave social media matters to the organization's information
technology managers. But experts warn that the issues involved in social media use
privacy, confidentiality, appropriate communication styles, productivity and time
managementare squarely in HR's wheelhouse. Policies on appropriate use of
these evolving media are HR's responsibility.
Working with IT, risk management specialists and marketing personnel, HR must
structure policies to minimize risk to both the employer's security and its reputation.
At the same time, HR must help the employer leverage the use of social media for
the organization's benefit. HR is also typically responsible for enforcing social media
policies. (HR professionals can keep up with changes to social media practices and
policies by signing up for SHRM's free Social Media E-Newsletter.) See SHRM
Survey: HR Has Key Role in Corporate Social Media Efforts and SHRM Survey
Findings: An Examination of How Social Media is Embedded in Business Strategy
and Operations.
HR also generally takes primary responsibility for developing and promoting
guidelines and training to ensure that employees understand the expectations about
their use of social media, both at work and at home. Lessons for employees on
social media etiquette, together with clear expectations from the employer, ensure
that employees know how, when and where they can use social media. HR also
takes the lead in developing appropriate internal documents to communicate policy
requirements, changes and clarifications to a company's employees.
Potential Risks of Using Social Media
The growing use of social media is not without risks. Employee use of these sites,
whether for personal use or as an official part of the employer's social media
strategy, can open the door to certain liabilities.
Exposing networks to attack
Employees may not be aware of how their actions online could compromise
organizational security. Visiting social networking sites at work can expose company

networks to malware, including adware and spyware. Malware, or malicious software,

is designed to take control of and damage a computer. It can help hackers steal
identities and data.
Organizations must educate employees about how a downloaded application or even
a simple click on a received link can infect their computers and the network at large.
Employers should also warn workers not to click on suspicious links and to pay
careful attention when providing personal information online.
Distributing confidential information
A critical concern about social networking platforms is that they encourage people to
share personal information. Even the most cautious and well-meaning people can
give away information they should not; the same applies to what is posted on
company-approved social networking platforms.
Organizations that maintain an official Twitter feed or a corporate Facebook page
want public recognitionin fact, the point is to attract followers. These employers
keep, and often publicize, statistics about their numbers of followers and views. This
dynamic is where the danger lies. In an attempt to be personal and provocative,
employers that allow any employee to post on the company account also leave
themselves open to problemssuch as potential disclosure of confidential
organization information, violation of employment policies or other rules, or public
relations headaches. See Why You Need a Policy if Your Employees are Twittering.
Creating tattletales
Another issue for employers is the problem of employees tattling to managers about
other employees' personal posts on social media sites, especially when those items
could get the poster in trouble at work. HR needs to anticipate this eventuality and
have a procedure in place: Managers take no initial action, and HR checks the
questionable posts first because the posts may be protected speech.
Social Media Guidelines
According to the 2011 SHRM social media survey, about 40 percent of organizations
have a formal social media policy. The most frequently cited elements included in
these policies were the following:

A code of conduct for employee use of social networking environments for

professional purposes (68 percent of organizations included this item in their
policies).

A code of conduct for employee use of social networking environments for

personal purposes while at work (66 percent).

Notification to employees that the organization has the right to monitor their
social media use in the workplace (56 percent).

Guidelines for social media communications (55 percent).

Guidelines for responding to feedback on social networking environments (35

percent).

Although a growing number of employers use social media, 43 percent of the

respondents in the 2011 SHRM survey reported that their organizations block access
to social media sites on company-owned computers and handheld electronic
devices. The survey found that larger organizations (more than 500 employees) are
more likely to block access to social media sites and to track employee
use. See SHRM Social Media in the Workplace Survey Findings.
Employers do have the right to prohibit any personal use of company computers, but
such a prohibition is not likely to yield optimal results. If an employer decides to
permit employees access to social networking platforms, then the employer needs a
comprehensive and well-defined policy to prevent abuse.
What a policy should cover
An effective social networking policy generally does the following:

Defines what the organization means when it refers to "social networking."

Establishes a clear and defined purpose for the policy.

Communicates benefits of social networking and of having a policy.

