Social media tools definitely add value to employee communications. So why is social media sometimes so hard to implement as an internal communications tool?
Digital natives and ‘digital immigrants differentiate the ‘digital native’ generation, who grew up with the Internet from those who didn’t. Typically, many older workers, or ‘digital immigrants’, talk about their comfort zone. They find comfort in a hierarchical, command and control management structure. They are good communicators, who like to think, plan and do – in that order. They favor a top-down approach and generally like to play safe. Many of our senior managers fit into the digital immigrant generation.
Digital natives, on the other hand, prefer a guiding and nurturing environment. They do not want instructions handed down from on high. They are great communicators and great networkers. But they do it differently. Digital tools and social media are like extensions of themselves. This emerging generation thinks acts and communicates quickly. They like engagement and like to try things out. They harness their team’s collective experience and skills to find solutions. It’s all about communicating. Many of the people now joining the workforce are digital natives. The old way and the new? The old way uses intranets or websites as static sites. Staff can search and find, but have limited ability to contribute.
The new way is interactive and collaborative and uses social media such as Social networks (e.g. Facebook), Blogs, Discussion Forums, and Wikis. Social media tools definitely add value to employee communications. They can help build relationships, increase collaboration, improve productivity, reduce silos, and build engagement. They also offer an excellent means to share ideas and gather qualitative feedback.
TipsChoose web 2.0 channels that have been specifically designed for employee communication. Use low-cost communication channels that are quick and easy to implement and manage. Use a platform that is easy for IT to implement and has little need for ongoing IT support. Choose a platform that allows access rights to be targeted to specific staff groups. Ensure centralized reporting allows you to easily quantify the value of the Web 2.0 channels and demonstrate the value of their strategic communication to senior managers. Social Media Marketing Companies in USA
They might also voice concerns about the cost of the tools and the lack of support resources. The responseExplain tools that assist internal communications assist you. As for the tools being hungry for money and resources, explain that generally these tools are relatively inexpensive and require little time to set up.
