Social Networking on the Inside
Posted March 4th, 2013
When it comes to social media, companies usually are concerned about the impression they make to people outside of the company. But new study by Baylor University shows that having internal social media sites also can be beneficial for a company.
Such sites can help improve employee morale and reduce turnover, according to the study. The study also showed that the internal social networking site also helps improve employee engagement and commitment.
The site was especially beneficial for millennials, who tend to combine their work and social lives more. They used the social networking site a good deal, and it helped them create friendships at their company and helped them get acclimated to the company culture.
The site also can be very useful for those who have relocated and do not know many people. They can use the site to orient themselves and find out where they can go for help on different issues.
The study showed that people who have recently been hired use the site more as a consumer. But after working at the company for a while, they become more of a producer – contributing to the social networking site more than using it as a resource.
For new hires, the site helped them to make connections with others at work, people whom they could use for advice when they were unsure how to approach a work task, and to help them maintain morale when they were going through a time that was unusually stressful.
Senior managers did express some concern, however, that employees might use the site more just for social interaction, rather than work-related matters, such as sharing knowledge and collaborating.
Also, the site, by helping newly hired employees get to know others at the company, helping them with job orientation, and helping them learn about the corporate culture, took some of the burden off middle managers and human resources in helping them to acclimate to the company.
But the authors of the study cautioned that before creating an internal social networking site, companies need to determine how it might impact their employees, especially keeping in mind the isolating effect it may have on those who do not use the site. A site such as Yammer may be beneficial for improving communication in your day-to-day operations.
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