By Beth N. Carvin

Corporate social networking is catching on. From IBM’s Beehive to Deloitte’s D Street and beyond, companies are setting up private Facebook-style social networks in search of benefits such as increased employee collaboration and reduced turnover. But debate remains over a core issue: which department should take ownership of the new network?

Technology workers tend to think that it’s IT’s bailiwick. Indeed, some in the IT community are said to be quietly encouraging an ‘implement now, ask questions later’ policy to avoid delays associated with establishing criteria, performing due diligence and other preliminary processes. Throwing together a homegrown or advertising-supported platform is seen as an easier way to get social networking projects off the ground.

HR personnel, on the other hand, argue that HR should be in charge for strategic as well as risk management reasons. How can IT buy or build a social network application without knowing the project goals? What controls are in place to ensure that users won’t post false information, inappropriate images, or otherwise abuse social media privileges?

In truth, social networking is a people issue – not an IT issue. As such, it cannot succeed without HR at the helm, both as an evangelist for the project and as the overseer. There are many reasons why.

Business ‘Friending’ Is Different
To begin with, it’s not just a matter of inviting people to create profiles about their personal and professional interests and accomplishments. It’s about facilitating employee interaction and knowledge sharing, breaking down departmental silos, driving innovation through collaboration, connecting remote workers, helping new employees adjust, providing a forum for recognizing good work, retaining Facebook-addicted Generation Y employees, and a myriad of other things. The goals vary from company to company.

Even the most skilled IT professionals lack expertise in these areas and do not know how to achieve these objectives. Simply replicating the Facebook model will not do it. Without input from HR, the project will necessarily fall short of the mission.

Not One-Size-Fits-All
Corporate social networks are not only different from the Facebooks of the world; they are different from each other. It is necessary to shape the network to the specific needs and corporate culture of the organization. Again, this is an HR function – not IT.

One organization may create an internal social network with the primary goal of acclimating new employees. Another might be more interested in facilitating knowledge transfer or mentoring. Others may choose to focus on networking opportunities for women and minorities, or to connect home-based or geographically dispersed employees. Any combination of these and other objectives is possible as well. Guidance from HR is essential to deploy the right tools for each company.

‘Selling’ the Program
Because corporate social networking is a people program, it needs to be nurtured. Deloitte, for example, has said that early adoption of its D Street platform was slow. Very few employees are going to adopt a new technology simply because it’s new. Someone has to be out there waving the flag to get people to buy in.

While younger employees who spend many hours on their Facebook or MySpace pages may quickly grasp the value of the company counterpart, others may need assistance to understand the potential for helping them answer questions, solve problems, solicit help to initiate or complete a project, build their reputations within the company, and so on. Once more, this is not IT’s strong suit. HR is in the best position to lead the charge because it has the established communication channels, a clear vision of the goals of the program, and the ability to convey the benefits.  

Appropriate Usage Policies
Like Internet use, social computing in the business environment has risks as well as benefits. Concerns range from a negative impact on employee productivity to possible posting of false or confidential information, harassment of fellow employees, sharing information from the internal network outside the company, and more. Controls are needed to manage the risk.

IT personnel do not have the training to implement appropriate usage policies that can provide user guidelines and help protect companies from liability in the event of social network misuse. This is clearly an HR responsibility that must be addressed before the corporate social network is rolled out – not after.

Tracking Compliance
The flip side of having an appropriate usage policy is enforcing it. Someone has to monitor employees’ social computing habits to be sure they are following the rules. IT departments simply are not equipped to perform this function.

And So …

For these and other reasons, HR managers should be proactively involved in planning, implementing and managing corporate social networks from the very earliest stages. IT can be brought in if the software is to be developed in-house or to help with network and firewall issues if an outside vendor is used, but HR must take the lead. No company would allow the information technology department to implement a new accounting system without engaging the input of the finance department and other business partners. The same principle applies here.

Remember: enterprises are placing growing importance on using social software to build bridges between employees, expedite knowledge sharing, and harness the power of group thinking to achieve competitive advantage. This is a human initiative – not an automation initiative. IT may supply the gear for the game, but the ball clearly belongs in HR’s court.

Beth N. Carvin is the CEO and President of Nobscot Corporation, a global technology firm that focuses on key aspects of employee retention and development. She can be reached at bncarvin@nobscot.com.