What do your company’s water cooler and an employee’s social media account have in common? Before the advent of social media technologies such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, many office employees were known to congregate around the water cooler to air their grievances with their peers. The trouble with a demanding supervisor or tales of difficult customer interactions were traded with great candor among individuals who could understand and relate to their experiences. However, as employees are more and more connected through one form of social media or another, we continue to find that, in the instance of Twitter, 280 characters or less will create challenges for supervisors and Human Resources Departments in a modern, connected workforce.
The break room has a narrower reach than an employee’s social media account. Exchanges among employees could easily be kept within the walls that surround them. To break up the monotony of their day at work, employees found these impromptu meetings and exchanges as a way to build camaraderie with their peers as well as an opportunity to decrease stress around the office. Regardless of the intention of the employee discourse, be it one of praise or critical in nature, supervisors, and employees alike could find this as a healthy or needed exercise of letting off steam with one’s colleagues. Discretion within the workplace would remain paramount. However, in this digitally connected climate, an employee’s digital footprint can leave big tracks for a supervisor to follow.
The introduction of social media and smartphone technology has replaced the employee’s need to hang around the water cooler. An angry or frustrated employee can broadcast their grievances or concerns across to their online circle of friends and colleagues instantaneously. This ability to connect with a vast audience poses a demand for businesses to establish policies and guidelines on the speech and online behavior of their workforce after-hours. As social media platforms fuel engagement, access to customers, and word of mouth, the marketing opportunities for businesses continue to grow. Management must manage and safeguard their company’s reputations in light of this ever-present connection between their workforce and their customers.