workforce 2.0 presentation to university of texas school of communications

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Workforce 2.0 Using Social Media to Engage Employees* * We define engaged employees as workers who are informed, productive, collaborative, and advocates

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Presentation on the evolution of internal communications and the emergence of the social enterprise. Also features tips on how to foster social inside organizations.

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Page 1: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Workforce 2.0

Using Social Media to Engage Employees*

* We define engaged employees as workers who are informed, productive, collaborative, loyal and advocates

Page 2: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

The Context: Web 2.0 Revolution

Networking Platforms

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Cloud Computing

Page 3: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Background

As digital natives--those who have grown up with the Internet--flood the workplace, your employees will expect to be part of the social Web and they'll have a lot to contribute. Does this sound like business as usual? It shouldn't. (Joshua-Michelle Ross – A Corporate Guide for Social Media. Forbes.)

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Page 4: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Reports confirm interest & benefits…but also uneven adoption

Watson Wyatt report suggests social media can improve internal communication and employee engagement…but also confirms many companies focus on potential risks and inhibit access to tools

Avanade (global IT consulting firm) survey found more than half of the 500 top executives surveyed resist the adoption of social media out of fear it will sap worker productivity

A survey by IABC/Buck found 4/5 of respondents use social media frequently to drive productivity & engage employees – but 56% of executives are not using social media

MIT research shows 40% of creative teams’ productivity is directly explained by the amount of communication they have with others to discover, gather, and internalize information. Other MIT research shows employees with the most extensive digital networks are 7% more productive than their colleagues, and those with the most cohesive face-to-face networks are 30% more productive

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Page 5: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Does Conversation Stop at Firewall?

Totally ProhibitedBusiness Purposes OnlyLimited Personal UseAny Personal UseDon't Know

Company Policies Regarding Use of Social Networks at Work

Robert Half Technology – October 2009

54%

10%

16%

19%

Page 6: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Web 2.0 Technologies on the Inside

Devel

op P

rodu

cts

Man

age

Know

ledg

e

Enha

nce

Cultu

re

Fost

er C

olla

bora

tion

Trai

ning

Recru

it Ta

lent

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

BlogsPodcastsNetworksMash-UpsPredictionTaggingMicroblogsRatingVideosPeer-PeerRSSWikis

McKinsey – Business & Web 2.0 (September 09)

Page 7: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Workforce 2.0 Premise

1. The best social media strategy is proactively integrated across programs, audiences and platforms

2. Your internal audience should not be an add-on - your employees are potentially your biggest fans & advocates…or harshest critics

3. Every company should provide a robust forum for employee conversation & collaboration

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Page 8: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Benefits of Integration

Web 2.0 technologies can be a powerful lure for an organization; their interactivity promises to bring more employees into daily contact at lower cost. When used effectively, they also may encourage participation in projects and idea sharing, thus deepening a company’s pool of knowledge. They may bring greater scope and scale to organizations as well, strengthening bonds with customers and improving communications with suppliers and outside partners.

This survey turned up strong evidence that these advantages are translating into measurable business gains. When we asked respondents about the business benefits their companies have gained as a result of using Web 2.0 technologies, they most often report greater ability to share ideas; improved access to knowledge experts; and reduced costs of communications, travel, and operations. Many respondents also say Web 2.0 tools have decreased the time to market for products and have had the effect of improving employee satisfaction.

[McKinsey Global Survey on Web 2.0 Adoption – 2009]

Page 9: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Defining a Workforce 2.0 Culture

A Workforce 2.0 organization shares information/content freely – allowingemployees to help create and share content – and provides employees withplatforms/tools to engage in candid conversation, work together, solveproblems and contribute to the evolution and success of the organization.

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A Workforce 2.0 Culture entails:

Page 10: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

The Workforce 2.0 Quiz

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Are You Social?

Page 11: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

How to Involve Employees

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Page 12: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Start with a focused, strategic approach

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Organizations considering social media can increase their chances of success by focusing on specific goals:

Page 13: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Potential Employee Strategies

External

Internal

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Page 14: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Potential Benefits of Internal Social Media

Delivering on Brand Promise

= More Satisfied Customers

Consumers

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= Improved Earnings ?

Page 15: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

More choice and less noise

Though it’s counter-intuitive…introducing social media platforms helps employees gain better access to relevant content and avoid information overload: Customization & personal triage of content Communities & categories to facilitate targeting Participation in creation of content, conversation RSS to allow targeted “pull” of data Collaboration tools fuel efficiency

The caveat is that organizations must coordinate – and prioritize – their communication across all channels to be effective

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Page 16: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Reality Check List

Due diligence Purpose Strategy Platforms Resources Team Rules Content Process Branding Marketing Metrics

Introducing a social media program requires a

substantial commitment and rigorous planning

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Page 17: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Setting Realistic Expectations

Social Media is not just technology – it’s a strategic and cultural mindset… so it may take time to get traction

Forget about concept of “controlling” information or conversation – the best you can do is contribute

It usually takes time to get attention and build an audience There will be negative comments and a few who strain the

boundaries…but typically the community will self-regulate Social media requires sustained commitment and dedicated

resources You will make mistakes…and learn along the way Valuable content wins out in the end

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Page 18: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Potential Applications

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Page 19: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Internal Research

Page 20: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

How do Companies Evaluate Success?

