As companies turn to social media to promote their services and products, so we are starting to see an increase in monitoring digital behaviour. In a recent report by Gartner it was predicted that 60% of corporations will look to implement formal monitoring programs by 2015, which will look at contributions by employees to external sites, for compliance, security breaches as well as brand management and marketing.
Whilst monitoring external output is essential for companies to ensure continuity in the promotion of their products and services, some organisations have come under fire for requesting personal social media log-in details to assess applicants’ suitability for a role within their company, which in effect could contravene equal opportunities and various discrimination acts.
Theresa Durrant, Director at the UK’s leading cloud and salesforce.com CRM recruitment consultancy, Resource On Demand recently commented “As we see the growth of companies like Salesforce Radian6, the leading provider of social media monitoring tools and engagement platform, so too do we see more awareness within organisations to manage their social media output. Getting the balance between monitoring employees social media contributions for effectiveness and suitability to their official duties, without encroaching into their personal and recreational pursuits will be essential for businesses. The key is not to see social media as a means for making recruitment decisions, but instead encourage employees to participate in social media interaction with customers”.
Durrant went on to say “Setting clearly defined guidelines from the outset, as to the nature of what content is publishable, will enable employees to communicate effectively and confidently with their clients and customers, without the fear of a backlash from their employers”.
Additional information is available from Gartner’s website: “Conduct Digital Surveillance Ethically and Legally: 2012 Update,”