The good (and the bad) of work based Snapchat and how to manage it

Companies are always looking for different ways to engage their teams and encourage them to interact with the brand. Social media is a great platform for this, and company Facebook and Twitter presences are increasingly the norm. However, what is the role of other forms of social media in the wider engagement game? And, how can they be a force for good and potential for evil…?

In this two part blog, our experienced HR Partners consider emerging social media: Becky Mee looks at Snapchat, whilst in Laura Rigby looks at WhatsApp from an HR perspective.

by Becky Mee

Snapchat gets a mixed press and a bit of a bad rep, but does it have a place at the engagement table? It certainly has its upsides, as it is a fun, interactive tool, where you can share in the moment (and there is a certain something in seeing your MD transformed by the puppy ears filter).

Positive potential

Creating groups, where employees can interact with your brand at certain key events can be a great touch point, and the creativity your team can harness in promoting the brand can be powerful.

Snap Blogs or Snapisodes can be a quick way to connect, reveal or a more human side to the senior leaders, share updates or mini development sessions.

There certainly is potential here.

However, and here comes the big ‘HR however’, what about the downside of Snapchat?

The flip side?

As with all social media, there is the potential for misuse and the blurring of lines between work and personal accounts.

What if…

• Colleagues snap inappropriately to each other in or out of work? Could this be a grievance or grounds for a harassment claim? What if there’s no proof as the snap hasn’t been screen-shotted/down loaded?
• Employees’ snaps are not ‘on brand’?
• Someone’s snap causes offense/ breaches your conduct policy?
• People are excessively snapping whilst at work and time wasting?

How to manage it

Educating your team on their personal liability for their social media is an important part of encouraging accountability.

As always, it comes back to having a good social media policy and ensuring people are aware of what is acceptable. This doesn’t have to be too prescriptive, as you want to trust people to act sensibly and self-police to a degree, but guidelines provide the framework for that. Talk to your HR Professional about how to put these things in place.

To Snap or not to Snap

Snapchat has its time and place and it won’t always be culturally right for your company. If that’s the case, leave Snapchat at home and embrace your other social media platforms!

Coming Soon: Laura tells all about Whats App from an HR perspective.

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