• Home
  • About
  • Courses
  • Podcast
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIN
  • YouTube
  • RSS
  • Email
  • Podcast

Workology

The Art & Science of Work

  • Intern
  • Entry
  • Experienced
  • Senior
  • Executive

5 Benefits of Social Networks at Work

July 9, 2015 By Jessica Miller-Merrell 4 Comments

social networks, social media, networking, benefits

The use of internal social networks within your organization has the potential to make a huge difference within your organization. They provide a way for employees to interact and develop as well as give leadership insight into who their employees are and what makes them tick. By interacting with their employees and paying attention to the employees’ interactions, leadership can use the information provided by their social network to improve employee experience as well as customer experience and benefit their company as a whole. Because social networks are dual purpose, the really do allow for a heightened level employee interaction and input.

Here are a few specific ways that social networks can benefit you and your employees:

5 Benefits of Social Networks at Work

Engage and Build Relationships

Leadership within any given organization should always be looking for ways to increase their employees loyalty and raise morale. Both of these things are likely to happen when employees are given resources to build relationships with their peers as well as leadership. Social networks allows your employees to branch out further than the immediate surroundings of their departments. They are able to interact and network with people in other departments that they don’t usually see. By empowering your employees to build these relationships, you strengthen your company as a whole when your employees feel better connected and more in the loop.

Communicate Effectively Beyond Email and Phone

Some phone calls go unanswered and some email unread. Through the use of a social network you are able to bring in a new channel of interaction that may allow for certain topics to be better addressed. Social networks often allow for more of a conversation and it is less likely for important topics to be missed or swept under the rug when they are all out there for the world to see.

 

Join us on 4/19 at 12:00 PM EST as we learn how to supercharge your talent brand. Register here.   

 

Provide Companies with Trends and Analysis

An internal social network can provide endless information regarding employee satisfaction and other similar trends. The amount of data that is available to employers from employee activity, search and interests can help organizations learn more about employee interests, engagement levels, peak work times and productivity, and types of content and conversation drives the most interest from your employees. When that information is collected and analyzed, employers are then able to make necessary changes to increase satisfaction and capitalize on these trends.

Foster Self-Development, Learning and Discovery

Many employees want to be responsible for their own careers, paths and development. Social networks provide a great vehicle for learning and professional development. Social networks provide a basis for comparison, a time for self-development, reflection and thought. Employees can compare their careers, interests and activities with their peers, learning more about the opportunities that may be available within the organization and hopefully driving them to want to do more and work harder to get there.

Create, Elevate and Foster Organizational Culture

Employees are generally reminded on a daily basis the different programs and culture of the organization via email and other communication. A social network can function as  a positive reinforcement of this information while also generating discussion around the topics and even encourage a deeper understanding.

As your employees become more comfortable with and internal social network and begin to use it more, you will see a lot of opportunity to make your company a better place. Your employees are what make your company successful so by listening, interacting and making efforts to increase loyalty and satisfaction, your employees will want to continue to use these networks to better their own experiences and benefit the company they work for.

Related Posts

Women at Work: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
apprenticeships offer a solution to female underemploymentApprenticeships Offer a Solution to Female Underemployment
how to write a job descriptionHow to Write A Job Description
it's hard to speak up about conflicts at workIt’s Hard to Speak Up
Getting Real About Unconscious Bias in the Workplace
Are Transgender People a Federal Protected Class?
How to make your apply process and career site more accessibleHow to Make Your Career Site & Apply Process More Accessible #shrmtalent
what indeed buying Workopolis means for recruiting dataWhat Indeed Buying Workopolis Means for Recruiting Data
Women Working with Women: How to Support One Another
progressive discipline as a model for honestyProgressive Discipline As Model for Honesty, Not Punishment

Filed Under: HR, Social Media

Jessica Miller-Merrell

About Jessica Miller-Merrell

Jessica Miller-Merrell, is workplace change agent and author focused on human resources and talent acquisition living in Austin, TX. Recognized by Forbes as a top 50 social media influencer. She's the founder of Workology. Follow her on Twitter, @jmillermerrell.

