Social networking has become a necessary evil and organisations need to gear up to protect their interests

Social networking has become a necessary evil and organisations need to gear up to protect their interests. Here’s how they are trying to achieve just that, discovers 

    We are long past the age of banning social networking sites, especially when several jobs require the use of such websites. In such a scenario, it becomes critical to lay down certain guidelines w.r.t to what is acceptable to talk about and what is strictly off-limits. In the absence of such guidelines, employees might find themselves without a job and organisations may face the prospect of extensive damage control.
    Pavan Chauhan, MD, Meritnation.com offers precautions:
Do not share any proprietary or confidential information of the company; Any message about the company, its employees or competitors that is derogatory, disrespectful or in bad taste should not be displayed; Any reference to official discussions between two people or a group ought to be avoided; Do not reveal any reference to matter that is biased and prejudiced; Obscene, sexually explicit or pornographic matter will be perceived as objectionable;
    Any views on political party or specific politicians should be clearly mentioned as ‘personal views’, so as to ensure that the company is not seen as a party to such views;
    Engagement in or for any purpose that is contrary to the policy or business interests of the organisation is offensive.
    Our lives are our own once we are out of the office, right? Wrong, in the case of social networking! “These guidelines should be applicable to both, during and after office hours as we are representatives of our company and anything that we say or post online is a reflection of our company and us,” asserts Koorapathy. “Certain guidelines get invalid once the employee is out of office. But other guidelines, which are related to the core of the organisation and employee community, should remain valid, even if the employee is not in office,” advises Sukesh Madaan, CEO, Envent. “As most of the people also mention about the company they work for, hence the guidelines apply to them, irrespective of the fact that they are in office or out of it. Social media is akin to a public place. The behaviour expected of any person in public place is the one which is applicable to social media as well. There is nothing confidential and private in social media. So whatever one says or posts on a social platform automatically becomes public info,” avers Chauhan.
    Last but definitely not the least, social networking by employees can actually work in the organisation’s favour when they spread the ‘good word’ about the company. “It is beneficial if companies have their name mentioned in social media. It will help in increasing visibility. However, caution must be exercised when using social media to ensure that no confidential information is shared,” agrees Koorapathy. “As people spend a considerable amount of time in office, so mention of work, organisation is non-avoidable but one has to take care of certain basic guidelines. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, the community of social media users is a huge one and every brand is investing a major chunk of the marketing budget to influence this community in some way or the other. Hence, companies should define the guidelines properly to avoid any kickback,” opines Madaan.
    Thus, one can never be too careful when it comes to social networking.
When it comes to personal posts, almost anything goes. But if you are referring to your organisation, industry or work in any manner, then it is better to be on guard.
Kshitish Koorapathy, HR manager, Courtyard by Marriott Chennai offers a few suggestions: Always use publically available facts when talking about the company. Never go with hearsay or rumours; Always use ‘I’ or ‘me’ when talking about yourself; Always build online relationships with clients/customers only if they ‘invite’ or ‘friend’ you; Never let online relationships interfere with your job duties or day-to-day interactions with clients; Use social media for building and maintaining professional relationships, not personal.