Companies, employees find social media both help, hinder work

On one side, networking sites provide the ability to post instant updates and showcase a business on the Internet inexpensively and efficiently. It can be a good personal marketing and networking tool for those searching for jobs. On the other side, social media can cause workplace disruptions and what is placed online can have an impact on employee hiring and retention.

When considering a new employee, managers often research candidates as they look for a good fit with the company. An August 2009 survey from CareerBuilder.com noted that, at that time, 45 percent of employers were using social networking sites to research job candidates.

More and more often, employers are checking Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter and other sites to ensure there is nothing posted by the recruit that would reflect poorly on the company and that candidates would be compatible with employees.

Online marketing

Happy hour specials at the local restaurant “tweeted” to followers. Ten percent off clothes at a department store mentioned in an update on Facebook. A free gift to the first 100 people who show a coupon on their smart phone to the salesperson.

Foursquare and other smart-phone applications will tell the user where to get specials near their current location.

These types of tools are a step beyond Sunday coupon clipping. These specials are delivered into the e-hands of those who are much more likely to use them — because they’ve asked for them.

And while any smart shopper loves a good deal, perhaps what is even more desired by true brand-loyal customers is inside information, a sneak-peek at the newest products, and the ability to connect with the company, ask questions of staff and feel like they are part of a shared experience. Some businesses hold contests to encourage users to return to their site again and again. These concepts are not new, but they are more targeted and more competitive as companies battle for customers’ MasterCards and megabytes.

“Businesses can use Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn as a tool to develop a relationship with their customers or ‘fans,’” said Jenny Dougherty, local Small Business Development Center. “I believe that it isn’t so much a way to market their business but more of a way to develop customer loyalty.

“Businesses that try to use Facebook as a marketing tool will find that less effective than businesses that try to keep their customers informed, provide them with information or news they would be interested in. Businesses should provide 80 percent information of interest to their fans and 20 percent of ‘selling.’”

While posting deals and specials is a good start, posting other content such as photographs and interactive content that requires the customers to provide information back to the business allows the two-way conversation and rich experience the user desires.

Dougherty also cautions businesses looking at social media to keep the sites current and updated. In addition, managers should decide who will choose the content, when to post updates and what should be included.

It’s better to not have a Facebook page than to have an outdated, irrelevant Facebook page, Dougherty notes.

Sean Bahr, web designer for North Star Interactive, recommends his clients use a multi-layer approach to develop their online brand.

“Regardless of how a potential customer finds your business online, your goal should be to involve them further with your company by providing useful information,” Bahr said. “Your website and social media profile should work together to engage visitors.”

Bahr notes some positives and negatives about social media use in business. For large companies, he said, control issues and lack of direction in content posting can occur if multiple people update the sites. Other companies are reluctant to embrace the technology because of the distractions that it can cause.

Bahr said business owners should consider their main website the online hub and the social network profiles as the spokes of a wheel. “A website is essential for an Internet presence. Social media are used to increase the awareness of that presence.”

Local examples

Pete Schultz, director of the local Convention and Visitors Bureau, has been marketing the local area on Facebook for more than a year.

“It’s a good way to communicate with people and build a group of friends,” Schultz said.

Schultz posts occasional seasonal photos from Borderland and highlights community events on the CVB Facebook page, which is simply called “Rainy Lake.” Schultz said the board decided to use Facebook, and that moniker, because it would make the area easy to find on the popular site, especially for out-of-town visitors.

And now the Rainy Lake page has exceeded 4,000 “friends,” more than half the population of International Falls.

Schultz said one person posted that because of what they saw on the Rainy Lake page, they decided to visit the area and rent a houseboat. Thrilled with their trip, they posted a positive review for the area.

The local Chamber of Commerce has also recently started a Facebook page.

“The instant exponential factor (of Facebook) is amazing,” said Faye Whitbeck, chamber president. “We’re just jumping on board with the electronic revolution.”

“It’s the wave and you almost have to get on it,” Whitbeck said. The page targets locals, chamber members and those looking at the area from a distance. Whitbeck said when an item was advertised for sale on the Facebook page, it was sold in seconds.

One local business that has been advertised mostly by word of mouth — including a very active Facebook page — is Capture Your Moment Photography.

Photographer Jackie Briggs said she began posting photos when she opened her business just over a year ago. Posting examples of her work has been a form of free advertising. Briggs updates her business Facebook site several times each week.

“Word of mouth is the best advertising,” she said. “Facebook just got my name out there more quickly.”

Briggs recently held a contest on her Facebook page where users could upload and then vote on photographs of the cutest children. In a matter of a few weeks, she got more than 400 new Facebook friends through the contest, as parents requested their friends and family “like” the site so they could also vote on the contest.

