Every news story flourishes in a jiffy now. Networking with professionals has been easier now through online chats and conversations. Access to job vacancies has been easier in comparison to the past when one has to buy tons of newspapers or roam in organizations for the queries of any vacant positions. And these things have been possible only due to social network i.e. Social Media. Due to the rapid pace of amplifying digitization, most people in the global platform have access to the networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and many more. These accessible social media platforms have been the source of information, entertainment, and many more including both positive and negative impacts upon the people.
From branding to networking, the role of social media has been immense in today’s world. Apart from personal benefits and drawbacks, social media has not been just an option but a mandatory function for any organization and the role of social media for better HR management can’t be ignored. Sticking with the traditional approaches and neglecting the current trends can invite the greatest threat or bad challenges in the organization. Today is the time to be updated frequently and this applies in the field of HR too.
Role of Social Media for Better HR Management
HR is like the foundation of a building. Without effective HR management, an organization can undergo smooth functioning. The HR department must know what is suitable for the employees and what’s not good for the employees. With the help of social media, all the employees can engage, collaborate and react under a single umbrella which enables a company to build a strong company image as an Employer of Preference. In a sense, using social media tools is like a democracy introduced in a public forum where everybody gets equitable opportunities to collaborate, involve and present their individual opinions to all. Hence, it’s the responsibility of HR to initiate the right mix of tools in social media for the good social media presence of the people connected with the organization. The social media platforms may include Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and many other professional networking sites. But how does social media work for better HR Management?
Let’s dump into the role of social media for better HR Management.
It can be further clarified with the points enumerated below:
i) Creates a powerful brand as the Employer of Choice
ii) Boosts the recruitment efforts
iii) Employees’ Appreciation and Advocacy
iv) Good clientele foundation
v) Effective communication
vi) Develops a good feedback platform
Explanation:
i) Creates a powerful brand as the Employer of Choice
Social media not only spawns the good relationship with the employees but also with the greater engagement of employees in the public forum with the accompaniment of HR, the employees feel equally accepted as the valuable part of the organization that motivates them directly or indirectly resulting in dedication to their efforts in strengthening the company’s brand image.
ii) Boosts the recruitment efforts
Everyone knows the power of social media. Nowadays, every work or every function held at an organization is posted on social media sites that depict the functioning of the organization and the job openings too. Gone are the days of roaming each of the organizations in search of jobs. One can find the job openings of the organizations online. Also, it has eased up the processes of recruitment for HR to reduce the costs of publishing vacancies in newspapers and magazines.
Getting good resumes and CV online with personalized messages on social media networking sites have lessened the burden of recruitment time and costs which have helped HR to reach out to potential candidates in less time with a low recruitment budget.
iii) Employees’ Appreciation and Advocacy
As said earlier, social media is a democratic platform where all employees have the right to be expressive. With the current trend, activities related to company branding, employee recognition, birthday posts, etc are posted on social media. These smaller steps make the employees feel valued as an important part of an organization. The usage of social media enhances the employees’ centric culture. With the sharing of social media posts by the employees and work experiences too, it further helps in the employer branding creating a positive image amongst the users. Hence, social media is one of the most powerful tools for bolstering employee recognition and retention.
iv) Good clientele foundation
From job openings for reaching large and targeted potential candidates to the posting of content about company culture, employee recognition, product description, and upcoming events, social media works as a transparent platform for existing and prospective clients. It creates a positive impact on the clients through trust and credibility towards the organization with transparency.
v) Effective communication
Social media not only creates a two-way dialogue between the company and employees but also entwines conversations with various stakeholders on various HR practices such as talent acquisition, employee communication, attracting future employees, and many more. Communication is not only limited to the storehouses of mail but any kind of information is conveyed without any disturbance or noise.
vi) Develops a good feedback platform
Now, it’s not mandatory to fill the testimonial forms for feedback on any product manually. People can comment on product anomalies, congratulate employees’ promotions, and update on other stuff on social media. Hence, social media helps to take 360-degree feedback from every stakeholder. It helps to promote learning and development strategies, drives smooth collaboration between various stakeholders, and many more.
From product promotions to the assurance of visibility and credibility of HR, social media as a tool plays a major role in effective HR management in any organization. With the workforce of millennials and Gen Z in comparison to other generations overlapping the organizations, everyone must be aware of the new trends that maximize the sales, profit, and productivity of the organizations. The onus of employee engagement and recognition falls upon the HR department and social media helps in fulfilling this obligation.
To adapt to this trend, HR must be tech-friendly and must have enough understanding of digital media techniques and competencies too. The obligation of developing the right mix of tools, media, content, channels, and the target audience solely depends upon HR so that the usage of social media brings the best outcomes to the organization. The HR department must make sure about the administration of social media forums.
Corporate brand building, propagating valuable information to various stakeholders, flourishing business entities, talent search, and many other HR and Support functions have been made easier and more accessible due to the use of social media. Hence, to dominate the competitive market, HR must adopt a digital policy regarding social media for an effective corporate online presence amongst the stakeholders.
