At a time when many companies are struggling to figure out how to address employees’ use of Facebook and other social networks, some employers are embracing social media by launching their own internal social networks. Such networks can provide a private forum in which employees in different locations can collaborate, provide expertise, share files and best practices, and join groups of employees with common interests (business and professional). 

Workforce Management has an interesting series of articles discussing the emergence of this corporate trend and offering some tips to consider when launching such a social network. Some additional tips we suggest:

• Draft a policy on the purpose and appropriate use of the corporate social network,
• Train employees on the policy,
• Realize that this type of tool widens the number of corporate users who can  access corporate data,
• Develop some groups that are open to all employees and others that are restricted, and
• Take swift action if an employee uses the social network to harass another employee or violate other corporate policies.