Balancing Social Networking for Business and Recreation

The merge of social networking technology and business has caused an epic shift in working culture as a whole, especially when it comes to the new required levels of transparency in businesses. Enterprises are now obliged to be more interactive on a personal level with their customer, whether their customers are other businesses or the general public. The whole marketing monologue of a company now needs to be shifted to an ongoing dialogue with customers over a wholly public channel, moving the power straight into the realm of the consumers.

With such a strong demand for not only an online presence but an active, engaged, interactive, social and networking personality, how can a company find a balance between social networking for the benefit of their business and networking for the recreation of their employees? The fact is, social media means different things to different people, to some it is just a place to connect with friends, and to others it is a valuable tool through which to convey the personality of their business.

Inside the workplace, is the promotion of social networking as acceptable work activity really justifiable? Are your staff encourage to tweet, blog and update for the company, do you have one person solely dedicated to such tasks? Or is there a blanket ban on all forms of social media uses whilst on the clock? So the debate battles on… There are considerable doubts as to whether set rules that favour either opinion can be successfully monitored by managers or HR without sending the wrong messages to employees about work ethics and levels of expectation.

Opening up social media as a way of handling customer service is also causing a split of opinion, the combination of online platforms and cloud-based technology can provide intelligent solutions to small businesses who are struggling to handle the needs of customers. It allows them to cater for consumers who now want their questions answered and demands met around the clock; intense as this seems the insight into customers’ needs and most importantly; their wants, are the result of opening such channels, which many believe is very much worth the trade-off.

So, increasing numbers of SMEs are reaping the benefits of a good social networking policy, however it is very important to measure its effectiveness, no one policy is a right fit for all businesses, it must be adapted to meet your specific needs.

How do you reap the benefits of social networking? Social media platforms are hubs for promotions and giveaways, are you using them for this purpose? Are your security settings set to allow comments from everyone? Opening up work-orientated social media sights is one thing, actively trying to drive traffic there is another, the extended networking circles of employees are a good place to start, but potential and existing customers should be next on the list.

Many small businesses have adapted to using Facebook as a recruiting tool, believing that this medium allows them to locate the candidate with the best cultural fit for the company, plus someone who is naturally enthusiastic about the brand, which is always a place to good begin when searching for new-hires. Employing individuals who are already engaged with the company may benefit retention rates and improve customer service levels as a high engagement level is also linked to a strong belief in the objectives of the business.

If correctly managed, the amount of social media users alone is reason enough to allow social networking, the potential reach for a company is astronomical. If there is a solid policy in place then perhaps usage can be successfully managed in a way that would only do positive things for the business. On the flip-side, the method of actually implementing a blanket ban, regardless of the size of the HR department, is a considerable task to tackle. A sense of distrust would be immediately established when imposing stringent restrictions; this may affect retention rates as well as motivation levels if employees feel they are constantly monitored for social network activity as opposed to actual work productivity.

Irrespective of the decision, having a social media policy in place is paramount, so at least the boundaries (or lack of them) are clear from the start. This policy should clearly detail what the company considers to be fair usage of social networking and also guidelines about what distance needs to be maintained between the personal and professional when it comes to social media.

The Importance of Inducting New Employees

From my experience, the process of inducting new employees normally runs with one of two themes behind them. The first is a rose-smelling happy feel good human resource management experience which tries to sell how great the organisation is, and how welcome the new employee is to walk within the halls. The second wags the finger at the employee, continually reminding them of company expectations and that termination will be the result of failing to meet these expectations.

Both of these viewpoints do come from a valid foundation. Making new employees feel welcome and a part of the team is as vitally important as detailing organisational expectations through policies and procedures. However one must not forget about the role inducting new employees plays in workplace safety.

Inductions are a good kick start in workplace safety for several reasons. Firstly, this is when you are most likely to shape an employee’s attitude towards safety. If you do not take safety seriously from the outset, neither will the new employee. Furthermore, an employee is most eager to learn and take on ideas when they are new. Typically the thirst for knowledge is at its greatest when an employee is fresh and eager to impress. When you add the fact that a new employee is more likely to injure themselves regardless of age, sex or occupation not only does it make sense that inducting new employees is necessary, but that they should be geared around ensuring a new employee learns how to do their role safely within your organisation.

