2020 is undoubtedly an unprecedented time for businesses. COVID-19 has had a significantly negative impact on employers and employees.

Even more unfortunate is the number of businesses that have closed with the looming concern regarding if and how they will reopen. Equally unfortunate Is the employees who were furloughed or lost their jobs

We Will Come Back

One thing that is certain; the Covid-19 virus cannot destroy is the American entrepreneurial spirit. Businesses that closed will reopen, businesses that stayed open but had to lay off employees will hopefully either rehire or start hiring again. There are even several essential service businesses that are hiring during this time. There will also be innovative businesses as we are seeing now that have or will emerge to meet the demand of the new normal.

Many of the millions of unemployed, estimated to be higher than 20 million and growing, have filled their quarantine and social distancing time with online activities. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reported surges in the Facebook and WhatsApp apps during a recent media call.  And it’s not just Facebook apps seeing an increase in use. Social Media Today reports that people are spending 20% more time online and in apps as compared to the same period in 2019 (pre COVID-19). While some of the content is helpful and good, there is equally harmful content.

Hopefully, the millions of unemployed will be rehired or find new employment. When this hiring begins to happen, some employers will be interested in the social media activity and the content potential return and new hires posted during their pandemic shelter-in-place (SIP). These posts may impact future employment because companies may not want to hire individuals with a social media history of questionable judgment or outright immoral behavior.

As employers and entrepreneurs figure out what the priorities are going to be if they reopen, hire, or start a new business, policy review and updates should be in the activity mix. One policy we strongly suggest you develop, review, or update your Social Media Code of Conduct (SMCC). This policy will help ensure future employees meet an expected online standard of representing your business.

In a previous article, Lessons Learned While Building SM23’s Social Media Code of Conduct – https://socialmedia23.com/lessons-learned-smcc/, I specifically outline the information I discovered from (1) other businesses that had SMCC’s and what was included and omitted and (2) what businesses should include when developing a SMCC. 

In another article, I provide 3 Benefits of a Social Media Code of Conduct – that indicate the importance of having and updating a SMCC.

Once you have updated or developed your SMCC, what do you do? You need to determine if potential hires meet your standards and don’t have social media histories that will impact your company’s reputation or disrupt your business.

Due to the significant increase in social media posting that has taken place over these past few weeks month, as well as posts before that time, manually reviewing a potential employee’s social media profiles will be extremely difficult, if not impossible.  It will be essential to find a social media screening service such as Social Media 23 to assist in the evaluation and screening of these potential employee’s social media profiles. This article highlights 3 Steps for Removing Bias In Social Media Screening – , which emphasizes the need for third-party screening company with the software capabilities to conduct such a social media review.

Finally, it will be important to select a social media screening company that provides an in-depth review of a potential employee’s social media platforms.  The article 5 Questions for Selecting a Company to Perform Your Social Media Screenings – outlines what current and future employers and businesses should be looking for when determining what company can provide the best service to meet their SMCC.

If you would like to schedule a conversation to discuss the need to update or develop a Social Media Code of Conduct or discuss Social Media 23 screening services, you can send us a message at this link –  https://socialmedia23.com/contact/, email us at [email protected] or call 256.473.7623 to schedule a conversation.