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Strengthening the Front Line
Social networking on the job: Handle with care!
Agencies need clear policies, and employees must use common sense
By Emily Huling, CIC, CMC
Face it: reputations are made 24/7!The growth of social networking sites has intensified conversations about the work-life connection, but these new media haven’t changed what has always been true: Each of us is responsible for the image we create and the reputation we establish.
Twenty-five years ago, when I was an insurance company underwriter, a colleague was called on the carpet one Monday morning for having participated over the weekend in a Hooter’s wet T-shirt competition. Her manager had received a call from an agent who had been at the event and hadn’t expected to see his underwriter—at least not that much of her. Fortunately for my coworker, cell phone cameras hadn’t yet been invented. Today, a picture would have been snapped, uploaded to Facebook, and tagged for all to view. And let’s not forget the permanent image that would live on in cyberspace.
Fast forward to May 2010. A headline in my local newspaper, The Charlotte Observer, reads: “Facebook post costs waitress her job.” The story tells of a college-student waitress who was left a measly tip for the length of time that customers sat at her table. After her shift, she went on Facebook and posted: “Thanks for eating at Brixx, you cheap _______.” Her bosses called her in two days later and fired her for violating company policy against speaking disparagingly about customers, as well as a second policy against casting the restaurant in a negative light on social networks.
To protect their own reputations and liability exposures, employers are working diligently to create and enforce social media guidelines in the workplace. Among the most popular social media platforms are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Wikipedia, MySpace, and blogs.
An effective policy addresses both corporate and individual use of social media communication. Companies need to protect their public image while not squelching individual expression and rights. For samples of useful employee handbook language, agencies can access an IIABA publication called “The Agents Council for Technology (ACT) Social Web Policy Guide.” Visit www.iiaba.net and navigate to Member Services, then Agent Council for Technology.
Even with a clearly stated social media policy in place, not all issues can be covered in an agency manual. It’s each individual’s responsibility to protect his or her job and character. Here are some guidelines for using social media at work:
Be familiar with your company’s written and unwritten social media policies. Not knowing your company policy is no excuse if you violate it. If you don’t know whether your employer has a written policy or the topic hasn’t been discussed, ask your boss about it. It’s in your company’s best interest to establish written guidelines. As a responsible employee, it’s in your best interest to know and follow them.
Establish your own personal guidelines. Whom do you want to let into your social media world? Combining personal and business friends (which most people do) increases your responsibility for what you post, join and comment on.
Sound business practices have taught us not to talk about sex, religion or politics in the workplace. Think twice before posting comments or joining groups that could adversely affect business dealings.
Use good judgment. Is the content you’re posting consistent with the professionalism and standards you want to project? I just read a post from a business colleague who had a few minutes to kill because his “jerk of a client was late.” Even if I assume his delayed client doesn’t have access to this comment, I wondered why he would make a disparaging comment of any kind about someone he does business with. What’s he saying or thinking about me?
Your responses to others’ posts and blogs reflect your beliefs and attitudes. Be respectful of others’ views. If you disagree, take it off the public site.
Work comes first. Remember when employees wasted time on personal phone calls, playing solitaire, or surfing the Internet? We may have evolved in the sophistication of how we kill time at work, but the resulting poor performance, lack of productivity, and disruption of others’ ability to do their jobs hasn’t changed. Engage in social media only during legitimate break times—and that’s only if your corporate social media policy permits you to engage at work at all. And remember, by using company property, you forfeit your right to privacy.
There’s no such thing as privacy online. The Brixx waitress learned this by venting her frustration about her customer on her Facebook page. Never disclose proprietary or confidential information about your company, customers, or colleagues; do not speak ill of the competition; do not violate copyrights, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights. If you choose to seek another job online, be careful if you still want to keep the one you have.
In our industry we sell trust, reliability, professionalism, and sound advice. To be regarded as possessing those qualities, it’s critical that we demonstrate them in all of our communication encounters.
The author
Emily Huling, CIC, CMC, helps the insurance industry create top-performing sales and customer service organizations. Her newest book and audio program is Great Service Sells - How Great CSRs Turn Service into Sales. For information on her products and services, visit www.sellingstrategies.com.
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