Further to being best practice in safety, there are legislative requirements to the induction of new staff. Looking at NSW as an example, Sec 13 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2001 NSW, sets out the requirement of employers to ensure that each new employee receives induction training. More than this, the Act is specific in what the training must cover. Management arrangements of workplace health and safety, health and safety procedures and access to safety information are all part of the Act.

To ensure this is properly done keep the following in mind when creating induction materials:

Separate “corporate” and site inductions. Centre corporate inductions on company background, expectations, rights and responsibilities, general policies and procedures. Centre site inductions around emergency procedures, safe work method statements, PPE storage and use, hazard and incident reporting procedures, hazard identification such as hazardous substances or work practices and consultation procedures. Also during site inductions, explain to an employee how policy and procedures explained in the corporate inductions work in reality. For example, corporate induction may explain a hazardous substance policy whereby a register of all hazardous materials is kept in the site office with copies of MSDS. At the site induction physically show the employee the register and where the materials are stored and how they are used. Then explain hazards associated with each chemical and relevant PPE and safe work procedures which are required to work with the chemical safely. Remember, a site induction must be completed for every site where an employee is required to work.

The process of inducting new employees needs to be documented, but don’t drown the employee in paperwork. Sitting a person down in front of a computer for hours on end or giving them a 1000 page induction booklet will not encourage their learning. Don’t be afraid to prioritise the information and set the induction out over a couple of days. I have seen highly effective induction programs which are run over 2 weeks!

Show, don’t tell, visual learning is often the best way of transferring information when inducting new employees. For example, physically take the employee on a site tour and show them where the emergency exits are rather than pointing it out on a site map.

Assign the new employee a mentor or buddy with a dual purpose of ensuring the correct supervisor is assigned to the employee, and also allowing the employee to have an immediate avenue to raise any concerns.

Re-induct all staff a minimum once every year.

Inductions should be viewed as a way of not only introducing the employee to the organisation, but also to safety within the organisation. A good start here may set the tone for the length of your new employee’s service.

Employee Relations: The Basic Concepts to Master

Employee relations, also called industrial relations, is the interaction among three main parties: the employer and its representatives, the employees and their representatives, including the trade unions, and the state or federal government, mostly represented by existing laws and the tribunals where cases or complaints are heard.  

Managing these interactions and sometimes conflicts brought about by the different views and sometimes contrasting needs of these stakeholders which include the government, employer associations, unions, individual employees and more are the main tasks involved in employment relations (ER).  

The main goals when managing employee relations and their employment contract are to effectively balance corporate management and meeting the needs of the employees and to gain commitment from the employees and as well as optimum levels of performance, all of which, of course, would bring benefits to the employees and the company.    

Obviously, a successful enterprise would require managing employment relations well in order to build a productive and positive work environment. And to be able to bring clarity and be effective in handling the processes involved, the team that’s handling employment relations should be at the very least up to date with the prevailing laws and practices that affect the company.  

Examining and studying well the concepts, practices, policies, and strategies is key to effectively managing employment relations. Here are some concepts and skills that need to be mastered.   

* The basic concepts and the nature of ER

* Learning to make a critical analysis of the frameworks and theories of ER as well as gaining an understanding of the practical value.  

* Getting a handle on industrial conflict, knowing how to measure and analyze the level and knowing the state-derived controls and other forces that affect outcomes of industrial conflict.

* Learning the dynamics at work between management and employee that affect ER.

* Examining how the dynamics mentioned earlier are affected and regulated by external institutions.

* Analyzing the basic concepts of employee voice, representation, consultation and trade unions.

* Gaining a deeper understanding of the role of the government or the state and its laws – Australia’s regulation framework, employment laws, Commonwealth laws, state laws, the Federal System, the Fair Work Act, and Constitutional arrangements, to name a few – and how they affect industrial relations.  

* How international conventions, other regulations and laws and international standards could change these dynamics.

* Developing a number of techniques for employment relations research.

* With ER issues in mind, learning how to effectively hire people

* Learning how to develop employees to reach their maximum potential.

* Knowing how to effectively manage employee performance as it relates to ER.

* Developing skills to effectively reward members of the workforce.

* Skillfully navigating the processes and outcomes of negotiations and enterprise bargaining.

* Gaining a deeper understanding of how to handle occupational health and safety.

* Managing employee relations also requires developing skills to handle issues that could lead to complaints of unlawful or unfair dismissal; as well developing the skills to find and apply the remedies to such situations.