FACTSHEET:7 Social Media Rules for Companies with a FIFO Workforce

For FIFO workers and their families social media is positive a communication tool to keep in touch, be connected and share activities that are occurring in each other’s lives from a distance.

For companies, any negative comments or opinions can have a detrimental effect on their reputation and brand. A proactive approach in collaboration with their employees is always the best approach.

1. A social media policyAll companies should invest in a policy which has procedures dealing with negative feedback either from employees or external third parties. Provide a strong and clear policy which is understood and accepted by all.

2. What to include in a policySome things to consider:

Company expectations on the type of behaviour required from employees What information employees can discuss and what is out of bounds Sign off by employees that they understand the policy Consequences of breaking the policy

3. EducationTrain employees on the social media policy and provide them with education so there are no misunderstandings or lack of understanding about what is expected of them. Also, why not consider providing a booklet for employees to take home and share with their families. Families can then be aware of what is expected from their partners and consider their own comments before posting on social media.

4. Buy in from the topCompanies can bury their heads in the sand where social media is concerned and make it an external problem blaming the technology or people. For managers and leaders understanding and learning about social media - the benefits and the negatives is their responsibility. If you don’t know where to start, invest in a professional expert.

5. Social Media Risk AuditTraining and implementing a policy is not a one off activity. At least every year a social media risk audit is a valuable exercise. It is an opportunity to identity any new risks, review and update your social media policy, and provide refresher training for the employees.

6. Social Media MonitoringDo you know what people are saying about your company? It is essential that you know – positive and negative. Monitor external comments including any FIFO external social media support groups. Any content that is wrong, harmful or detrimental has the right to corrected just as you would information distributed through offline media. There is now plenty of software which allows easy monitoring to be set up.

7. Social Media PlanAre you prepared if a social media crisis hits your organisation? Having a plan to deal with this can be part of your social media policy. It needs to detail how you will respond and who will do the responding. If you are working out how to respond when the crisis hits then it is already too late.