Putting social media to work in corporate team building

Social media has risen in the 21st century as a very powerful external communication channel to engage with current and potential customers. While many companies have realised the benefits of reaching out to their external stakeholders through social media, using the same channels for internal communication still has a lot of untapped potential when it comes to creating a feeling of ‘togetherness' in your company.

Social media can help you to build teams and strengthen ties between employees and the workplace. When your social media strategy includes team-building tactics, it also creates a sense of cohesion, greater employee satisfaction and even productivity. In other words, social media just might be the communication tool that both employees and HR managers have been looking for.

In addition to that, social media is already available and familiar to all your employees, whereas usual outdoor team building days (think paintball) often generate tons of excuses when they are announced.

Striking a connection

Social media outlets are popular for a reason: They provide an easy way for people to get to know each other and connect about different topics and interests — regardless of location. A company page is a great place for employees to share things and learn new things about each other.

Pictures of new and existing team members are helpful for larger companies based in different cities or even different countries where the sense of community is often missing because of the geographical distance. Using social media can instill a renewed sense of unity in these cases. It also helps in:

Showcasing talents

Social media provides an excellent platform for sharing accomplishments and outstanding results. This extra channel for communication also functions as a forum for knowledge sharing, both professionally and on a more personal level, and can easily be expanded into blogs, webinars or videos.

Employee recognition

Social media channels aide in recognising and praising employees for individual and team accomplishments. Furthermore, using social media to acknowledge great results is a modern way of keeping employees motivated.

Social media platforms can also encourage employees to support different causes or charities. These activities create another reason for interaction and communication and might even be related to activities directly related to the company.

Transparency

Social media is all about being open and engaging. Your employees will feel more up to date and informed about current projects, and while newsletters are efficient, they never really provide any options for feedback due to their form. Communicating with employees through social media for discussing new ideas is therefore a valuable tool for employer branding as well.

Social media makes it possible to engage and communicate on a personal and immediate level wherever the team members are located. The different staff hierarchy means teams often split-up after work as they head back home or travel abroad for business, but with social media they can stay connected and communicate when it's convenient for them.

Togetherness created through social media is an extension of already existing connections, not a substitution for interaction in real life. That leaves us with one question, why would you want to miss out on an extra social opportunity for your team?

Meghna Kothari is the 25-year-old director of McCollins Media which offers services in public relations, social media marketing, events and design. McCollins Media represents several clients on the social media front.