Moffatt Thomas Z Group PR SOCIAL MEDIA... “THE BALANCING ACT” Julia Zunich and Paul D. McFarlane April 12, 2011

What Is Social Networking?  Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn,  Twitter, YouTube  Blogs

Definition  “Social networking” means communicating with others over the Internet for social, professional, or other purposes on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LikendIn, YouTube, and MySpace. It can also occur on “media sites” that are offered by television networks, newspapers, and magazines, and permit readers to post comments. Social networking also includes participation on listservs and authoring or posting on Web logs (blogs).

By the Numbers  Facebook: 400 million users worldwide  MySpace: 180 million users, 50 million posts a day  LinkedIn: 50 million users  Windows Live Spaces: 120 million users *Population of U.S. in June 2010 per Census Bureau: million

The New Normal  How does the social media communications revolution affect the workplace and the work of HR?

HR Leading the Charge  Set the social media "rules of engagement" within organizations  Social media is here to stay, what is the "happy medium"?

Are Employers Using Social Networking?  79% of Global Fortune 100 Firms use at least one social media platform: 64% use Twitter 54% use Facebook 50% have a YouTube channel 33% use corporate blogs

Why Are Employers Using Social Networking?  Develop a corporate brand or image  Launch new promotions  Improve customer access  Monitor competition  Recruiting  Learn what employees are doing away from work and learn more about their background

Social Networking Policies  26% of Employees say their Employer has a social networking policy * Wall Street Journal Survey  29% of Employers have a “formal policy regarding employee use of social networking sites.” * Manpower Survey

Planning Ahead  What are some of the potential landmines that organizations need to be aware of when it comes to social media?

Laws That Impact Social Networking  Privacy Laws  Off Duty Conduct Statutes  Stored Communications Act  National Labor Relations Act  Title VII and other Anti-Discrimination Laws  Others

Privacy Laws  Invasion of privacy Must prove information obtained was private If viewable by world at large, then not private Invitation access may be “private”

Pietrylo v. Hillstone Restaurant Group, Civil Case No (DNJ 2008)  Reasonable expectation of privacy  Stored Communications Act, 18 USC §§  Was there consent?

City of Bozeman  Heavy Internet Policy Bozeman required applicants to submit user ID and passwords to social networking sites  Goal – Avoid negligent hire  Did the City of Bozeman go too far?

Guidelines for Establishing a Social Networking Policy  Expect your employees to use these sites  Many different federal and local state laws apply  Limit searches to professional sites  Using what you find: be consistent  Publish your policies  Educate employees  Train managers  Monitor the Web about your company

Internet Screening by the Numbers  79% of surveyed U.S. employees used the Internet to screen applicants * Microsoft “Privacy Day” Survey, January 2010  75% of those employers had a screening policy in place

The C-Suite  HR teaching the C-suite how to lead enterprise social media engagement for their organizations

For Further Information or Questions, Please Contact: Julia Zunich Z Group PR, Inc. 950 West Bannock Street Suite 1100 Boise, Idaho Paul D. McFarlane Moffatt, Thomas, Barrett, Rock & Fields, Chartered 101 S. Capitol Blvd., 10 th Floor Post Office Box 829 Boise, Idaho