The Main Artery

Lately, a few savvy brands have lightened up a little regarding employees’ activities on the social web.

We’ve all heard cautionary tales, and truly, there have been some amazing indiscretions.  Who could forget the story of bored nurses on the night-shift (at a hospital that shall remain unnamed here) posting pictures of themselves with sleeping patients in compromising positions?

However, as it seems that most employees have “gotten the message,” so to speak, about appropriate online behavior, some organizations are moving into a new era:  actually encouraging and actively looking for ways for employees to use social media both personally and professionally.

Here are a few pointers from managers and employees using the modern-day Internet in brand-friendly ways.

1. Don’t issue too many orders.

• There seems to be a shift away from prohibitive internal codes of conduct and toward more encouraging, educational practices.

• Managers are seeing less need to specifically tell employees to refrain from discussing business online.  Instead, they’re telling employees to be open and communicative about the brand when using social media.

• In addition to being told what not to do online, employees don’t want to be told they have to post or tweet about the company unless it’s a specific part of the job they perform.

“That would be very strange and awkward and not nice at all,” said one typical employee.

• Business process consultants say that employees have a pretty good idea of how to handle themselves online.  (In some cases, they probably know more about appropriate online behavior than the bosses do.)

• Ultimately, letting employees know that tweeting about the company is encouraged and letting them make their own decisions is the best policy, say respondents to a recent business survey.

“At [company name], we’re encouraged to tweet if we want to,” said one employee. “We don’t have a formal policy; people tend to have decent judgment.”

2. Give Employees Resources.

• Employees express a desire to have permission rather than ask forgiveness for their social media activities, so it may be critical to give them resources and education.

One user said, “My employer… doesn’t tell me what to tweet but does provide all managers with great Twitter resources to educate people on how to benefit from tweeting, show that the company supports it and provide clarity on what is appropriate.

• A good way to think about providing good tools for your employees is to ensure that you have as many proactive statements as prohibitive ones in any documents or guidelines you issue; the DOs and DON’Ts columns should be equal, with the DOs holding the advantage whenever possible.

3. Give Your Internal Fans a Voice Online

• Every organization will have a certain number of employees who truly embody the brand and the company culture. When you find those individuals, recognize them by inviting them to be part of your company’s social media activity.

• For these employees, contributing to the company’s blog or Twitter account or maintaining a separate but related social media presence can be beneficial for all parties involved. The employee builds a greater external network and strengthens his contribution internally; the company benefits by having a relatable, responsive, on-brand face as another facet of its social media presence.

• Your employees are people “who see themselves as individuals and who are living a brand of their own making,” writes Interbrand’s Alexander Rauch.

“The question boils down to this: If a brand is supposed to give customers something to identify with and add meaning to their lives, shouldn’t helping employees express themselves as individuals help the brand as well?”

The theory is that In allowing the brand-employee relationship to flow in both directions, you accomplish that most important objective: true engagement. And in doing so, you create advocates who understand and promote the brand in ways that you could never achieve through top-down directives alone. Moreover, the brand itself is invigorated by fresh perspectives in a trickle-up model.

What do you think?  Is healthcare ready?  Let me know.