What Happens on Twitter Doesn’t Necessarily Stay on Twitter

A recent poll of Canadian executives commissioned by Queen’s School of Business in Kingston, Ontario revealed interesting findings about social media, both during and after work hours. While executives have mixed feelings about the value of social media, the majority say they are continuing to invest the same or more this year as they did last year. This commitment to social channels highlights a need to understand its impact for organizations. The personal side There is no shortage of examples of employees who have gotten into trouble — and even been fired — for their personal use of social media. A waitress in North Carolina was famously let go after posting a picture of her tip from NFL quarterback Peyton Manning on Facebook — the tip was very generous and reflected well on Mr. Manning, but the situation unfortunately did not reflect well on the waitress or the restaurant. Labour arbitrators in Canada have recently adjudicated cases dealing with offensive Facebook postings and racist blogs, and have ruled that, for these cases, the employee’s off-hours use of social media harmed the legitimate business interests and reputation of the organization. Employees may feel that they can circumvent any negative consequence of their postings with the caveat that “the opinions expressed are mine and mine alone,” but those in the corner office don’t necessary agree. A Toronto-based sportscaster was fired earlier this year for tweeting about his opinion of same-sex marriage; the statement issued by his employer after the firing indicated that he wasn’t the “right fit” for the organization. The general sense from executives is that employees must be aware of how they are representing themselves — and by default, the organization — when they’re participating on social media. A majority of the executives surveyed felt that employees’ participation on social media can have a major impact on the company’s brand, either positive or negative. An informed, professional, or even witty tweet that is aligned with the organization’s brand can portray the organization in a very positive light, just as an offensive or insulting blog posting can reflect very poorly on the employee and the organization. But all it takes is one offensive tweet to make people wonder what kind of company would have someone so misguided on the payroll. That said, almost two-thirds of the executives surveyed agreed that what employees do on social media on their own time is their business, and less than a quarter had any interest in monitoring their employees’ participation outside of work. However, they were clear that employees must be cognizant of how they are representing their employers in their off-time social media usage. The professional side There is still some wariness around the use of social media at work, with almost equal numbers of executives embracing it as those who are bracing for it. Some executives surveyed are going as far as forbidding the use of social media in the workplace. Doing so though, denies the possibility of reaping the positive benefits. Key factors Social media skills – Canadian executives recognize that social media skills are important in the workplace, with approximately one third seeing social media experience as at least as important as speaking a second language or having international work experience. Employees’ social media savvy will allow organizations to capitalize on the other benefits of social media, including increasing brand awareness and better understanding customers. Generational challenges – Social media may be making it harder for older employees to compete in the workplace. Social media training is one way to address this skill deficit in older employees, and it can ensure that those who are already using social media are doing so in ways that benefit the organization. Missed opportunities – Surprisingly, very few executives cited employee engagement as a top benefit of social media, which suggests that there is still plenty of room for growth in this area. Particularly for large organizations, effective and strategic use of social media can help organizations stay connected with their employees. Implications for organizations Rather than taking a policing approach, Canadian executives favoured a more policy-oriented approach. An effective social media policy will be aligned with the company’s strategy and brand, and will cover postings made both on- and off-duty. Major League Baseball (MLB) released its policy in March — specifying not only what its players can discuss, but also when they can use social media — partly in response to a hot-headed manager’s tweets about the game. A news organization’s social media policy may include its employees not taking public positions about the stories on which they report, in order to avoid a situation like the one faced by CNN in which a senior editor (who was subsequently fired) tweeted her respect for Hezbollah’s spiritual leader. Social media training Training can reinforce the company’s social media policy and provide employees with the skills they need to make an extremely positive impact on the brand while avoiding a potentially devastating negative impact. Training should also highlight the message that where social media is concerned, the mic is always on, so employees need to be aware of the influence they can have on the company and its brand. Canadian executives recognize that social media presents a great opportunity, but they are not necessarily realizing all its advantages for their organizations. However, with clear policies and training, employers and employees can help mitigate risks and reap the benefits of social media in the workplace.

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