Comments

  1. mspatricia says

    July 14, 2015 at 8:45 am

    Social Networking at work helps in building sound professional relations, explore new opportunities and promote your firm. It is a good piece of write up with crux of social media benefits at work.

    Reply
  2. Deepti says

    May 25, 2016 at 10:31 am

    Really informative piece

    Reply
  3. Ramkumar Yaragarla says

    January 14, 2017 at 1:40 am

    Hi, There are significant benefits that can be reaped from social media at work through successive iteration of ideas and innovation.
    Hi Jessica, I agree with you that social media sites are used for relationship building, fostering organizational culture and trends and analysis. Apart from this, internally it builds a sense of community among employees. It encourages them to have their own branding within the company.

    Also,the area of knowledge management within companies is quite important. Social media can be put to good use.Employees can share explicit knowledge among themselves.Though, tacit knowledge is bit difficult.
    Good points.

    I liked reading through your post. Enjoyed it. Thank you. I will visit again. Cheers, Ramkumar

    Reply
  4. Larry Bradley says

    May 18, 2017 at 5:59 am

    Did you somehow miss the part where virtually no one uses enterprise social media once it is installed?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ad

Categorically Speaking

  • Business
  • HR
  • Leadership
  • Life
  • Tech
  • Podcast
  • Reviews
  • Work
  • Social Media
  • Sourcing
  • Recruiting
  • Career
  • Millenials

Workology Popular Posts

  • Latest
  • Popular
  • Ep 133 – How to Handle Imposter Syndrome in the Workplace Ep 133 – How to Handle Imposter Syndrome in the Workplace
  • Women at Work: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome Women at Work: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
  • Apprenticeships Offer a Solution to Female Underemployment Apprenticeships Offer a Solution to Female Underemployment
  • How to Write A Job Description How to Write A Job Description
  • It’s Hard to Speak Up It’s Hard to Speak Up
  • Ep 132 – The Future of Accessible Workplace Technology Ep 132 – The Future of Accessible Workplace Technology
  • Getting Real About Unconscious Bias in the Workplace Getting Real About Unconscious Bias in the Workplace
  • Are Transgender People a Federal Protected Class? Are Transgender People a Federal Protected Class?
  • How to Make Your Career Site & Apply Process More Accessible #shrmtalent How to Make Your Career Site & Apply Process More Accessible #shrmtalent
  • What Indeed Buying Workopolis Means for Recruiting Data What Indeed Buying Workopolis Means for Recruiting Data
  • Today Week Month All
  • 3 Sample Email Templates Job Seekers Can Send to A Recruiter 3 Sample Email Templates Job Seekers Can Send to A Recruiter (362,285 views)
  • 4 External Factors that Affect Human Resource Management 4 External Factors that Affect Human Resource Management (99,840 views)
  • Employee Rights: Time Off Requests for Exempt vs. Non-Exempt Employee Rights: Time Off Requests for Exempt vs. Non-Exempt (81,517 views)
  • 27 Companies Who Hire Adults With Autism 27 Companies Who Hire Adults With Autism (73,938 views)
  • The Difference Between an HR Business Partner & Just HR The Difference Between an HR Business Partner & Just HR (70,559 views)
  • The Perfect Revenge: How to Quit a Job & Resign at Work The Perfect Revenge: How to Quit a Job & Resign at Work (36,258 views)
  • 10 Reasons Why I Love Being an HR Professional 10 Reasons Why I Love Being an HR Professional (34,028 views)
  • Manner Monday: Requesting an Appointment for Conference Call Manner Monday: Requesting an Appointment for Conference Call (27,913 views)
  • 5 Ways to Improve Your Employee’s Quality of Work & Life 5 Ways to Improve Your Employee’s Quality of Work & Life (26,076 views)
  • 5 Employee Twitter Bio Disclaimers You Should Add Today 5 Employee Twitter Bio Disclaimers You Should Add Today (25,140 views)
Ajax spinner

Featured Resources

Copyright © 2018 · Workology Inc. All Rights Reserved. Site Design by The Spinbird Group.

  • Contributing
  • Advertising
  • Disclaimer
  • Press
  • Contact Us