Human resources social media policy template

The social media calendar must be approved by a senior executive or manager at least [ number of days ] before the start of a new month. In cases where the company is set to announce major news or launch campaigns on social media, the Social Media Manager and Marketing Manager must thoroughly review the content for any misleading or incorrect information.

To ensure optimal productivity, [ company name ] allows its employees to access personal social media channels at work for at least [ number of hours ] per day.

We do ask our employees to be responsible with their time and always ensure deadlines and job responsibilities are completed on time. However, the public nature of social media and the ease of access among staff and employees means that, without clear policies , what employees post can create embarrassment for the company and possibly legal or security issues.

It is essential, therefore, to develop a comprehensive social media policy that includes guidelines and best practices for your managers and workers. Social media, in this context, would include blogs, wikis, message boards, chat rooms, e-newsletters, online forums, social networking sites, and other online sites.

A media policy is essentially your business code of conduct, informing people in your organization know how to act on social media. And because many jobs require Internet access and almost every employee brings a smart phone or other mobile device to work, this creates the need for a social media policy.

While there is no standardized, or legally required format for a social media policy manual , some best practices have evolved since the inception of social media. Here is a generic outline of topics that should be included in a social media policy document:.

In addition, a post from the Forbes Human Resources Council offers some items they believe a policy statement should cover:. A social media policy should make sure that employees are educated to understand the social media platform they are using. How one represents themselves on a "personal" social media account can often bleed over to their "professional" interests.

Social media is a great tool to develop a personal brand by establishing a positive reputation. Scott Monty was somewhat of a social media pioneer for Ford , back before Facebook hit a billion users and social media became a critical piece of corporate strategy. The platforms may have shifted, but this is still great stuff:.

The document is ready to be adapted for your own company use. The template could be particularly helpful because it is highly situational. Each bullet point is specific but also points employees to other resources that can guide social media actions.

These include the Code of Conduct, employee handbook, HR department, spokespeople and more. Dell has always been a leader in using technology to directly connect with our customers. Social media is another platform you can use to build our brand, just be sure you do it the right way.

This straightforward document stands in stark contrast to something like the social media policy from the US Office of Personnel Management , complete with appendices, required disclaimers, direct message guidelines and more. You definitely want to be clear about your social media policy.

But sometimes less is more, and simple is best. Adobe references its social media guidelines in its main employee code of conduct document.

This section is short, so there is likely a dedicated internal document. It also sets clear boundaries of how employees can or cannot conduct themselves. For example, Adobe states that employees do not represent the company or speak for it unless they are authorized to do so by Adobe Public Relations.

Edmunds offers an effective way of presenting your social media policy. You can take a visual approach that clearly segments each part of the policy such as confidentiality and discretion. The interesting thing about ESPN is that its public-facing employees e. Pfizer operates in waters heavy with regulatory oversight, so it like ESPN maintains a more cautious and granular social media policy. Like Adobe, Pfizer summarizes the main points of its social media guideline in its main code of conduct document so that every employee is aware.

This summary establishes clear rules about how an employee can represent themselves and when to disclose their affiliation with Pfizer. How can your employees use social media while complying with the rules and regulations that govern our organization? Collaborate closely with your compliance team to understand the latest regulatory compliance policies and stay in the loop for any ongoing changes. In return, you can also share details on the latest changes across social media marketing and your corporate social media strategy so they can identify any potential risks.

By aligning both departments, you can align on a crystal clear social media policy that fosters the right behaviors for employee advocacy.

If you choose to modify an earlier post, make it clear that you have done so. If someone accuses you of posting something improper such as their copyrighted material or a defamatory comment about them , deal with it quickly— better to remove it immediately to lessen the possibility of a legal action.

You should ensure that your comments reflect the policies of your jurisdiction as well as the system of care values of being youth-guided, family-driven, and linguistically and culturally competent. Comments should be fact-based and should not disparage any person or entity. That includes avoiding ethnic slurs, insults, or curses, as well as comments that disparage political or religious beliefs.

When confronted with a negative public or private post, proceed with respect and caution. Provide factual information when possible and appropriate. If the comment or message is antagonistic or argumentative, it may be best to not respond, unless that would be hurtful to your brand.

Use your best judgment when interacting with organizations and individuals online. When linking to other content, be sure to check the links not only to ensure that they are working, but also to ensure the appropriateness of the content being linked to. Include relevant hashtags in Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram messages when appropriate, utilizing the hashtag as part of the content of the message whenever possible to save characters.

Develop your own list of frequently used hashtags. Examples might include:. If you are planning to use a hashtag that is not currently on your frequently used list, make sure to search that hashtag on the social media platform, as well as consult Hashtags. Evaluation is the best way to ensure growth and increased visibility for your content.

Work with your digital media team to determine and establish benchmarks prior to your engagement and then use recommended methods of tracking to evaluate engagement and report findings to the team. To sign up for updates or to access your subscriber preferences, please enter your contact information.

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