Airing Complaints on Social Media
Posted July 8th, 2013
Social media has become a commonplace among workers. Sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others are places where employees routinely post information. They are also places where employees vent their complaints about companies.
Labor unions are also using social media to get out information to their members and to enlist new members.
But employers need to pay attention to employee complaints, as well as Facebook and other social media sites, for different reasons. If employers want to know what’s bothering employees, or what issues they have with the company, the employer needs to monitor these sites, to take care of little problems before they become big ones.
How can employers do this?
Companies need to start by setting clear guidelines for employees when they are using social media, and to be clear about what personal views they can express – for example, political opinions.
Social networking also needs to be included in the company’s discipline and grievance policy. Companies need to give clear examples of what would be regarded as gross misconduct, such things as posting derogatory comments online about the company or a coworker.
Companies should also make sure that the lines of communication between employees and management are working well, so that if an employee does have a grievance or a problem, he doesn’t feel the need to go online to vent. Many problems can be resolved by personal interaction, and companies need to have managers who have good conflict resolution skills. Employees need to feel that they can go to the managers to resolve problems that arise.
Once you are able to identify employee concerns and complaints, use the feedback! Make sure to be open internally and on social networks to discuss feedback. As a company, you want to take time to provide solutions to your employees. Employee culture and communication are essential to retaining and recruiting employees.
Whether you’re looking for IT professionals for temporary, temp-to-hire or direct-hire opportunities at your Bay Area company, call the recruiters at Bayside Solutions. We look forward to hearing how we can help your company.
