Social media creates internal community for employees

Employee engagement can lead to happier staff and an increase in productivity. HR administrations continually seek out techniques for improving company culture, and a recent survey found social media can be an effective tool for building a sense of community among the workforce.

In April, the 2013 Towers Watson Change and Communication ROI Survey asked 290 companies about their internal communication techniques. Fifty-six percent of respondents reported they currently utilize networking sites as a way to develop a community between managers and employees. According to the survey, the respondents said social media offers their organization a way to transfer their internal environment onto a digital platform, allowing employees to share challenges and rewards.

Between 30 and 40 percent cited the networking sites were a highly effective tool for promoting company culture. Forty percent also reported it was an affordable solution for building an internal community. 

Forty-one percent of employees said social media offered a way for them to share experiences, with 23 percent saying it was effective in making remote workers feel included in company culture.

Building a sense of community continues to be important for employee engagement, and social media offers HR professionals a method to reach all workers on an accessible portal.