Using ESNS in 3 Steps

When it comes to using social technology to drive engagement in the workplace, we know Employee Social Networks (ESNs) and apps are well and truly on the rise. While our survey report with The App Garden suggests email still dominates for communication (85%), ESNs are rapidly gaining on this, with 54% of those surveyed saying they already have an active ESN.

We also know that the use of ESNs and apps are changing working culture for the better; those who entered our survey and already using ESNs are reporting positive attributes such as, Collaboration, Accessibility, Transparency, and Engagement. As well as our own survey findings with The App Garden, Simply Communicate’s SMiLE London event in March this year, also confirms that this new technology is certainly not going anywhere fast; the evidence is undeniable, ESNs and employee engagement are on the rise together!

Our recent blog How To Tame The Office Techno-Beasts, about how we behave when using technology in the office, got us to then think about how we engage within the world of social technology.

It can be hard to get a feel for how to be social on an ESN. Most of us feel comfortable using social networks for personal purposes, we know our friends well and know how to talk or share with them online. However, using a social network within a work sphere, can be tricky to gauge. Not to mention getting your head around how it all works and what you can do!

So, we’ve got 3 steps to getting your employees engaged in your ESN:

1) Show the way!

Build confidence by reinforcing the message that employees have a voice your organisation wants to listen to, and that this new platform is a conduit for that and more, it’s a learning and collaboration tool.

Why not give demo masterclasses that are hands-on, showing employees exactly what they can do with your ESN/apps?

Ask them to bring their smartphones/devices to the masterclass and walk them through, step-by-step how to set their profile up, create a project, submit a suggestion etc. You could always put together a tutorial video, particularly useful for those across different locations and schedules.

Some useful FAQs to brief training staff on, and to pass on to all employees are:

1) What platform is being used?

2) Why was this platform chosen?

3) Will this platform replace anything currently in use?

4) What are the company hoping to get out of the ESN?
(improve collaboration/get more information on how employees like to work/work best/spot gaps in knowledge/sharing?)

5) What are the personal benefits for employees using the ESN?
(projects/ideas/feedback/targets etc)

6) Why will it be better than current communication/collaboration processes?

7) How can employees begin to use it/integrate it into their working day?

2) Give guidelines and support!

This might sound obvious, but make sure you have clear ESN-use guidelines that all employees can access to brief them on how to behave when using this new technology. With great power, comes great responsibility!

Let the guidelines be an extension to your HR policy, outlining the objectives and aims of the ESN, and advise what isn’t allowed when using the ESN.

For example, no abusive language, no sharing of offensive material etc, and any such behaviour should be reported to HR.

Our best advise is: use the ESN like you would any other form of communication in the office, and if in doubt, don’t post!

Make sure you always give a clear message of encouragement, and that you are there to answer any questions and allay any fears.

3) Get Inclusive and Get Engaged!

ESNs and apps are a great opportunity to get employees together, and engaged; that means not only engaged in their own role, or even their team’s role, but the roles played across the company. After all, everyone contributes to the whole.

At SMiLE London, Vodafone Group’s Stanley Awuku, Internal Digital Experience Manager explained their ESN ‘Circle’ is designed to ‘bring social inside’. With over 2,000 communities (groups of employees), employees share knowledge and collaborate on projects, creating links with other departments and employees all over the world. The site also has a Town Hall function, an open question and answer space that archives content.

This not only creates connections, it creates purpose, and purpose helps engagement.

Jonathan Williams at Coca-Cola explained how they have gone one step further to get employees on board with their intranet site, iConnect, transforming it into a digital workspace.

iConnect is the only way employees can check their payslips and request holiday time, which makes it a no-brainer for getting employees utilising it. However, they can also access internal communications as to what is happening with Coca Cola campaigns and how they can get more involved. This approach has seen 2/3 of the workforce using iConnect.

So, with these tips and ideas in mind, guide your employees into this new sphere of your work-place communications and show everyone else how it’s done!
Want to know how People Lab can help set-up your employee engagement strategy? Check our Contact Us page and get in touch to speak to our expert Emma Bridger.