Stephanie Rognerud, owner of the Coffee Landing Cafe, has had a similar experience with using a Facebook page. Her page has been active for about two months.

“I started it because everybody’s into Facebook,” Rognerud said. “I try to post a lot of different stuff.”

The page includes a tab with the restaurant’s full menu, but also is updated daily to include the lunch specials. Rognerud said that Facebook is among her best options for getting a message out to Falls-area customers.

“I can’t pay to get an ad like what I get on Facebook for free,” Rognerud said. “I love to see how many people out there are looking at it.”

She also liked that she was able to get instant feedback from customers and view pictures they post of the restaurant. She’s even had orders from out of town made on the site.

Good/bad impressions

While these sites can be positive ways of networking and keeping in touch with business contacts, they can also contain red flags for employers, and can lead to trouble both on the job and before work even starts.

Few people would bad mouth a boss or client to their face. But many more may make negative comments online after a bad day on the job.

But when does it go too far?

The story of a Connecticut woman who was fired from her job after posting derogatory comments about her boss on Facebook made national news in November. The National Labor Relations Board has filed a complaint against the employer, citing free speech about workplace conditions with other workers protected under labor laws.

With a quick online search, one can unearth dozens of similar cases of employees taking the heat at work for something they posted online while on or off the clock. Personal attacks, leaking company secrets and details of common workplace squabbles have all led to pink slips and trips to human resources.

But before someone is even hired, their online conversations, photographs and things they “like” can be flagged by employers looking for someone who meets a particular image.

The Minnesota WorkForce Center has for the first time included information on social networking in a book set to print this month.

The book, “Creative Job Search,” is provided to people who participate in the workshops provided at WorkForce Centers around the state.

According to its authors, “It’s wise to keep your image on social networking sites professional. Some studies show as many as 80 percent of employers look at your social networking profiles to see how you act beyond the interview. Don't let this scare you away from using these tools since social networking services are a great way to create new contacts and keep in touch with old ones.”

The book says that LinkedIn is the most important social network in terms of job search because it is strictly professional in tone and many executives and hiring personnel use that site. However, because more people have profiles on Facebook, that site is more widely used, according to other surveys.

“In general, we would advise people to keep their postings professional and to steer away from controversial topics, such as politics,” says Monte Hanson, communication specialist for Minnesota DEED. “You should only post comments on Facebook and other social media sites that you would want your prospective boss to see.

Jobs in 140 characters

Social media sites can be used to find open positions and for employers to recruit new employees.

“On Twitter, for the employer side of things, many corporations have set up accounts that they post jobs to. Some examples are @BestBuyJobs, @JobsatIntel, @Microsoft_Jobs and @StarbucksJobs. Government agencies are also tweeting jobs. Some examples are @federaljobsbank and @HennepinSo_WFC,” reports Brooke Roegge, digital information specialist for the Minnesota DEED.

Companies and job seekers are using third-party sites to “tweet” for them. Some sites include http://tweetmyjobs. com and http://www.twitjobsearch.com/. At both sites, those seeking employment type in the type of job they want and location, and jobs poted on Twitter matching those criteria are located.

Roegge said that social networking sites are opening up a previously “hidden job market” — those jobs that used to take knowing someone who knows the hiring manager at a company to get information on an open position. Now, more of that information is available by making connections on social media sites.

“Social media have broadened the way people search for work. Twenty years ago, Sunday newspaper classified ads or word-of-mouth were the dominant ways that people found out about job openings,” Roegge said. “Today, people can use those traditional methods as well as online job boards, company websites, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to find work.”

Tips for businesses using social media:

1. Provide useful information. Find out who your target audience is and what they want. Create content that captures their attention.

2. Think of creative ways to get visitors to interact with your company, such as contests, freebies and exclusive coupons.

3. Know your market and use Facebook ads to target them. Facebook allows you to put your ad in front of users who have already expressed interest in what you want to market.

Tips from Sean Bahr, North Star Interactive

Five tips for job seekers to keep a positive image online:

1. Clean up digital dirt before you begin your job search. Remove any photos, content and links that can work against you in an employer's eyes.

2. Consider creating your own professional group on sites like Facebook. It's a great way to establish relationships with leaders, recruiters and potential referrals.

3. Keep gripes offline. Keep the content you post focused on positive things, whether it's related to professional or personal information. Highlight specific accomplishments.

4. Be selective about whom you accept as friends. Don't forget others can see your friends when they search for you. Set your profile to "private" so only designated friends can view it.

5. If you're still employed, don't mention a job search in Tweets or status updates. There are multiple examples of people who have gotten fired as a result of doing this.

Information from CareerBuilder.com