Many buttoned-up industries remain gun shy about releasing the social reins in their offices. Law firms and financial institutions immediately come to mind. There is a fear that allowing employees access to social media will pose compliance threats and undermine productivity. From the employee perspective, this screams of distrust and disinterest. Fortunately, companies in the aforementioned business sectors are starting to embrace, at minimum, LinkedIn understanding it is a vital spoke in the lead generation wheel. As for staff engagement, worries persist but these concerns can be alleviated in short order by leveraging a closed LinkedIn group for the organization. By making social part of your internal communication structure you can get to know your employees better, convey your corporate philosophy in a way that doesn't cure insomnia, and build credibility and morale.
Corporate Culture and Social Media
It’s great that the corporate world is getting social but it’s important that it doesn't let its sales agenda show. Blackballing your staff from accessing social media while you attempt to prosper off of it is alarmingly self-serving. Listen, you hired your employees for a reason. You must think they are capable of tactical and/or strategic thinking. Let them foster their ideas in a LinkedIn Group. It may surprise you how much they care about the company and how much they think they can approve upon it. And you might be surprised by how right their assertions are!
Establish Thought Leadership Sans the “I’m Totally Awesome” Dullness
Thought leadership is a big part of individual and corporate branding but for employees these articles or videos can be as exciting as watching paint dry. Consider involving your staff in an interactive thought leadership approach via a LinkedIn Group. Administer polls, hold discussions, and listen – LISTEN – to what they have to say without judgment. Your next whitepaper on generating social engagement could greatly benefit.
Help Your Employees Love Where They Work
Though I’m a natural cynic who tends to believe that employees are all about getting to Friday as quickly as possible, I’m a touch more idealistic when it comes to social company-wide involvement. Here the old adage of time flying when you’re having fun applies to brainstorming with colleagues and higher ups on a fair and balanced forum. When employees truly believe they can make a positive change in their daily work lives, they will take the torch. And by having a social arena for staff to bounce ideas off each other in a high level yet fun way, you’ll see the returns. Yes, here is an example of the mysterious social R.O.I. – return on interactions.
Making LinkedIn a part of your external lead generation strategy is essential but adding the element of internal engagement is downright savvy. After all, part of lead generation is presenting your company as an attractive place to do business. That starts with your people. So don’t be closed minded about starting a closed LinkedIn Group. It might just open your company up to greater results.
"Blackballing your staff from accessing social media while you attempt to prosper off of it is alarmingly self-serving."
Great point. If you make social all about sales it sends the wrong message to your employees and to your prospects. Social media is great because it lets people interact with people; don't take the human element out of it.
"By making social part of your internal communication structure you can get to know your employees better, convey your corporate philosophy in a way that doesn't cure insomnia, and build credibility and morale."
Our company just created a Linked In group a couple of weeks ago in order to gain more authority in the space by generating discussion about a topic we are familiar with and have had success and also to increase morale amongst the workspace. However, one thing we did do is make this a public group, rather than a private group which is what you are suggesting. Opening up the discussion to the public helps us gain outside perspectives about the social space - something that is crucial to the growth of our company. To us, it's all about starting a conversation - amongst us and amongst our readers and followers.
Public groups are great for most companies but certain industries have strict compliance rules for social communication, which makes the private option the only option. But I'm happy to hear your Group is a morale builder. Nice going!