There have been a couple of high profile Social Media gaffes recently in the press – both of which bring to light some of the issues that are concerning many HR Managers and Directors today.
The first was an excellent example of the dangers of how personal content can be to the detriment of your professional life, with Liberal Councillor John Dixon facing suspension following a tweet he made referring to the Church of Scientology as “stupid”. (See the full story here) To him this was mearly a passing glib remark, however he forgot the cardinal rule of social networking - anything you say, you say to the whole world. Unfortunately a member of the Church saw his tweet, and reported him. He has now been found in breach of the code of conduct for local authority members which demands they ’show respect and consideration for others’.
Sarah Palin has been another victim, having been widely mocked for her use of the non-existant word ‘refudiate’ in a tweet (see here for full story). Although she tried to pass off her mistake with a joke comparing herself to Shakespeare, another famous creator of words, Palin has unfortunately become an example of how a tweet can damage your brand, and the way that people perceive you.
Although gaining increasing levels of press in recent months, this is not a new problem. Big Red have had experience of having to terminate a Contractor for Gross Misconduct when our client became aware that they were publishing negative opinions with regards to the company on their personal blog.
So how to deal with these issues? It seems obvious that the impact of social media cannot be ignored, and therefore HR departments must give a clear message to employees with regards to both official and personal use of social media. Everyone has a moan about work from time to time, but employees must be made aware of the implications of doing so to the open forum of the internet when the opinions they publish are accessable to all.
Social Media Guidelines will be different for every company, particularly with a view to official channels. For those in a more relaxed or creative environment there may be more room for a more relaxed and perhaps personal tone to social media communications, and likewise more corporate companies will perhaps want a more polished approach. Whichever case may apply to your company, the important thing is to make a decision as to which, and be aware both the benefits and the issues that social media can bring.
