Social Media, from a business view, is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, there is information and intelligence to be gained. It also presents an opportunity to showcase who you are and what is important to you. On the other hand, when you do so (that is, when you ''like'' or ''share'' or comment on posts that are meaningful to you), anyone can see, and that can sometimes come back to haunt you.
Beyond Hiding your Youth on social media
It has long been understood that employers may look at social media as a way to understand who a potential candidate is. We have all heard the stories about ensuring you have not posted anything inappropriate, or anything that a potential future employer may find and judge us for. Even once our role is secured we need to be careful about what we do in the social realm for fear it will be interpreted by someone in a negative way.
While I would certainly agree there are some topics best left as private information, or perhaps best shared with people who actually know you, the repercussions people fear from social media is staggering.
Thinking Twice
A number of people who have connected with me privately say they agree with something I have posted but fear commenting because someone from their company may see their words. I have also heard that they wanted to ''like'' something I posted but worried someone they worked for or even used to work for, would see the post and assume it was about them. I fully understand that fear.
The Positive is OK
It is also interesting to me that when the messaging is positive, when it shines a light on their company in a good way, masses of people jump to ''like'', celebrate and re-share posts. This is also part of the ‘people are watching’ phenomenon. Whether they agree with what has been posted, or even believe it to be true, there is an unspoken pressure to amplify the positive message - because, what does it mean if you don’t?
Contracts and Clauses
Some companies actually have in place loyalty clauses that ensure people don’t publicly disparage their employer and don’t support any negative press. One has to ask about the foundation of a company and the activities within the company, when that is part of its employment agreement.
For those who don’t have such formal structures, there is still the fear of silently being watched. Do you accept a connection request from a senior manager on social media, knowing that person will now have access to even your private posts? And what does it say to that manager if you do not?
All of This Begs a Number of Questions
Should you be, or not be, on social media? Can you safely be yourself on social media?
Social media is a tricky place to operate. Certainly, there are people whose comments and posts on social media are truly intended to reflect the brand of a company. After all when you are in marketing or communications roles you need to be thoughtful about how and where you engage. Does that same apply to everyone across a company?
What can companies do to ensure their employees feel safe enough to ''like'' a post that resonates with them, without fear of retribution? My firm answer is to prioritize, measure and monitor psychological safety at all levels.
Do you dare to share?
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