The Marriage of HR and Social Media
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Human Resources (HR) people work with human beings. Because of that perspective, HR people have not been among the first to jump on the social media bandwagon. However, it enhances their ability to recruit people. It is a natural.


Although HR has many different responsibilities, one of them, of course, is to protect the company for whom they work from legal issues. Another very large responsibility is to cultivate and protect the culture of the company. As time goes on, social media is becoming more clearly defined in business. This impacts the roles that an online presence will play for HR professionals. More and more HR professionals are using the Internet to find qualified candidates who not only look good on paper but also fit in well and have proven integrity. Additionally, businesses are encouraging their employees to use social networks to expand their list of contacts.



Finding a Balance Between Value and Productivity


When the Internet started to become popular, many businesses were reluctant to get their employees involved or in even allowing them to use it at work. They didn’t really understand that value that it could have for their business. Their short-sighted view made them think that it was only a fun, personal medium for connecting with friends. Of course, we now know that it is so much more than that. In many cases, the attitudes (and ignorance) of the powers that be in companies have not changed dramatically. However, this time, it is all about social media.



It is extremely important to truly understand the value that online interactions can bring to business. It is very important to educate HR professionals about all of the benefits that they can get from it. Many of the online tools that they will benefit from the most have little or no cost involved with them. This can be regarded by business owners as not being worthwhile because there is no purchasing fee. In the case of social media, that has nothing to do with its value whatsoever.



Another valuable aspect of social media is that it positively affects not only a company’s internal workforce but it also affects the entire industry. Companies can use social media to share valuable information with a very broad audience. This will have far-reaching benefits because the companies are building relationships that will draw people to them and eventually they will be doing business with them in some way. Hopefully, those people will stick around for a long time.



Social media is a convenient tool for HR professionals to use, however, it is critical to set up the proper metrics so that the results of using social media can be measured. There are many times in which social media can help to facilitate an HR process that would not be possible otherwise. There is definitely a great deal of value in that.



Resources whenever you need them


No matter which industry you are involved with, social media will help you to expand your network immensely. Being an HR professional is not an easy job. Being able to connect with as many good-quality people is a really big advantage. Having continual interaction with people results in stronger and stronger relationships. Social media also allows the employees in the company to position the business in a way that makes large numbers of others pay attention to the business and what it has to offer.



Embracing innovation


As technology develops more and more, it is extremely important for businesses to continue to embrace and take advantage of all of the new things being offered that will help them to grow the business. The advances in social media are so fast paced, it is important to stay connected on a very regular basis so that they don’t miss new opportunities as they are presented.



The concept of “think outside of the box” certainly applies when it comes to HR and social media. It is more important than ever nowadays for companies to come up with new approaches and new thinking that will increase their business dealings and increase their revenue.



Reexamining corporate values


Social media can dramatically alter expectations. Before the advent of social media, it was not always possible to connect with people all of the time. Of course, there is a possibility that that could work in the opposite direction. Even though it is possible to reach people 24/7, there need to be respectful boundaries put in place that don’t allow that to happen. This applies particularly to HR professionals.



Conclusion


The one thing that is for certain is that social media is not going away anytime soon. It is beneficial for all industries and all niches and anyone who does not embrace it and continue to grow with it as new technologies are introduced is doing themselves and their business a tremendous disservice.



The Marriage of HR and Social Media