CIPR Internal Communications - Coursework Example

CIPR INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS Using Social Media to Improve Internal Communications at VetsNow It is nodoubt that social media has brought a lot of transmogrification in workplace communication. An increasing number of companies has realised the importance of engaging employees online, and as such, social media has become the preferred way of enhancing the sharing of knowledge as well as promoting team work and collaboration amongst employees. It is also increasingly seen as a way through which more value can be added to the experience of various employees.

Therefore, a number of organisations have resorted to using social media tools, for instance, “forums, blogs, and social networks,” to make it easier for their employees as well as stakeholders, to not only collaborate but also to connect with one another (Stratmann, 2012, p.1).Social media has proven to be a very vital tool in enhancing the effectiveness of an organisation’s internal communication. With social media inn internal communication come a lot of benefits. For example, social media enable organisations to have “real-time, authentic” communication with their staff.

They also encourage open communication amongst members of an organisation since any member who wishes to contribute to a discussion is always free and able to do so. As such, it enables a smooth flow of communication throughout an organisation. In addition, if one is a member of a multinational organisation, then they can easily communicate to people world-wide, and on a “more involved level” rather than just through email or through phone. This has been made even better due to the availability of pictures and profile as well as forum features on social sites like Facebook and MySpace (Stratmann, 2012, p.1). VetsNow is an example of an organisation that has successfully used social media in its internal communication.

It is an organisation that provides “out-of-hours veterinary care” all over the UK. Their main aim of adopting social media in internal communication was to strongly engage their internal “stakeholders.” At VetsNow, employees work both alone and at odd hours. As such, social media would provide its workers the rare opportunity of interacting with one another in person even if at different stations of work. They also saw it as a way of encouraging the sharing of information among employees and stakeholders, and through this exchange of information, they would not only regulate but also improve “clinical standards and practices” throughout the industry better.

This would in turn make them global experts in “Emergency and Critical Care” (ECC). To do this well, they bought the services of a social media agency called FreshNetworks (Stratmann, 2012, p.1).The agency provided the organisation with a software platform through which an online community, VETECC (Veterinary Emergency Critical Care) was established. This community is led by a well trained veterinary practitioner who makes sure that information shared is not only accurate but also informative.

Even though this site has not been in existence for long, it has already achieved most of its basic objectives. Currently, 60% of employees at VetsNow “sign in to VETEC” at least once a day. A more encouraging fact is that is that more than 95% of the employees visit the site at least once every week. As we can see, the company has succeeded in promoting constant communication amongst its employees, and even with itself. The community is also experiencing a bounce rate of only 20%, while the average time spent by employees on the site is approximately nine minutes.

This is a clear indication that the employees not only interact with one another, but they also take their time to synthesise the information on the site. Since the establishment of the community, the organisation has replaced monthly printed newsletters with a “weekly e-news hosted on the community platform.” This has not only proven to be cost effective but also a faster way of relaying information throughout the organisation. Vacancies are also announced through the community and job applications are accepted through the same.

This also shows that even outsiders regularly visit the site (Stratmann, 2012, p.1).Social media has played a big role in enhancing information flow throughout VetsNow. It is now a training “resource” for workers, and the workers are also able to access notices on upcoming workshops and events on time. The community has simply promoted interactions amongst the vets and they can now easily share information on the best medical practices as they consult one another whenever there is need. ReferencesStratmann, Jo, 2012, Using Social Media to Improve Internal Communications.

Retrieved February 2012 from: www.simply-communicate.com/case-studies/case-study/using-social-media-improve-internal-communications.