Social Media: HR’s Friend, Not Foe
By: Shannon Briggs
In today’s digital age, the influence of social media extends far beyond personal connections and entertainment. It has become a powerful tool for businesses in many areas – including Human Resources (HR). Yes, you heard that right! Contrary to the notion that social media is a distraction or a potential risk, proper use of your company’s platforms can significantly enhance HR practices. Here’s why social media is not just an ally but an important asset for HR departments.
Recruitment and Talent Acquisition
Wider Reach and Accessibility: Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter provide HR professionals with access to a deep pool of potential candidates. Traditional recruitment methods are often limited by geography and network reach. However, social media eliminates these barriers, allowing recruiters to connect with global talent instantly and easily.
Enhanced Employer Branding: A strong social media presence is essential for building and maintaining a company’s brand as an employer. In other words, you can use social media to show potential employees who you are and why they want to work for you! And when you showcase the company culture, share employee testimonials, and highlight achievements, you actually achieve two goals: attracting top talent and fostering pride and loyalty in existing employees.
Examples from Campfire Collective: At Campfire Collective, we are excited to show off our community-oriented team culture. In our posts, we highlight both our accomplishments and our good times. Sometimes, the two align perfectly, as when we celebrated our achievements at the PRSA Memphis VOX Awards and the fun we had together at the event! We also love to showcase our clients by highlighting our meetings and sharing their posts. A recent post, which followed “Tiny Johnny Cash” and his jaunts to visit our clients, received great engagement!
Targeted Advertising: Social media’s sophisticated algorithms and data analytics allow HR to create targeted job advertisements. By specifying criteria such as location, industry experience, and skill sets, your HR department can ensure job postings reach the most relevant candidates, improving the quality of applications and reducing time-to-hire.
Employee Engagement and Communication
Community Building: Social media fosters a sense of community within the workplace. HR can create groups or forums where employees can share ideas, celebrate successes, and support each other. This sense of belonging and community is crucial for employee morale and productivity. As an added benefit, when employees contribute to content, they increase their social media skills!
Recognition and Appreciation: Recognizing and appreciating employees publicly boosts morale and motivation. HR can use social media to acknowledge individual and team accomplishments, celebrate work anniversaries, and highlight employee contributions. Public recognition not only boosts employee morale but also reinforces a culture of appreciation within the organization.
Examples from Campfire Collective: We love to celebrate birthdays as well as workiversaries, promote our blogs, and recognize our wins! Campfire Collective social media posts include media stories on team members, awards each person has received, and our volunteer activities.
Employee & Community Advocacy
Highlight Community Involvement: Social media is the perfect place to feature a company’s community involvement. This ties back into showcasing your company culture – and it allows employee volunteers to shine. Plus, showcasing a community partner or nonprofit drives traffic in turn to their social media; a win-win for everyone.
Examples from Campfire Collective: If you know anything about us, you know we love our Memphis community! We are excited to feature our participation in toy drives, holiday giving, and individual community outreach. As we work to build up our community, we use our platforms to promote our partnerships with Choose901 and I Love Memphis. Our podcast, Just Bluffin’, spotlights the incredible people who work hard to make Memphis a better place to live, work, and play – and our social media platforms are a part of our strategy to encourage audience engagement.
Amplifying Your Company Message: Employees are often the best advocates for their company. HR can encourage employees to share company news, job openings, and content on their personal social media profiles. This amplifies the company’s message and extends its reach to a broader audience, leveraging the power of employee networks.
Networking Opportunities: Social media offers valuable networking opportunities for employees. HR can support employees in building their professional networks by encouraging participation in online industry groups, forums, and events. Strong professional networks can lead to new business opportunities, partnerships, and enhanced industry presence.
Embracing social media as a strategic tool can transform HR from a traditional administrative function to a dynamic, forward-thinking partner within the organization. From recruitment and employee engagement to learning and development, social media offers myriad benefits that can enhance HR practices and contribute to overall business success. By leveraging the power of social media, HR can foster a connected, informed, and motivated workforce, making it a true friend, not a foe.
