Listen to your most important voices!
Despite the power of social media as a communication tool, its impact on employee voice is not well understood. Most of the current research focuses on the negative aspects rather than its potential for enhancing the employment relationship. So, is social media an untapped resource in workplaces? When used alongside other voice mechanisms, it may open up a channel for previously unheard employee voices to express themselves.
Use Social Media to make a difference
Technology is having an impact on almost all aspects of our working lives, including the way we communicate and have a say at work. The way we use our voice, both inside and outside the workplace, is fundamentally changing as a result of digital technology and social media. But are organisations tapping into these new forms of voice in an effective way?
Peter Holland, Brian K Cooper and Rob Hecker, The International Journal of Human Resource Management. December 2016, Vol 27, No 21–22, pp 2621–2634.
Rainy days and listening to what you don't want to hear always get you down?
Some organisations such as HP, IBM and Microsoft have adopted social media as an opportunity to engage in authentic dialogue with the workforce in real-time. It signals to employees that management is prepared to participate in discussion on current issues that are affecting them. This has the potential to increase both employees’ sense of involvement and managers’ ability to respond and make decisions. It can be a valuable tool for organisational leaders to gather insight and provide feedback on people’s ideas and concerns. But social media will only be an effective channel for voice if leaders respond; otherwise it risks becoming an outlet for dissatisfied employees to vent their frustrations.
Local Radio Study - England, UK
Educational Study - Q3
Data has been used from a 2024 review of the United Kingdom's state broadcaster, during a period of significant reorganisation and modernisation, to further explore how employers need to understand the impact of social media as a form of voice and harness its potential in enhancing employer-employee communications and organisational learning. If employees perceive they have control over it, social media can flatten the communication hierarchy in the organisation, potentially reducing employee silence and its negative connotations. When used alongside other voice mechanisms, it may open up a channel for previously unheard employee voices to express themselves, driving positive outcomes for both individuals and organisations.
As part of a study into local radio staff employee voice , researchers set up social media accounts for a non existent radio station and asked only long-serving staff who were leaving their real organisation to contribute their ideas, thoughts and content. At the time whatsapp channels, social media and even traditional media were bombarding management with criticism from all directions . As passion and tempers flared the study proved that more open social media platforms can actually reduce tensions, support staff through mentally challenging periods (mourning the loss of their job) while finding the strength and confidence to accept change faster. Unlike closed groups like Whatsapp, which were fueled with toxic intolerant views, BBC Radio Grafton's twitter account was able to question the actions of management by taking into account the context of the highly passionate debate that was occuring nationally. Through a balanced approach, considering the standards of a reasonable person and how they would react, departing staff members embraced satire and parody to shine a light on the values they believed an open and just society would wish to uphold. The study demonstrated a focus around the BBC values of audience, creativity, trust, respect, accountability and one BBC "great things happen when we work together."
Those departing staff participating in the study created content that reflected on actions by senior leaders, particularly where employees felt managers could do much better.
The result is an impartial, balanced report, which shows that when previously unheard employee voices are given the tools to express themselves, however incisive and passionate the content, it can drive positive outcomes for both individuals and organisations.
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