3 Myths about Social HR Software

We’ve all seen the headlines when an employee or manager is disciplined or let go due to behavior on social media sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook. In some ways there can be a kneejerk reaction then, to lock down the HRMS and any possible place where social media can be used. Is that really the answer though or are we perhaps throwing out the baby with the bathwater? Social HR software doesn’t have to be off-limits, let’s look at some common myths out there today:

Employees and managers are not capable of using social HR without strong HR oversight and regulation.

While it’s essential to have a social media policy to provide guidance and guardrails about social media usage, most employees and managers use social media every day in their normal, non-work lives. If you provide a platform within your HRMS where employees can provide public feedback and praise about co-workers, you may be surprised at how much positive buzz it can create! Let’s face it, many of your employees are already connected to each other on sites like Facebook, so rather than trying to restrict them, give them an outlet inside the HRMS or your HR portal which can help to further teamwork and collaboration across your company.

Social media is only for non-work stuff, like vacation photos and pictures of the cat.

Who hasn’t googled a candidate in this day and age? Even better, find that elusive needle in a haystack, that perfect candidate who hasn’t applied for your position and invite them in. How? A savvy recruiter knows how to use sites like LinkedIn to seek out candidates who are knowledgeable through their forum and group postings as well as twitter links to articles they have written. There are even HRMS applications that allow you to log and track potential candidates through their online presence, thus opening up new candidate sourcing options to you.

Social media is dangerous and should be avoided.

While there are some dangers of posting online extensively about your upcoming vacation as your home will be empty, most people these days have enough social media experience to hold all announcements until post-holidays. While the social features in your HRMS should not expose personal data, if you give employees a choice of whether or not to upload a photo and provide guidance as to the expected professional nature of it, you will find that ‘putting a face to the name’ can help in your collaboration efforts, especially in a globally dispersed workforce.