Software Uncovers Employees’ Social Networking Faux Pas
Summer interns and others in the workforce, listen up. According to The New York Times, a new application is available for companies to monitor employees’ public social network activity.
The service provider Teneros says its solution “empowers companies to monitor employee public activity on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook [My Space and LinkedIn this summer] helping to eliminate corporate risks related to: compliance, leakage of sensitive information, HR issues, legal exposure and brand damage.”
Domino’s Pizza knows all to well the damage a social media misstep can have on a company’s reputation. When two employees taped a prank video depicting unsavory food practices, the video went viral and within a few days there were more than a million views on YouTube. According to YouGov an online research firm, the perception of Domino’s brand quality went from positive to negative in approximately 48 hours.
The lesson learned: Whether intentional or unintentional, video, photos, words, etc. posted on public social networking sites can be misinterpreted, sometimes with negative consequences. Pause before you post.
Below I’ve listed a few social networking guidelines from three prominent companies that I find helpful when engaging in the world of social media.
“Perception is reality. In online social networks, the lines between public and private, personal and professional are blurred. Just by identifying yourself as an Intel employee, you are creating perceptions about your expertise and about Intel by our shareholders, customers, and the general public-and perceptions about you by your colleagues and managers. Do us all proud. Be sure that all content associated with you is consistent with your work and with Intel’s values and professional standards.” – Intel Social Media Guidelines
“Protecting confidential and proprietary information. You must make sure you do not disclose or use IBM confidential or proprietary information or that of any other person or company in any online social computing platform. For example, ask permission before posting someone’s picture in a social network or publishing in a blog a conversation that was meant to be private.” – IBM Social Computing Guidelines
“Keep your cool. One of the aims of social media is to create dialogue, and people won’t always agree on an issue. When confronted with a difference of opinion, stay cool. Express your points in a clear, logical way. Don’t pick fights, and correct mistakes when needed. Sometimes, it’s best to ignore a comment and not give it credibility by acknowledging it with a response.” – Kodak Social Media Policies
What next?
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