Provides a clear platform for educating employees.

Takes into consideration any legal consequences of not following laws.

Refers to proprietary and confidential information at risk.

Talks about productivity in terms of social networking.

Establishes expected behavioral norms in the use of social networking.

Provides guidance regarding social networking that could be associated with

the organization, employees or customers. Some employers may prohibit
posting of company information on social networking sites without the
employer's explicit consent.

Outlines disciplinary measures the employer will take if employees violate

social media policy.

See Social Media Acceptable-Use Policy and Social Media Policy.

Social networking do's and don'ts
Specifically, comprehensive policies and training efforts about social media need to
convey to employees that they should:

Exercise good judgment and common sense.

Pause before posting.

Not allow social networking to interrupt productivity.

Be mindful of their privacy settings.

Refrain from anonymity.

Be polite and responsible.

Be accountable and correct mistakes.

Use disclaimers or speak in the first person to make it clear the opinions
expressed are not those of their employer.

Bring work-related complaints directly to HR, not through postings on social

media sites or the Internet.

Remember the audience and that what is being said might create a perception
about the employer.

See Social Media Policies Slowly Catch on Worldwide.

Legal Issues
Social media are young, and case law about social media and employment is in its
early days. Among the legal issues employers should watch are policy content,
problems with using social media for recruitment and hiring, pitfalls of social media
"friendings," and questions about ownership of materials posted online.
Policies and protected activity
Any policy should be in the form of a guideline, not an absolute rule. If a guideline is
made into a rule, the employer may possibly violate the National Labor Relations Act,

which says employees have the right to engage in "protected concerted activity." In a
nutshell, when two or more employees discuss the terms and conditions of
employment in a way that is designed or intended to effect change, they have the
right to do thatand this protection applies to employee interactions through the use
of social media too. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is actively shaping
the legal framework of social media use by employees. In several cases, the NLRB
found social media policies overbroad and unlawful because the policies
discouraged protected concerted activity. According to the NLRB, the mere existence
of an overly broad social media policy exposes the employer to an unfair labor
practice charge even if no disciplinary action is taken against an
employee. See NLRB Issues Second Social Media Report.
NLRB is building case law on social media and the workplace through its rulings on
adverse actions involving employee use of social media use. Employers should
become familiar with NLRB's decisions. See NLRB Rejects Common Practices:
What is HR to Do? and Firing Employees for Facebook Posts Violated NLRA.
Recruitment and hiring issues
Employers must exercise caution when using social networks for recruiting or when
viewing candidates' personal social media profiles while in the recruiting or hiring
processes. Social media can play a role in the screening process, but employers
should consider when and how to use social media this way and weigh potential
legal pitfalls:

Access to protected information about candidates. When looking at

candidates' social media profiles, HR professionals may learn information they
should not have when screening candidates. A candidate could claim that a
potential employer did not offer a job because of information found on a social
networking site, which discusses legally protected categories such as the
candidate's race, ethnicity, age, associations, family relationships or political
views. To avoid problems, employers should ensure they do not use social
media to screen applicants when deciding who gets an interview. They should
also require that HR, not the hiring manager, conduct any social media
reviewsand only during the background check of the finalist, when the HR
professional already knows the finalist's equal employment opportunity
profile. See Widening Web of Social Media andDespite Legal Risks,
Companies Still Use Social Media To Screen Employees.

Possible violations of fair credit reporting law. The Fair Credit Reporting
Act identifies background screening companies as "consumer reporting
agencies" and outlines specific requirements for employers and screening

agencies. Screeners must meet certain standards for accuracy of the

information they use. Fulfilling that obligation can be challenging, given that
content on social media sites can change at any time and is controlled by
users.

Negligent hiring claims. For example, if derogatory information about a

workplace violence incident that could have foreshadowed the bad behavior
were available on the perpetrator's public social networking profile, the
employer might be held liable for negligence in not using this information
when the hiring decision was made.

