The importance of a social media policy in the workforce

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Social media, which can no longer be ignored, affords people the opportunity to express their different emotions about various subjects and their jobs are no exception.

While employees who talk positively about their employers provide some well-deserved good publicity, this phenomenon also poses huge risks for companies where boundaries of what could be disclosed in social media are not set.

Risks associated with misguided social media behaviour:

• Negative publicity by disgruntled employees
• Disclosure of confidential information which can unintentionally open the organisation up for unnecessary public scrutiny.
• Untactful and inaccurate information by those who are not in a position to back up, defend information they communicate in media and to the general public.
• Unintentional disclosure of trade secrets to competitors.

It has therefore become imperative for companies to have a social media policy which is discussed with employees and agreed upon at the time of their appointment.

Talking about the organisations' programmes, events, achievements and challenges publicly should also be handled by those who are adequately trained and equipped to deal with media and public to avoid organisations having to spend some of their marketing budget on unnecessary fires started in moments of unrestrained emotions.