When an issue arises with the image of a company due to a customer complaint or other reason, the HR department can take to social media to reinforce the brand of the company and make sure the outcry does not get out of control and turn into a viral frenzy.

Photo Credit : BW Businessworld,

Social Media has left its deep impression on human resources fraternity of globe. During a discussion on the role of social media in HR at BW Businessworld HR Conclave, there were valuable experiences shared by experts with focus on few major factors.

Media has exploded over the past few years. Most of companies using different outlets to post job openings, interact with clients and employees and make major product announcements. In a highly anticipated era, where quest and thrust for social media is rising BW Businessworld HR conclave 2017 had witnessed little in-depth industry perspective for the same.  

This question is highly relevant in current time that what are the major effects & impacts of Social Media (SM) here are few of the aspects came as experts like Prithvi Shergill former CHRO- HCL, Partha Samai group head of HR- AGS Transact Tech, Renu Bohra HR Head of Schenker India and Laxmi Murthy HR Head of ITM were present along with the moderator Sandeep Nagpal- Director LMI. HR managers across the country know how social media impacts their daily activities, their recruitment practices and much more while on the job.

Social Media Makes Recruiting Easier and More Successful
One of the biggest advantages of human resource managers using social media on the job is that it makes the recruiting process easier and more successful for the company. HR managers can post job openings on all the company’s social media sites, including links to the listings on the company website. It was the similar feeling of the panel when Laxmi shared her experience of recruiting through social media way back in 2006. This makes it easier for the company to get the notice out to the public when jobs become available and for candidates to apply for those open jobs. Companies are also seeing more success using social media to recruit new employees as they can browse the social media sites of potential candidates to determine if he or she will fit in with the company culture said Partha in during conversation.

It Helps Company Branding
Renu who heads a more traditional HR service though had a difference of opinion where she has talked about less recruitment in traditional process. It was an interesting to know when she said comes to reinforcing the brand of a company; social media is becoming the go-to place for marketing teams and human resource departments. When an issue arises with the image of a company due to a customer complaint or other reason, the HR department can take to social media to reinforce the brand of the company and make sure the outcry does not get out of control and turn into a viral frenzy.

Employees Activity monitoring
On the downside, for at least some people, social media allows HR executives to monitor the activities of their employees. It is not the view of Sandeep who had been critical to such aspects of social media. If employees are posting to their personal social media accounts during the day and those posts do not relate to work, or relate in a negative way, then the company can enforce its social media policy. ‘As rightly called by Sandeep as It asks you to stay under line of fire’. 

Employee Communication
Another way social media has impacted human resources is that companies are now beginning to communicate with their employees using social media. Some companies will talk to employees on Twitter to discuss company events so the public can learn about them, while Prithvi calls it a tool to bring employees and company on the same page. Ending the session BJP leader Vineet Goenka said that “Fantastic HR fraternity is needed to make India a super power”.