Your employees may well be writing blogs and blogging about what should be private as well as secret matters matters at your own hard earned business or workplace. These same “trusted ” employees may not even think that they are doing anything wrong or untoward.
Blogs are here , there and everywhere. Their growth in numbers and prevalence to say the least is almost sky-high. Yet who is minding the store .? Are your employees “blogging behind your back” ? about corporate secrets ? Perhaps they are even shielding their identities online through well accepted so that their identities can not be easily tracked back to your business and specific employees who are “ratting on you”. One of the reasons behind this rapid increase in blogging is the ease with which blogs are created. Anyone with basic computes skills and something to write about would be up and running with a blog in less than 10 minutes, thanks to the many free blog auto creation software and templates being offered by internet entrepreneurs including he mighty Google. Employers need to be wary of their employees blogging activities. Current and former employees may use blogs to among other things engage in copyright violations, defamation’s, reprisals or even divulge corporate strategy and trade secrets to competitors.Its Hard to find Good Bosses in Winnipeg
What should management , employers and supervisor do to prevent such damage and havoc ? What steps and procedures be implemented and firmly in place ? First, create an environment where information and ideas are freely exchanged in your organization. This will allow employees with personal issues and opinions to feel free to express them within the parameters of the organization. It would be much easier to deal with it here than when its goes to the web.
Your company , firm or organization , most likely has extensive policy and procedures manuals already . Do these manuals have procedures , polices and rules when it comes to blogs and online blogging ? At the very least have employees sign a waiver or non disclosure. This should be prepared properly with legal authorities , and should have a clear time line. Again its about clear rule and statements.
Also, require employees to sign a non-disclosure contract as a standard in employment. And ensure that older employees as well as new hires are required to sign this form. As part of this policy make it clear that release of confidential corporate information is legal grounds for immediate dismissal from the firm and set policies and guidelines that prohibit employees from publishing defamatory blogs about your business, co-workers or clients. Blogs in today’s business world are a two edged sword some people have even be found . Used well they can promote your business , organization and website presence. Your awareness on the world wide web can improve , you can develop targeted niche customers and followers. You can enhance your corporate , company or groups inherent image immensely. Blogs involve customers in a community – both for good for bad. They may even see your product or service as “theirs” and “theirs to uphold and protect”. All in all in the internet marketing world these weblogs are playing an increasing role in search engine positioning , whether it is the search engine ranking results (SERPs) of Google, Yahoo & Bing (formerly MSN ). Why take a chance of a loose cannon diminishing all your careful efforts . Monitor your employee’s blogs. Take the time to set standards and rules when it comes to hirelings, operatives and former staff employee members , when it comes to online blogs and blogging.
