The advent of social media, marked by the proliferation of smart devices and increasing numbers of users on social networks, represents not only a clear opportunity for businesses to better engage the market – but also a new era in HR management.

This is the view of Human Capital Management (HCM) and HR experts at CRS Technologies, a leading local provider of HR & payroll services and solutions.

The Company describes this chapter in the development of people resources and application in business with a sense of caution, advising decision makers to be aware of the dynamics involved in leveraging off social media to bolster HR practices.

“A number of factors and aspects must be kept in mind. One of the key trends is suing social media profiles as part of the recruitment process, which gives rise to another significant issue – that of control of social media marketing,” explains James McKerrell, CEO of CRS Technologies South Africa.

High on the list of considerations for managers who want to leverage off the immediate and pervasive nature of social media is the issue of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and all that this trend entails.

According to McKerrell there are a number of very definite implications for businesses that are seeking to control multiple device usage and personalised employee devices application in the workplace. This warrants closer inspection when it comes to brand building and marketing strategy.

Effective client service is based extensively on brand recognition, trust and familiarity. The use of personalised branding to interact with clients demands balance, regulation and adherence to policy. Failure to enforce this environment could have serious implications for a business.

“Employees having their own brands and using that to interact with clients must be given due diligence. In addition to social media policies and governance within the company, it is important for decision makers to consider how social media can be used internally to increase collaboration and knowledge share – and, of course, who should be responsible to control that,” he adds.

The new face of recruitment

McKerrell and fellow executive leaders at CRS Technologies acknowledge that more companies are beginning to engage and utilise social networks and online profiles as part of the recruitment strategy.

While there are certainly advantages to doing this, there are some risks involved too.

“One should not forget that we are talking about public forums here. There is the issue of privacy and what is posted on someone’s personal profile has to be carefully evaluated – if at all. Yes, this information could offer more insight into character and personality, but is it a full proof mechanism to seriously and effectively judge an individual’s ability to perform a role or fulfil the requirements of a position?” McKerrell asks.

Externally and the recruitment aspect aside, there are most certainly business-building benefits to utilising this resource internally to boost operations.

Given that the focus in 2014 will be on customer-centric strategy implementation and application, access to an established, regulated and effective social channel to enhance communication between staff for education and knowledge share purposes should not be underestimated says McKerrell.

“Social media and networks lend themselves to immediate, powerful and clear communication. This is accessible to a large amount of people at the same time, so it is less resource intensive than traditional channels. There is certainly a business case for the adoption and investment in this resource,” he adds.