Using Social Media to Engage Employees: Insights from Internal Communication Managers

ABSTRACT

The growth of social media in organizations is reshaping internal communication strategy. This article explores the value of internal social media with a focus on employee engagement, which is defined as employees who are connected to the values and mission of the company, feel empowered, bring energy, passion, and discretionary effort to their jobs, and serve as advocates. Interviews were conducted with 27 senior-level internal communication practitioners working for global companies. Practitioners said they use a variety of communication channels, including social media, to drive employee engagement. The findings revealed best practices in using internal social media to engage employees, including providing clear social media policies and employee training; empowering employee social advocates; involving leadership and securing endorsement; social media listening; sharable, relevant, and practical content strategies; and, authenticity and consistency. Future trends and evolvement of internal communication around social media are also discussed.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Arthur W. Page Center and Kent State University College of Information and Communication for grant funding to support this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The funding sources had no involvement in the research design, collection and analysis. This project was supported by a Page Legacy Scholar Grant #414214 from The Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication at Penn State’s Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications under Page Legacy Scholar Grant and by Kent State University College of Communication & Information. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Pennsylvania State University.