Like everyone, professionals use social media as an outlet for entertainment, support, connection and expression. How we present ourselves on these platforms, however, may have a direct impact on our employers. A proper social media policy respects that your pages are personal but provides guidance on how one should conduct themselves and the impact on their organization. Read on to learn more.
Often part of a company’s “Code of Conduct” or “Standards of Conduct,” a social media policy informs employees, based on the company’s values, how the organization expects them to comport themselves online or in related media. Social media policies acknowledge the impact of employee behavior on a company’s image and brand and provide or describe recourse in the event that personal behaviors impact the company negatively.
There are several reasons why a business should consider having a social media policy. These include protecting the company, accountability for employees, expressing expectations and setting the standards for the organization.
Think about the “why” of the policy. Policies aren’t effective when drafted arbitrarily. You want to ensure that there is relevance to your social media policy. For instance, you wouldn’t draft a policy on safe food preparation if you work in HR, right?
Your policy should be something that would hold up in court or defend the organization adequately if there are claims of unfairness or disparate treatment. Ensure that your policy does not violate any civil rights or protected speech and complies with state and federal laws. Unprotected speech is defined as speech to which First Amendment protections do not apply. This includes defamation or libel, obscenities, threats and harassing speech and other violent language.
What does your organization consider “social media?” Before you determine governance, you need to be aware of what you’re governing. Tufts University defines social media as “the means of interaction among people in which they create, share and/or exchange information or ideas in virtual communities and networks.” Per Investopedia, social media is a “digital technology that facilitates the sharing of content…through virtual networks and communication.” As you examine the need for such a policy, consider what social media means to your organization. Does your organization have a website? Could your employees’ behaviors impact your company adversely? How could shared content aid or harm the business?
Who does what with regard to the company’s social media policy? You need to determine the rules for each role: the employee, the enforcing department or person (normally HR), the mitigation or risk management department (often legal) and so on. Every person who bears some level of responsibility to the policy needs to understand clearly what their expectations are.
Creating a social media policy from scratch can seem a little daunting, especially with all of the considerations to effectiveness and personal rights. a few tips to aid in getting started.
So that your policy is digestible, understandable and leaves little room for inference, be sure your policy isn’t lengthy or contain words and phrases that are difficult or irrelevant. You can always “teach” on the policy once it’s created. That allows a deeper dive than being overly wordy.
Once you’ve defined what the business considers social media, it is okay to name publicly known platforms and/or sites. Providing examples like Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, etc. by name provides greater clarity. For instance, in the event they don’t understand the company’s determination of social media, calling out a platform serves as a realistic and relatable example.
As mentioned above, your policy should allow employees freedom while prohibiting unprotected speech. It should be compliant with federal and state laws and not intrude upon reasonable self expression.
Your social media policy should be enforceable to all employees at all levels without showing deference to one protected class (gender, race, origin), or one affiliation (political group).
Now that we’ve discussed some helpful ways to get going in developing a social media policy, how do you stick the landing? What can you do to make implementing it relatable, doable and an effective part of company culture?
Whenever you introduce a new policy, it’s a good idea to not just roll it out in email. You want to make it a conversation with employees as much as possible. This allows opportunity for open discourse, free flow of opinions and even a bit of vetting to determine its clarity.
What do they say about people in glass houses? If you’re the policy owner or enforcer, it’s a great idea to be an example of what you’re directing others to do. For instance, if a teammate wants to know if content they’re interested in would be harmful to them or the organization, if they follow the content you share as a policy lead, they should have a good barometer.
Once a policy is introduced, it’s a good idea to survey affected employees to see if they’ve received it and understand it. It’s also a good idea to ask them what they think about it. Does it seem like a policy that’s fair? Are parts of the policy too harsh, too lenient or too ambiguous?
Social media is a partner to our lives and provides many great opportunities to grow, learn, earn income, express yourself and share amongst networks. When managed responsibly, a good social media policy values these things, but protects the employee and the organization by setting appropriate standards and ramifications for violations. Good practices deployed on the job often translate into good practices deployed in life in general.
Known as “Miss Sunshine,” Amelia is an enthusiastic HR practitioner who believes in leading with love, building relationships, and being a forever learner. Amelia began her HR career as a “Jane of all Trades,” taking on multiple functional spaces for small businesses with government contracts. In constant exposure to human resources functions, she honed her interest in pursuing the field as a career goal. Her career history demonstrates a professional who’s climbed the ranks…starting from the earliest HR spaces and growing with every new opportunity. If you ask Amelia what her strengths are, she’ll tell you “my approach is not traditional, it’s loud, it’s bright…sometimes too relaxed, but what a lack in strategic movement I make up for in interpersonal approaches.” Amelia built her career from Coordinating to Directing maintaining a bubbly spirit with a concentration on ethical principles and leading people-focused management. Amelia began her working career doing freelance art gig work. Her long-term goals include becoming a C Suite leader in an organization where she can help develop and create healthy work cultures, with an emphasis on mental and emotional wellbeing.
Frequently asked questionsHow can HR professionals effectively balance the need for a social media policy with employees' freedom of speech and expression?
This requires a multi-level approach. First, being relatable is key. When engaging with employees and advising on the policy, ask them if what they post is something they’d want their family to see. If they wouldn’t post something because of family or children, it’s likely something you shouldn’t post at all. Second, advise that there are honest limits to free speech. Inform employees, give examples or case studies or legal references to show when a personal post may have been illegal, improper, violent or in some way unprotected speech (threats, intimidation and etc.).
What are some common challenges faced by HR professionals when implementing a social media policy?
A common challenge relates to the claim, “this is my personal page!” It’s very true that every employee’s social media account belong to them. But a great workplace has people of all backgrounds, cultures and personalities, which means potential for differences between the company’s stance and their own. That should be okay and HR should champion this diversity. Another challenge is that who you are at work is not necessarily who you are at home. For example, at work you may present yourself as someone who is work-focused and doesn’t build personal relationships with colleagues. Privately you’re an extrovert, stand out in a crowd and are highly social. Sharing that side of you on your page may elicit response from coworkers which can challenge your comfort in the workplace. HR should ensure that employees respect each other fully and this includes their working styles, as long as they aren’t divisive or exclusionary.