THE USUAL SUSPECTS Culture/Engagement Survey Event polls (e.g. meetings) Intranet quick polls Focus groups Employee panels or betas Leverage informal feedback

(blogs, comments) Use generic questions, topics

WHERE ARE THE GAPS? Uneven follow-up on broad

surveys Culture surveys often generic Limited focus on business impact Don’t always measure what

matters Qualitative research is not very

rigorous Lack of data crunching Hesitation to invest resources Don’t always update employees

on findings, actions

• Internal research should help you evaluate how you did…but also figure out what to do next• What you measure should be linked to your original objectives…not your output

My Two Cents…

Page 21: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Show Impact Not Just Activity

Many companies

are here

But they should be

here

Page 22: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

On the Horizon…

New technology introduces new options Online networks and channels provide ongoing feedback Quick polls are easy & cheap CMS & blog platforms have built in metrics

Still need to do your homework Is your sample representative? Relevant? Are you using the right format (stats vs. qualitative) Can you generate solid data from the information? Can you find relevant trends? Is the research actionable?

Page 23: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Appendix10 Principles of Workforce 2.0

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Page 24: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Principles of Workforce 2.0

Firewalls can’t stop technology or progress…

Assume most of your employees are already using social media platforms and applications

The best way to reach employees is through technology they use and understand

Don’t treat your employees as second-class citizens and use all your firepower externally

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Page 25: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Principles of Workforce 2.0

Don’t think of your employees as an insular, homogenous audience…

Employees are also consumers, customers, fans, critics, pundits, etc.

Employees will have varied interests, expertise and opinions – distinct communities of interest exist in every company

Consider all relevant corporate languages and cultures

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Page 26: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Principles of Workforce 2.0

There are already employee conversations about your company inside and outside the firewalls…

At minimum - you need to be aware of those conversations

You can influence the dialogue by participating & contributing information

Conversation is a two-way street…remember to listen

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Page 27: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Principles of Workforce 2.0

Don’t think of your employees as a “captive” audience…

Organizations have to compete for employees’ attention within the “noise” – just like they do externally

Relevance and credibility must be earned Don’t be distracted by structure, roles and

functional silos - geography and title are secondary to communities of interest

If your company is global, communicate in relevant languages

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Page 28: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Principles of Workforce 2.0

Like consumers, employees want to “network”: access information, share ideas, ask questions and compare notes with peers…

Organizations should facilitate collaboration & dialogue among employees…not just with them

Peers have a big influence on the assessment and use of information

Responding to input and questions is critical

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Page 29: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Principles of Workforce 2.0

The community will self-regulate…

Trust your employees to do the right thing…most will

The community will often strive to moderate extreme views, drive consensus and enforce rules of conduct

Don’t let rules stifle robust discussion

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Page 30: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Principles of Workforce 2.0

Employees are a great source of ideas…

The “wisdom of crowds” exists within organizations

Smart companies leverage the creativity and talent of their workforce

Employees that actively participate in shaping company programs & products are more likely to be engaged

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Page 31: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Principles of Workforce 2.0

The line between internal and external is blurring…

Communication (and technology) is increasingly straddling internal and external environments

Employees see less distinction between friends, colleagues, professional contacts and customers

Think of ways to leverage this reality rather than fight it

Don’t think too much about what is work-related and isn’t (it’s difficult to tell and may not really matter)

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Page 32: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Principles of Workforce 2.0

Social media requires a new mindset where evolution is constant…

This is no guidebook for social media – though there are best practices and community norms

Technology continues to evolve rapidly, and often unpredictably

Social media strategy needs to be nimble, responsive - the best approach is a beta mindset

It’s a marathon…not a sprint

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Page 33: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Principles of Workforce 2.0

Content is king (or queen)…

Providing valuable, relevant, unique and timely content is the highest priority

Setting the agenda is not a one-way proposition…employees (like customers do) will help dictate what is relevant and important

Focus on helping employees to do their work, enjoy their workplace and achieve their personal objectives

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Page 34: Workforce 2.0   presentation to university of texas school of communications

Principles of Workforce 2.0

Your employees are your “brand ambassadors” - for better or worse

Assess how your employees are representing your company through their customer interactions and/or comments

Help ensure employees are positive advocates and deliver on your brand promise

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