Risky "friendships"
Online "friending" between managers and employees increases the chanceshould
a working relationship turn sourof additional claims in any subsequent employment
litigation. Managers will all too easily wind up with too much information if they have
"friended" their employees, including (as with recruiting and hiring issues above)
personal information that might fall within a protected category under federal or state
employment laws. A fired or disciplined employee might later argue that the real
reason for any adverse employment action was based on personal information that
the manager learned by viewing the employee's social media site.
If managers and employees become each other's contacts on professional sites such
as LinkedIn, the online relationship can come back to bite the employer. For
example, if a supervisor or manager writes an online recommendation for an
employee and later fires that employee, the employee might be able to cite the online
recommendation as evidence that he or she was not performing poorly. Employers
need policies about recommendations or other comments managers may or may not
make on such sites.
Yet employers might be reluctant simply to prohibit managers from friending
employees. Such a prohibition might itself be the target of legal challenges under
laws guaranteeing the right of privacy and the right to associate, or under laws
restricting employers from regulating lawful off-premises conduct.
Password requests
Growing risks and legal implications exist when employers ask applicants and
employees for their passwords to social media sites. In 2012 Maryland became the
first state to pass legislation to prohibit employers from requiring access to social
media passwords. See Maryland Enacts Social Media's First Password Law.
A 2015 Montana law prohibits employers from requiring employees to grant access
to their social media accounts or to discipline them because of social media

activity. See Montana Law Bars Employers from Employees Social Media
Information.
See also Facebook Passwords: The Brouhaha and What You Should
Know and Potentially Illegal Practice of Demanding Passwords Criticized.
Ownership disputes
Lawsuits over social media are on the rise as employers and former employees
wrangle over who owns Twitter handles and followers, as well as LinkedIn
connections and MySpace friends.
In one case, a website sued an editor who left but took his Twitter followers with him;
the site maintained that those followers belonged to the site, not to the individual
editor. The followers were effectively a customer list generated when the editor
worked for the site, the site's lawyers argued. In another case, a former employee
sued her employer for access to her LinkedIn account, which the employer cut off
when she left the company because the account had been maintained for her by
company staff.
Organizations should ensure that social media policies say who owns those
accounts and their followers and what happens to those accounts if an employee
leaves.
Metrics
Measuring the results of social media is becoming a common practice. Common
types of metrics tracked include:

Visitors and sources of traffic.

Network size (followers, fans, members).

Quantity of commentary about brand or product.

Monitoring data are only valuable if the organization is tracking and analyzing metrics
relevant to it and then applying the information to improve its social media strategy.
As part of their social media strategy, organizations should identify what important
metrics to track. Undoubtedly, the range of metrics to consider will continue to evolve
as social media use continues to expand.
Limits to Sustainable Social Media Strategies
To sustain and maximize business uses of social media, having the right
technologies is only one part of the equation. Even the most user-friendly and
feature-rich tools will not overcome a culture in which employees are discouraged by

managersovertly or subtlyfrom using social tools for fear of taking time away
from "real" work.
Another impediment to business use of these media is failure to assign skilled talent
to manage and cultivate the organization's own participation on social networks.
Employers need to have "social media champions" to collect the most relevant
content, draw attention to it, keep conversations going and reward people who are
the most active in sharing their knowledge with others.
A sustainable social media strategy requires both a culture that encourages
knowledge sharing and a team with a wide array of competencies dedicated to
managing and promoting these potentially powerful social media initiatives. Without
this focus, organizations can quickly lose traction as busy employees find little time
or reason to use these collaborative tools amid the demands of daily work.
Templates and Tools
Samples
Social Media Policy
Social Computing Guidelines
Information tools
SHRM Survey Findings: Using Social Media for Talent AcquisitionRecruitment and
Screening
SHRM Survey Findings: An Examination of How Social Media is Embedded in
Business Strategy and Operations
SHRM Social Media in the Workplace Survey Findings
SHRM Webinar: How to Socialize your Talent Hiring process: Use of Social Media
and Mobile Platforms to Attract Talent
SHRM Bookstore
A Necessary Evil: Managing Employee Activity on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube
30 Days to Social Media Success: The 30-Day Results Guide to Making the Most of
Twitter, Blogging, LinkedIn, and Facebook
Tweet This! Twitter for Business