How To Boost Employee Engagement with Social Media

In today’s tech-savvy world, social media has become the technology no one can ignore. Hitting an all-time high in the beginning of 2018 with 83 percent of the UK adult population utilizing one or more social platforms, social media is no longer just for fun. As usage increases among all ages, the purpose of social media is expanding into the workforce. Employee engagement efforts in particular are reaping the benefits of properly utilized social media.

While happy employees are a key to success, we’re explaining just how you can keep your team engaged with these modern tools.

At its core, employee engagement is about the relationship between an organization and its employees. It’s no secret having a team of motivated and energetic people who are enthusiastic about their work is crucial. As millenials are the largest generation in the labor force, the demand for jobs that provide meaning and can serve as an integral part of their employees lives, rather than just something they do, is increasing. With this demand comes the need for strong employee engagement.

The first step in this process is recognizing your employees need for a voice. By encouraging communication, collaboration and an interest in new thoughts and ideas for the organization, employees can feel a sense of empowerment. People are sharing everything on social media, so you can bet work is bound to come up in one way or another. As an employer your best move in this scenario is to use social media mentions to your benefit. When employees feel valued and proud of their work they want to talk about it. Whether that means sharing their own photos and tweets or reposting company content. This sort of encouragement for promoting a company through social media enlists trust in employees, to speak highly of the brand, while also increasing visibility.

Statistics show companies with engaged workers outperform other companies by 202 percent. It’s in every company’s best interest to try every avenue to engage their employees. If social media sites like Twitter and Instagram don’t fit with your organization, other forms of social interaction are equally effective. In 2016 Facebook launched their collaborative platform, Workplace, to serve as a dedicated space for employees to connect, communicate and collaborate on work-related initiatives. Offering features like Messenger, live streaming video and trending stories all with the same familiar Facebook interface. The opportunity platforms like this open up can make a big difference in your employees engagement and relationships with one another. Major companies such as Starbucks, Columbia Sportswear and Hello Fresh have found success with Workplace and report daily use by over 80 percent of employees.

A more recent trend picking up speed in the HR field is the implementation of gamification. Utilizing a digital environment to engage, educate and help employees reach certain goals and objectives, everything from games and challenges, to badges and leaderboards are serving as a fun and effective tool. Gamification not only encourages employee collaboration and interaction but also improves skills and assists in completing company objectives. Improved environments such as these display their benefits in several ways. Ford Motor Company for example, integrated games into their learning and development and saw a 417 percent increase in its use. Employees were more engaged, sales went up, and customers were more satisfied.

Disengaged employees provide little value to a company and can actually result in lost profits. A negative attitude and lack of involvement in company initiatives have no place in a successful and inviting environment. Simple implementations like these can make all the difference in engaging your employees and making sure they’re as happy and motivated as their first day!

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