Engaging the Social Workforce Evolving Leadership Styles, Tools and Programs to Engage 21st Century Employees
There may be no better time in history to be a communications professional. There are more tools available to us than ever before, and the tools themselves allow us to shape our experiences and share our learnings for continual improvement. We’re especially fortunate to be working in the age of social media. What was once thought to be a business distraction has evolved into an essential business communications platform with endless applications – the most logical and adaptable of which is employee engagement. Social media in the workplace is a fascinating phenomenon because it bubbled up from the bottomand drove those at the top to rethink the way they do things. People of every age and socioeconomic level live digital lifestyles. They want the place where they spend most of their waking hours – the workplace – to function the same way. The great news is that companies are now using digital and social tools in all areas of business, employees are participating and everyone is benefitting. Social media is exploding, but the best is yet to come. As we assembled our lineup of speakers for PRSA’sConnect 13: Engaging the Social Workforce, I was amazed at the vast range of social media programs and platforms they’ve implemented for millions of employees around the world. They’re living proof that you don’t need huge budgets or armies of people to effectively engage employees and impact results with social media. What you do need are resourcefulness, ingenuity and, as with any initiative, a sound strategy tied to business objectives. This eBook contains insights gleaned from each presenter during the event. Throughout the eBook you’ll be able to compare our written learnings with illustrations of each company’s journey in engaging their employees along with short videos to give you a flavor of the event. We hope you enjoy and learn from each of the elements. I want to thank everyone who participated in Connect 13, especially our speakers who allowed us to share their stories in the following pages. I’m confident their experiences and ideas will inspire you to use social media to achieve great results in your organization. Best regards,
Brian Burgess Practice Director, Brand and Talent MSLGROUP North America
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