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Employers ‘out of touch with staff’ due to poor social media engagement
Businesses in the UK are failing to engage with their workforce through the use of social media, which damages their reputation as an employer and their ability to attract the best workers.
This is according to a poll of 1,000 workers from outsourcing provider Hyphen, which found that 60 percent of UK workers can’t, or don’t, engage with their employer on social media channels.
A significant 17 percent report their employers do not communicate via social media at all. This is worrying as more than half of the employees surveyed (51 percent) said that active engagement on social media was important in judging an organisation’s reputation as an employer.
Generation Y workers, those aged 25-34, were the strongest proponents of social media as a sign of employer quality (69 percent). Half (50 percent) follow their employer on social media channels, while 19 percent study an organisation’s Twitter feed when making an application – this compares to five percent of 45-54 year olds.
Additional research from Adecco Group, which owns Hyphen, found that not all UK businesses subscribe to the view that social media can engage workers and increase productivity.
A poll of 1,500 workers and 500 employers found that 59 percent of employers think workplace productivity is affected when employees use social media, a view shared by just 36 percent of employees.
Zain Wadee, MD at Hyphen, said: “Used effectively, social media has the power to engage, attract and retain talent, foster new business opportunities and bolster reputation – online and offline.
“Our research shows that businesses are out of touch with a new generation of employees that communicate and engage with organisations online more often than they do offline. Businesses and brands that invest in digital and extend their communications to social networks will ultimately strengthen their talent and profit pipelines.
“UK business must now reassess their engagement and communication strategies; failure to do so could alienate a whole range of stakeholders – including current and potential clients, future consumers and, importantly, employees.”
Paul Champion
www.paulchampionuk.com
www.apprenticeshipblog.com
📱: 07540 704920
Twitter: @blogapprentice
Skype: paulchampion31
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