Worldwide, most companies are getting better at using social media to inform their employees. According to a Towers Watson study, 69% of companies intend to increase their use of these tools over the next 12 months.
The study explains this by the need to fundamentally change the way of managing employee communications due to globalization and diversification: information must now circulate faster and more globally. Despite this expression of goodwill, however, companies continue to question themselves about the cost/efficiency ratio of social media. Only 28% of respondents consider these tools cost-effective, and barely 15% have set up evaluation measures.
Among the companies polled who thought that these media were cost-effective, 63% invest in social networks and 58% in blogs. Note that 56% of companies that communicate effectively were able to measure the contribution of a good communication in achieving their objectives and that 62% use these measures to plan future initiatives or take business decisions.
Towers Watson warned that companies with less experience in this area that they are likely to have problems attracting, retaining and motivating certain employee groups, especially young people.