What role social media plays in team building

Because HR departments are responsible for recruitment, training and onboarding, they also usually handle team building. The ultimate objective is to bring the entire staff together so that employees feel comfortable collaborating and communicating with each other. 

Team building is a crucial element of workforce management that HR departments have to improve in order to bolster efficiency. Recently, social media has started to play an increasingly large role in uniting the staff. The following are some ways that companies are using Facebook, Twitter and similar networks for team building. 

The public spotlight
Employees love being recognized for their hard work and dedication, but many businesses have struggled to find an appropriate forum for this. While obvious answer is to hold a small employee-of-the-month ceremony, these events waste time and put workers in an uncomfortable position as the center of attention. 

According to the Houston Chronicle, social media is a viable option for recognizing contributors. The news source notes that enterprises can use social networks to highlight recent accomplishments so the entire staff knows who's been doing a great job. 

This may be the best approach because a message can be written in a couple of seconds so time isn't wasted on recognizing an individual or small group. Additionally, this approach ensures that workers know that their efforts are appreciated.

Eliminating bad attitudes
Many employees roll their eyes as soon as someone says "team building exercise," and few people can blame them. In most cases, this means that workers are going to have to spend time with their colleagues instead enjoying their personal lives. What's more, many team building exercises happen outside of work so staff members aren't even getting paid for hanging out with people that they may only want see from 9 to 5 during the work week. 

That said, it seems that social media and cutting-edge technology are making employees more receptive to team building than they have been in the past. Ian Fraser, co-founder of Go Game, a gamification firm that's held exercises for Google and Microsoft, explained to BizBash that digital tools eliminate bad attitudes

"The technology element definitely helps ease people into the game and makes teambuilding seem less gimmicky," Fraser said. 

Indeed, this may be the primary benefit of team building via social media. When workers actually want to participate in an exercise and don't automatically assume it's a waste of time, they'll come together as a group.