Most Australian SMEs do not have policies in place outlining both personal and corporate use of social media and are missing key opportunities to grow their business, a new survey has warned.
But businesses are also making a mistake by outlawing social media completely, with the latest Manpower study showing employees are likely to use social networks on mobile devices in spite of workplace rules.
Lincoln Crawley, managing director of Manpower Australia and New Zealand, says businesses have no other choice but to embrace workplace policies for the use of social networking.
The company’s latest report shows that over the 7,710 businesses in the Asia-Pacific region which were surveyed, about 75% of companies did not have policies for employee use of social media in place and are opting to “wait and see”.
“I think it’s fair to say this report shows those businesses which do have policies in place are seeing a benefit in having that policy.”
The report shows about 19% of Asia-Pacific employers claimed social networking was a good method for promoting collaboration and communication, 31% of Australian employers cite social networking as helpful in building their brand.
Crawley says this is clear evidence companies cannot ignore social media, and should instead embrace sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn as valuable business tools.
“Do not block them. If you’re blocking them, then your younger employees, especially those of Gen Y age, are going to either disengage and fold their arms or just get out their iPhones and BlackBerries and access them on there.”
The report shows 67% of Asia-Pacific employers which had policies in place identified these rules as effective in minimising a loss in productivity. Additionally, 76% of Australian and New Zealand employers said this minimisation of a loss in productivity was the most effective outcome of these rules.
Moreover, about 33% of employers stated these policies, which controlled what users could or could not do with social media, helped protect intellectual property. About 29% of employers claimed a lift in reputation was the most effective result, while 14% said the use of social media actually helped recruitment.
Crawley says businesses must specify what employees can or cannot do with social media, and what times they can access certain sites. However, he says employers must be careful in giving out these rules to staff.
“These policies should absolutely not come from the top. You’re working with people, especially younger people, who are naturally interested in social networking and these people really want to be involved in that. The way for them to do this is to actually be involved in developing the policies.”
“The policy must give them freedom, but the lines between work and socialisation need to be there.”
Crawley also states businesses should put some work into adopting social media into both their marketing strategies and overall business plan. He says businesses can take note from other SMEs which are using sites such as Facebook to monitor what is being said about them, and address problems as quickly as they appear.
“You can use these sites to keep status reports and that sort of thing, and of course the other piece is obviously sharing information and increasing innovation by opening up a community between staff through these social networks. They can share information”
Crawley points to figures in the report which state about 31% of employers worldwide believe use of social media can improve a brand’s reputation, with 21% believing it can help employees communicate.
“Ultimately, businesses have an opportunity to use social media in a way that helps employees feel truly connected to the business.”
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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