Surveys Find Social Media an Increasingly Important Employee Engagement Tool

Web 2.0 and Employee Communications Survey (Aon Human Capital Consulting)

From the survey: The Aon survey “results show a much broader use of Web 2.0 media among all generations, whether hourly or salaried, not to socialize, but to get their jobs done. With a broader, multi‐generational audience using Web 2.0 media today, employers have another reason to look closely at harnessing the power of Web 2.0 media and integrating these tools into their internal communications.

This report looks at the emerging role Web 2.0 media has in employee communication and engagement strategies. Employers can resist Web 2.0 media and restrict its use at work or they can leverage its influence and integrate Web 2.0 media into strategies for recruiting, educating, engaging and retaining employees. The point is, employees are using Web 2.0 media at work for work purposes anyway, employers should capitalize on this to enhance their business.”

Employee Engagement Survey by IABC shows that employers faced with reduced communication budgets and resources are turning to social media to keep their workforce engaged.

“Communicating for optimal employee engagement is always a timely topic, but even more so during challenging economic times,” said Robin McCasland, a director in Buck Consultants’ communication practice and 2009–2010 chair of IABC Research Foundation. “Our results represent opportunities for communicators to have greater influence in delivering messages that encourage employees to remain productive, and to understand how their work contributes toward achieving business priorities.”

Other key survey findings include:*

• More than half of the respondents (52 percent) report their communication budgets have decreased and thirty-five percent report their communication staff has been reduced over the past 12 months
• The most common reasons cited for communication budget and staff cuts are: the economic downturn (46 percent) and organizational mandates (42 percent)
• Forty-eight percent report their employee communication strategy has stayed the same despite the economic downturn
• The frequency of ongoing employee listening reflected an “all or nothing” approach, with 62 percent of respondents who regularly engage in employee listening activities such as surveys and focus groups, and 30 percent who rarely or never engage in these methods
• Fifty-six percent of top executives are not using social media at this time, and nearly half (46 percent) of organizations are not measuring social media’s effectiveness
• Almost six in ten respondents (59 percent) think their company has a well-established internal or employer brand

Additonal links:

• Aon Human Capital Consulting
• * IABC News Centre – Press Releases