The pandemic and the development of technologies have opened a space where their use will have to be rethought, making way for a more inclusive and less prohibitive vision.
While shortly before the pandemic, social networks took up a large part of people’s time, once confinement began and with it mobility restrictions and teleworking, they became the preferred means of communication for many employees, who could only connect in this way with their family and friends. There are even companies that began to use this type of platforms to inform and communicate more closely and quickly with them.
In this way, some companies became more open to the use of social networks, so they had to relax the policies that define the limits on their use. However, this also depends on the industry and the profile of the company and the employee.
Claudio Oyarzún, an expert in Human Resources, points out that companies have been understanding that social networks are part of our lives, “so prohibiting them only strains the relationship between the company and its employees and generates greater stress for its workers. Furthermore, far from being a pastime or a fun tool, these platforms are part of our way of relating, cooperating and doing business”.
Taking advantage of social networks
In this boom in the use of social networks, companies also took advantage of the opportunity to launch their own information platforms or make internal communication more dynamic through them. They also realized that the workers themselves could be an element that added value. “Many times workers within social networks can be excellent sponsors of the brand they work for. In that sense it could be indirect marketing at no cost to the organization,” says Mercer’s Bellido.
No turning back
Given this new scenario in which some workers are returning to the office, the question arises as to whether it is likely that some organizations will take a step back in terms of the greater openness they have given their employees in this regard. However, for several specialists it is complex to go back, especially if the company agreed to provide greater flexibility.
In these cases, Carlos Henríquez, from S.O.S Group, advises “to regulate this flexibility framework for the use of social networks, because when you are at home it is difficult to regulate the time spent. There is no problem as long as you can fulfill your daily tasks. It is something that will be maintained.
In this way, it is likely that companies will start to aim at a work that is carried out based on the fulfillment of objectives, so that the use of social networks does not have greater relevance. Although for some of them it is essential to regulate their use for strategic reasons or to protect certain issues, the truth is that the pandemic has undeniably opened a door to social networks that will not be closed.
Source: https://mba.americaeconomia.com/