S01E08 - Social Networks and Employee Complaints (Part One)

Welcome to the Wild Side, a podcast that discusses the world of modern employee relations ten minutes at a time. This episode is the first in the series of dealing with the impact of social networks on employee relations today. In this episode, host Alan Wild discusses individual employee grievances on social networks. Alan is the Global Affairs Director of the HR Policy Association, the leading voice of chief human resources offices today.

The grievance processes employers have relied upon for years have become unfit for purpose today. The new online, ‘social’ model encourages people to speak out publicly and in large numbers. Companies consider socially-driven complaints as the third most significant risk to their reputation after cybersecurity. Offering only one side of the story, individual social complaints and grievances are often protest focused not resolution focused. So, how can companies acknowledge and respond quickly to individual complaints and grievances before they virally escalate? This episode offers ten tips.

Key Takeaways: 

• The new grievance model: How social media encourages people to speak out publicly and in large numbers. [1:16]
• The most significant reputational risks for companies today. [3:22]
• Unpacking the typical grievance procedure and possible outcomes. [6:08]
• Virally escalated grievances are commonly outside of a company's control. [9:07]
• How companies can respond to formal internal and online complaints. [9:48]
• 10 tips for organizations on listening and responding quickly. [11:39]