The ONS reports that small employers (10-49 employees ) are less likely, by a factor of almost three to one, to use social media to exchange views opinion and knowledge within their business . They are half as likely to use social media in the first place as large employers ( those with >1,000 employees).
The statistics are quoted in research prepared for ACAS. Although the report focussed on employee to employer communication it contains a wealth of information for any employer considering an enterprise social media platform such as Yammer or Socialtext.
Enterprise social media platforms are closed networks open only to members of a particular organisation. They offer employers a number of competitive advantages:
- Providing “outbound” communication in-house
the opportunity to give employees updates on the organisation, products, services and HR issues - Receiving “in-bound” feedback
the opportunity for employees openly or anonymously to feedback to the employer - Fostering inter-company collaboration
invaluable contributions often come from employees working outside their strict job descriptions or from internal “crowd sourcing” - Engaging employees
especially remote workers who may not be in the office every day, or at all - Developing a company culture
most organisations succeed by the way in which individuals work together - Promoting the employer brand
the opportunity for candidates to discover how it feels to work for an employer, before they join, has never been greater. You should promote your employer brand internally so as to be able to attract the best candidates externally
20 years ago companies survived without email, 10 years ago without a website, today without harnessing social media, in 10 years time?