5 Ways You Can Use Social Media to Boost Employee Morale | #hrmanagement #hrexecutive

As an HR team leader, you know how important it is to create a positive and inviting atmosphere in your workplace. Boosting employee morale is essential to creating a productive and happy workforce. One great way to do this is by using public and private social media platforms. 

From sharing success stories to recognizing individual achievements, there are several ways you can use social media platforms to make your workplace more positive and productive.

5 Ways HR Can Boost Employee Morale With Social Media

HR team leaders are always looking for ways to boost employee morale and make their workplace more inviting and positive. Here are 5 ways to use social media to boost morale.

1. Make Employees Brand Ambassadors 

Millennials and Generation Z are going to make up the bulk of the workforce by 2025. While both generations have their differences, they’re very much alike when it comes to key social and political issues. Both would love the opportunity to lead creative social campaigns at work.

HR should encourage that activist spirit by allowing brand ambassadors to connect a company’s brand with causes that impact all of us. Not only will this help young workers feel right at home, but it’ll also improve how others see the company brand. Taking a stand won’t hurt your brand.

In fact, it can greatly improve it. A 2021 SurveyMoney report found that 78% of consumers made a purchase decision based on their values. 68% of employees would quit their job for a company that takes a stronger stance on cultural and societal issues; it’s that important.

Ben & Jerry’s is the perfect example of a company that does this well. They take a stand on virtually every cause you can think of. One look at their Instagram shows they mean business:

Image Source: Ben & Jerry’s

They take activism so seriously that they even have an activist management position, and many of their posts are employee-made. This approach is paying off, too. Of its 436 reviews on Glassdoor, Ben & Jerry’s manages to hit 4.2 stars out of 5. Many workers praise its upbeat, positive work environment, which allows them to speak freely about what they believe in.

Consider allowing your young professionals to lead your next creative campaign. You’ll see a rapid increase in morale and likely attract more like-minded professionals to your job posts.

2. Give Them the Space to Express Their Interests

Social media is a place for people to express their interests, both through text and artistry. Employees may use a font generator to make a font that reflects their personality, or they could take a photo of their personal projects or meals. They may even share cooking or workout tips.

This example from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is both funny and insightful. The head of security writes most of the Tweets, but others take it over, as well.

Image Source: Nat’l Cowboy Museum

There’s no harm in having a bit of fun, and science agrees. Employees who are allowed to joke around at work are much happier. If they can also talk about their interest while cracking a joke? That’s even better. Of course, it’s vital for employers to set limits on what can be joked about.

On platforms like Slack, HR can create private channels where coworkers can discuss non-work topics in private. This will encourage everyone to share their personal lives with each other, which can lead to a sense of community. What results is a much higher level of engagement.

3. Celebrate Professional Success on Social Media

According to HR leaders, 83% feel that employee recognition programs benefit organizational values, and 85% say it positively affects organizational culture. When a workplace invests in employee recognition, productivity increases by 31%, and performance increases by 14%.

It’s a no-brainer at this point that employees want to be recognized, and when they are, morale increases. The happier your employees feel, the more they feel like they belong. But you can improve the quality of your praise by making it public and personal to the specific employee.

On a public account, HR staff can showcase personal and professional achievements inside and outside of work. For example, they can congratulate an employee for a promotion or getting their bachelor’s degree. Once you’ve posted, followers and coworkers can join in on the praise.

Seenit.io posted the following video on their social media page to congratulate their team members and give out awards. They include personal comments from their employees. 

Video Source: Seenit.io (the screenshot is just a placeholder. This is the link.) 

 

Their employees are expressing their joy, and it’s nice to see as an outsider. From Seenit.io’s example, it’s clear to see that their employees feel energized after being publicly praised.

While posting an achievement publicly is a kind gesture, you should never make a post without the employee’s permission. Always remember that rewards should be personal, never generic.

4. Spotlight Employees and Welcome New Hires

A great way to boost morale and employee engagement is by breaking up your branded posts with behind-the-scenes pictures of employees. Once or twice a week, you can post images of your employees working, eating lunch together, brainstorming, or attending a work meeting.

Companies large and small find it difficult to be relatable to younger followers, but being authentic is the perfect way to get attention. Not only that, but this authenticity will make your employees feel valued, as they can see that their efforts are contributing to the greater whole.

One way to be authentic? Promote employee-generated content. This image from Kristina shows how happy she is to start her first day. She looks incredibly excited at the opportunity!

Image Source: kristina_renee/The Bar Method

 

HR staff should also consider welcoming new hires on public and private social media platforms. On a public platform, followers can see that you treat your employees with respect. On a private platform, coworkers can give them warm greetings or emojis that the new hire can respond to.

Here’s a formal example from Slack on how they welcome new hires privately on their platform:

Image Source: Slack

 

And below is a causal example from Workable on how they perform workplace introductions:

Image Source: Workable

At Workable, managers noticed that employees integrate better when they’re welcomed publicly. They also have an easier time remembering names and approaching other coworkers.

When new hires are welcomed by a warm, inviting atmosphere, they feel excited to return to work and interact with their colleagues. That kind of positivity uplifts the entire organization.

5. Host a Company Event on Social Media

Companies can increase employee engagement through events via private social media pages. Whether you have an in-office, hybrid, or remote workplace, you can use social media to create games that everyone can take part in—for example, scavenger hunts and photo contests.

Companies like Target started using Slack to encourage innovation. In Slack’s piece about the company, they mention Kline and a junior engineer who duked it out to see which bot their community liked the best. The junior engineer won. Not only is this process more fair, but it also makes the community feel like they’re a part of something. They feel they can make a change.

In this screenshot, you can see that Target creates individual communities to run events:

Image Source: Slack

 

When done right, these events can increase morale, but you have to be clear about how you’re judging the contest if it’s a competition. Otherwise, you could accidentally spark resentment. To encourage participation, give the winner a prize or award that’s universally liked, like a day off.