Communicating with Employees – what are the best tools and strategies?

In the current recession, anxiety is high and employees are constantly seeking updates from employers about office news, new business developments and the stability of their jobs.

It is more important now than ever to form open lines of communication between senior management and staff to answer questions, calm concerns and ensure everyone is staying informed. Initiating tools and strategies to build internal communication can have many benefits including a boost in company morale in a time when employees feel uncertain about the future.

There are several tools available to small, medium or large employers for communicating with employees, especially with the growth of online social networking.

Weekly Staff Meetings – Staff meetings conducted once a week are a great way to open the floor for conversation among staff and senior management. While this may be a common practice in many small businesses and firms, most often these meetings are not being utilized to their full potential. Management should prepare an agenda, even if it’s simply an informal list of topics to be covered. This keeps the meeting on target and ensures that nothing is left out. This time should be used to make announcements, ask and answer any questions or concerns employees have and listen to any ideas staff may have for improvements in various aspects of the company.

Webcasts – Companies can use webcasts internally to create a sense of pride among employees, keep employees engaged, boost morale and cross-sell information, other departments and services. The webcasts can be posted on the company Web site and emailed to all staff with a short note from the executive who participated in the webcast thanking employees for their hard work and encouraging them to continue producing strong results. Some general topics internal webcasts can follow include: new company initiatives, best practices, information post-crisis and state of the industry.

E-Newsletters – electronic newsletters can be posted to your company Web site, emailed to staff and link to other social media sites. A newsletter helps educate and inform your employees about news and updates related to your company and/or industry.

Company Facebook pages/groups – Businesses can create Facebook pages and groups that employees can join and engage in conversations with one another and senior management who administer the pages/groups. This is a great tool for large businesses with various departments to use since employees in different departments may not have the opportunity to talk and get to know each other. This is also a place where senior management can upload information about company events, news and updates.

Company Twitter accounts – Twitter is the fastest growing social media channel currently being used, and it is guaranteed that some of your employees are already using it. If a manager starts a Twitter account on behalf of the company, employees can follow that feed and have up-to-date information about what is going on for the company in terms of client updates, event updates, office information, etc. This is a great tool for employees who work remotely or travel often, so they are always up to speed on office happenings.

What are some of the tools your company uses to keep employees informed and lines of communication open? How active is senior management at your company in communicating with other employees and staff?

Tips for Using Social Networks in a Job Hunt

Are social networks the best place to find a job?

Ultimately the best way to find a job is through networking, and in the current recession where the number of job-hunters is increasing every day, people who are looking for a job need to be resourceful and creative. Looking through the employment section of the newspaper or searching job postings online are no longer the most efficient and productive methods for finding a job.

Social networking is at the top of mind for people of all ages in all professions. Everyone is talking about it, and taking your networking skills online and using social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Jobster can only increase the results of your job search.
Social networking sites provide numerous benefits and tools to increase your personal brand recognition. LinkedIn is a network of 40 million professionals, 200 million active users are on Facebook and Twitter has more than 11 million accounts.

People on a job search can use each of these sites in a different way to reach the same goal. By establishing accounts and relationships on various social networking sites, you can reach a larger and more diverse audience.

LinkedIn is the most popular site for professional networking. This site provides members access to everyone in their personal network and everyone your connections know as well. When building your profile you can include an online resume that lists your experience, skills, a title and even tags that relate to your industry of expertise. The tags you list become useful when recruiters conduct a general search using keywords specific to your industry. Another tool LinkedIn offers is the Box.net tool that allows you to post documents for online portfolio. Joining industry groups is another way to develop your credentials and display your expertise in the industry. Some of the other benefits LinkedIn provides include:

• search through available jobs posted by employers which are high quality and professional
• request recommendations from previous colleagues and employers that can boost your resume
• request to be contacted about job opportunities

Facebook is similar to LinkedIn, but tends to be more popular among younger generations as a tool for job-hunters. The site originated as a social networking site for friends and family, and it more informal than LinkedIn. One suggestion for utilizing Facebook for a job search is to join groups where you can network and build relationships with other people in your field of interest. You can use your participation in these groups to build your credibility by offering useful information and opinions about trends or timely news issues. It is important to note that even if you are not using Facebook for your job search, you should ensure that your profile is employer-friendly.

Twitter is different because it gives you an opportunity to connect with people you do not know but who are interested in similar topics, industries, are located in your area, etc. by using the search tool. There are several recruiters, companies and industry organizations that use Twitter to post available jobs, including TweetMyJobs which sends automatic updates about job openings. By following these people and building a relationship through Twitter, you may have the opportunity to inquire about new positions and hiring. Twitter relationships are built on trust and conversations. If you are constantly updating your Twitter feed with information about your job search, your followers will be made aware and can offer suggestions, referrals and tips on where to look next.

Jobster is a networking site that allows you to connect directly with employers who are offering jobs. As a member of this network, you can upload a resume, embed a video resume, showcase links to other Web sites, upload a picture and tag industry specific skills. The site also offers a search tool that allows you to search for open positions and connect to the person who posted the position for more information.

