THE CASE FOR A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY (SmP)
It’s been over a decade since the technology boom started shaping the world of work in many African countries including Ghana. The benefits of technology are abound and so are the risk and yet many institutions in Ghana (both public and private) are slow to provide appropriate structures to guide the conduct of their employees on social media platforms.
In an era of rapid changes advanced by technology, torpidity by decision makers can cost the very existence of their institutions. Any modern Human Resource system that does not integrate social media governance need a complete overhaul. The experience of covid-19 and its impact on alternative ways of working together with a rapid acceptance of social media as an operational work tool requires that social media governance must be catered for, and mainstreamed in the human resource manuals of institutions.
According to the Global Digital Report for 2022, the number of
- Internet users worldwide is 5.0 billion, representing 63% of global population.
- Social media users worldwide is 4.65 billion, representing 58.7% global population.
- Mobile phone users worldwide is 5.32 billion, representing 67% of global population.
In Ghana, the statistics for 2022 revealed that the country has 8.80 million social media users. This trend represents a 7.3 percent increase from 2021 and 2022. This makes social media a very important vehicle for institutions, especially when social media cuts across age, race, gender and religion.
Research projects that in some countries an average of up to 4 hours in a day is spent on social media. Business leaders who ignore the influence of social media on their operations do so at a big risk. Institutions must therefore take measures to ride on the positives of social media. In addition, social media polices customized to the peculiar needs of the sector or industry must be developed to support the growth strategy of a progressive Institution.
THE KEY OBJECTIVES OF A SOCIAL MEDIAL POLICY INCLUDE:
- To create awareness across the broad spectrum of the institutions of the strengths and weaknesses of everyday web-based activities;
- To ensure employees observe proper safeguards that protects their institutions during work and off work social media based activities;
- Mainstream social media as part of human resource management structures of the institutions; and
- Provide clear concise and consistent procedures for dealing with breaches in the approved social medial policy.
Institutions must develop a social media policy that will be mainstreamed in to human resource structures of the institution.
Overall a social media policy should;
- Meet the operational and social requirement of your institution;
- Benefit employees;
- Reflect the industry standards; and
- Reflects the culture of the institution.
WHAT SMP ENTAILS
Social media covers a wide variety of Internet-based resources used to share content. This term includes social networking sites, video- or picture-sharing sites, forums, blogs, and other tools. Social media has become the global hallmark for a vibrant and transparent communication. It has quickly become the preferred method of communication and information sharing. Considering the speed and global spread of social media content, employers must be mindful of its strengths and limitations to their respective institutions.
A social media policy is not just a set of rules. It is putting structures in place to guide, advice and inform employees and affiliates of their responsibilities to the institution in the best, and worst-case scenarios.
Having a social media policy will provide a structured approach to employee’s web activities. It will provide clarity on what employees and affiliates should and should not do on social media channels.
Furthermore, it will curb any legal or security risk associated with online presence
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