There is a useful post from Jeremiah Owyang from Web Strategy today titled Breakdown: The Five Ways Companies Let Employees Participate in the Social Web excerpted here:
“…I’ve noticed that there are three ways that companies allow employees to participate. Update: On a related note, I gave my thoughts to CNBC about the roles of social within corporations.
Type One: We Have No Clue
This model, where brands have no rules, no guidelines, and therefore no resources to help employees –it’s a freefor all…
Type Two: Shut it Down
Fear is the primary motivator here, but in some cases, this is to protect employees and the company from liability…
Type Three: The Corporate Represenative
Some companies setup only small groups within corporate communications, or polished executives to be on blogs…
Type Four: Common Employees Blessed For Social
Last night, I shared the stage with Intel’s Michael Brito at Stanford’s continuing education program on web 2.0, he shared that Intel has a SMP program, which stands for Social Media Practioner. The different from the ‘tower’ model listed as type 3, is that this can include other regular employees beyond the refined executive…”
Type Five: Everyone Is Encouraged To Be Involved
Some companies that have active employees in the social sphere can benefit from having every employee involved…
Culture impacts how companies choose
So which model is right for your brand? It really depends on your industry, culture, and employee behavior. While many companies may select the first or second model in the next few years, in the long run –as Generation Y enters into the workforce, it’s undeniable that the third model where everyone is a participant of some form is most likely.”
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