While there are great sites that are solely dedicated to posting and searching for jobs, for examples Monster, Career Builder, Simply Hired and more, many of those sites have a fee attached. More companies are moving in a different direction and are posting job positions to their own Web sites and free online social networks before utilizing job search sites. If you are serious about your jobhunt then there is no reason you should not already be online using these social networks.

Networking Etiquette Dos and Don’ts

Thousands of people are on the job-hunt and one of the first things people tell you to do when looking for a job is to go out and network. This is also true for companies who are looking to attract new business and meet referral sources. Yet, how do you know where to go, what to do when you get there and basic networking etiquette to ensure you’re doing it right?

When making the decision to network, it is important to establish why you are doing it. Is it to meet potential employers, meet potential clients, meet referral sources and develop new business?

The first step is finding networking events hosted by organizations within your field or a field that you are interested in working with potential clients. A lot of these organizations will host networking events that are free or have a small cost to attend. One new trend that has become popular with the growth of Twitter is attending a Tweetup event. A Tweetup is a networking event hosted by a local organization as a means for local Twitters to meet and build in-person relationships.

Another outlet for establishing a new network is through volunteering. Not all networking must be done at an event designated for that purpose. Networking is simply going out and meeting new people to build relationships and new contacts.

After choosing where to start in building your network, make sure you are prepared. Never get caught in a networking situation without business cards. You should also be prepared to tell people why you decided to attend the event, what you’re there for, what you are interested in and so forth. It is a good idea to think about these questions before you go, instead of winging it when you are asked at the event. “What do you do?” is one of the most common questions you will be asked, and you should have a no-hesitation, succinct 30-second response ready.

In order for networking to work you need to believe it will work. When you go to an event, try talking to everyone you meet for a few minutes, taking the time to get to know them. Make sure you listen to what others have to say, and do not interrupt or brag about yourself and your accomplishments. When the conversation turns to you and what your industry, interests and skills are, it is important to be honest and fair in your representation of yourself. First impressions are key, and it is important to make a strong first impression by showing interest in the people and event you are attending.

One thing to remember is that you should not act desperate or too pushy. People don’t want to just hear a sales pitch from you, they want to get to know you. Show others at the event that you can bring value to the organization and group, but remember not to promise what you can’t deliver, whether that is resources, time or skills. Again, transparency is key when you are trying to build bonds.

Most importantly, do not get discouraged. If your phone is not ringing or your inbox is not full of offers after your first networking event, it does not mean the event and connections you made are not beneficial. Relationship building takes time. One strategy to stay top of mind of the people you meet to is follow up and keep your new contacts informed about what is going on with your life and business. Social networking sites have made this very easy.

Crisis Management

The Role of Social Media in Crisis Management

The short news cycle is becoming even shorter with the growth of social media venues, and messages about your company, whether good or bad, are going to spread at rapid pace. Now is the time when your company should incorporate social media into its crisis management plan.

Every company should have a crisis team in place at all times. This team should include key executives, a public relations executive or team, legal counsel and a digital communications expert.

There are three key parts to a crisis management plan – preparation, response and recovery.

Preparation

Preparation is the first part of crisis management to ensure the second and third phases are carried out effectively. While it is true that there is no way to plan for every potential crisis, you can start by holding a brainstorming session with your company’s executives to discuss possible crisis situations and then develop a plan for each situation.

There are a few strategies companies can incorporate in the preparation phase of crisis management. The most common strategy is to select one spokesperson to eliminate confusion when the media start asking questions, and message points that specifically address key issues of various stakeholders should be drafted and ready.

Also, your company should create accounts on various social networking sites before a crisis occurs to allow for an easy transition to responding to a crisis using these outlets when the time comes.

Response

Response is the most important part of the crisis management plan because it can make or break your company’s reputation. In the past, when a crisis occurred a company had 24 hours to respond before the opportunity was lost. Now, with the rise of social networking venues companies should take no longer than 4 hours to respond to public concern. Proactive communication on the bad news does at least two good things: It gives you more control over the timing, and it gives you the opportunity to frame the story in the best possible way.

During a crisis, at least one team member should be monitoring and tracking coverage and comments on all news sites, including the more traditional online versions of print media, as well as, Twitter, blogs, YouTube, Facebook, etc. With the increasing use of digital and social media which gives users the ability to connect with thousands of consumers and share thoughts immediately, it is utterly important for companies to also be communicating via these channels. Gone are the days when a crisis would occur and the company had an entire news cycle before it appeared in the papers and was made public.

Not only should your company be as responsive as possible using social media, the key spokesperson chosen should also be made available to all media inquiries and answer questions without a ‘no comment’ response. When companies use the ‘no comment’ response or cannot be reached to answer journalists’ questions, the public assumes the worst.

Recovery

After a crisis occurs, it is important to close the loop with strategies that repair any damage to your company’s reputation, public image and internal relationships with stakeholders. This is one area where a public relations team plays a key role.

Implementing strategies for recovery using social media will continue to climb the ladder of importance. Not only will a PR team need to draft and distribute an effective news release in response to a crisis, but the team will also need to go online and initiate conversations and response to consumers’ comments and concerns on various social networking sites.

A good crisis PR program is not going to make all your problems go away, but it can minimize the impact of negative publicity on your company’s reputation and maybe even contribute to its survival.