Social network and Employer branding

Some companies have found innovate ways to do employer branding, through their most trusted partners- the employees. There are instances when companies ask their own people to post updates about their organization on their personal profiles in twitter or facebook. This way, the company can gain access into a large follower group, the friends and followers of the employee in picture.

While this is one sure shot way of effective employer branding, there are some things that the organization need to think about. The primary caution is what if the employee leaves. Wouldn’t that take away all these friends and acquaintances of the ex-employee to his/her new employer? What if the employee also details about things that do not show company in good light? Is these kind of social interactions about the organization in one’s own personal space part of their defined activities? If not, how do you account for these? Can this be compared? And what about employees who do not wish their personal space to be encroached.

The HR department needs to think through all these factors before making it a a necessity for employees to brand their organizations in social media. While keeping it is optional is acceptable to a certain extend, opinions, suggestions and criticisms going over the board may not be!