Plugging the social media knowledge gap

A lack of understanding is exposing employees and organisations to risk, warns one industry expert.

BY Liam Sanders 28 Apr 2017

For many businesses, compliance responsibilities may seem like something of an imposition. However, if you do not have a widespread understanding of your compliance obligations, it can have a massive impact on your reputation and your brand. Let’s take a look at this in light of the growing importance and use of social media in the workplace.

The Social Media problem.

I am still staggered by how many posts I have stumbled across on Facebook and Twitter where people are venting about a bad day at work, or their unhappiness with their office environment or company. Evidently, not something that you really want your employees sharing with the wider world.

Then there are posts where people talk disparagingly about a colleague. Clearly this is inappropriate. The implications of this can be quite serious, yet in a growing digital age, it seems people may simply not be fully aware of this.

For example, individuals may feel that since Facebook is a tool they use primarily to chat with friends and family, it is not something that is part of their work profile. The effects of negative social media can threaten the reputation of businesses. In addition to financial consequences, loss of reputation may affect competiveness, local positioning, media relations and the trust and loyalty of both employees and customers.

How to get social media savvy.

It seems that what is missing is a basic understanding of what is acceptable to post across social media platforms. Do’s and don’ts that can be understood through real life examples and scenarios to bring the knowledge acquisition to life. It’s great that you may already have a social media policy but just because employees have signed it does not mean that they fully comprehend it.

This is where on-line training can really help, as courses such as Safetrac’s social media course written by leading law firm MinterEllisonRuddWatts, helps bring learning to life with real examples and scenarios. In addition, an online test at the end then helps give you and the learner confidence that the knowledge has been sufficiently absorbed. Social Media is a great way to boost your career and promote your company - if you do it the right way.