Amongst the top complaints most employers have against their employees is that they simply do not seem to have the level of engagement and motivation that is desirable. Because of the apparent lack of interest almost all initiatives taken by the management fall flat irrespective of their nature and the effort that they have taken to get the concept and the communication right. It is not uncommon to see employees walking past notice boards without paying a glance, deleting company-wide email without reading or failing to respond to questionnaires regarding policy formulation that could have made their workplace environment far more stimulating and better.
With more and more employees never straying too far from their smartphones, implementing an engagement initiative on the phone has a number of matchless benefits. Among the numerous social media platforms available, Instagram has emerged as a clear winner. Take a quick look why it is a good idea for businesses to get aboard the Instagram bandwagon for engaging more meaningfully with employees:
Free to Implement
Since Instagram is completely free of charge, it is easier for companies embarking on an employee engagement exercise to suggest to their employees that they download it on to their smartphones. Since there is a zero entry barrier, the management does not have to engage in various promotional and communication exercises to persuade the employees to take that essential first step. It is also quite likely that many of the younger employees would also be users of Instagram and its reputation of being a fun place can give a fillip to the company’s efforts. So you can throw out of the window all exercises of designing and putting up engaging posters, banners, or even pop-ups cajoling employees to do something for their own and the company’s benefit.
Easy to Learn and Operate
With the young generation of employees absolutely at home on their smartphones, they need very little encouragement to become a follower of the company’s profile on Instagram. Indeed the very initiative can be a good opportunity for the more tech-savvy to teach their older colleagues how to download and start using Instagram. The downloading, installation and use of Instagram has been found to be extremely easy even by the most technically-challenged so that’s a big boost to its acceptability and use. Since the process of uploading photos and commenting is so easy it also makes the task of program support so much easier for those in charge; to get Instagram followers there is very little need to explain, cajole or even plead with reluctant employees.
Fun to Use
Once, the employees get over their initial fumbling about how to use and what to post on Instagram, it can be simply amazing to note how creative they can get about posting what they or their families have been up to. Sooner than later the interaction starts between the employees on a very personal level and this is the start of the community building that the company was aspiring to from the very start. As a smart employer, it will pay off greatly to have a strategic vision regarding social media engagement in place so that you can encourage your employees and reward them in many ways other than just financial. It might seem clichéd but with the help of Instagram, it is very easy for employees and their families to come together as one big family with common interests and aspirations. The more photos and comments that are posted the stronger the relationship that is formed between the employees and their families. When employees post their photos on their Instagram accounts they are essentially opening up windows through which the company can get to know them better and create an environment that fosters a spirit of togetherness. With a supportive employer and interesting content the employee can no longer be apathetic to the workplace and its various initiatives.
Author bio: Nancy Grey is the head of social media engagement working with a large multinational in the automotive sector. She frequently delivers lectures on various aspects of social media including how to get Instagram followers.