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Social Networking in CPA FirmsShareholder - K2 Enterprises April 28, 2010
They’re here! You can run but you can’t hide. Social networking is here to stay, for a while anyway. Trying to block it or kill it? Good luck! You will not succeed. Instead, let’s talk about a more practical approach to managing social networks.
Olden Days I can remember the IBM PC AT and a game called Hopper. In my firm, there was a lot of Hopper played in between tax returns. I know this drove the partners nuts, but it was a welcome distraction for the staff and we considered Hopper personal time and charged it as such. In my opinion, you will need to manage social networking just like any technology you have in a firm starting with the phone all the way down the line to the PDA. It is all technology that can be abused. If it is abused, you have a people problem, not a technology problem.
Most Prudent Approach Do not block social networking sites, do not ignore them either. Manage by policy. In other words, you must include social networking in your standard technology use policy and make sure that all know that social networking is included in the acceptable use agreement. Next, go a step further and specifically mention actions that are acceptable and unacceptable. Train your people. They are already using these tools and you are going to be asking them to change their behavior. Be very clear and as concise as possible. Here is a short list of ideas:
Be courteous and kind. Just because you are online does not make it o.k. to be rude or profane. This media must be treated just like the phone or email. Good rule of thumb - do not post anything you would not mind seeing on the front page of USA Today, tomorrow, as it may be! You can be held accountable for anything and everything you say online. Treat social networking as if the world is watching at all times. Do not give advice or guidance you are not qualified to provide. Do not pass along rumor or conjecture. Do not assume anything. When posting be very specific and clear. Never give legal advice online. Even the most seasoned attorney will avoid this at all times. With that in mind, it would be best to avoid providing any tax or accounting advice online. Try to get a more personal forum for this advice. Besides, you should not be giving away the farm. Do not use the firm’s name unless the firm has approved of the posting. Some firms have developed boilerplate responses to common questions which make it easy for anyone in the firm to respond quickly and in an approved manner. Be very careful of reckless behavior as you can easily be tagged in photos on someone else’s site. Clients, employees, and partners all look at Facebook too and when something is posted on the Internet it lives forever! Have you seen the movie The Sandlot? Can you say F O R E V E R, over and over? It does not matter if you think you have reserved Facebook just for personal use. You can still get exposure in the business world. This is probably the #1 misconception and basis for problems. There is NO firewall between the worlds; it is just one big world. Many young accountants think it is okay to divulge business information “just to their friends”. Problems with their boss, clients, or even delicate details of engagements are posted up with the thought that it is just my friends. Remember, friends have friends who have even more friends… Take a positive approach and encourage use of social networking within your acceptable use policy. In fact, a nice trick I just learned is to add your social networking links to your email signature so folks can find you online.
Top Social Networking Sites:
Keep a Weather Eye Legal Issues I do not presume to give you bottom line legal advice here, not even close. There are legal issues and liability in any approach to social networking. That would violate rule number four above. You will need to consult with your attorney when drafting or changing your technology use policy. Also, I would advise you against “putting sneakers on a suited professional” and trying to be something you are not. Act your age, don’t try to be 22 but don’t ignore the tools either. I think there is a healthy balance for all ages of professionals. Keep the word “professional” in mind here. Yes, I have an iPhone, use Twitter, Facebook, Skype, covet the iPads, and will probably cave-in and sign up for LinkedIn soon. But I use them all with caution.
Millennials – Generation Y and Younger You will probably find that it is the youngest in your group that will have a tendency to just blurt out anything they like. Help them adjust. They cannot help it; they have grown up in a world of blogs, posts, email, and now Twitter. Think, control vs. kill. Consider social networks as the country clubs of the future.
In Summary Face it, you are going to have some wasted time, information leaked, and people issues. This is nothing new. As a profession, we have done well managing phone, fax, computer, and internet use to date so let’s get onboard and actively manage social networks. This strategy will serve you and your upcoming staff very well into the future. It’s going to get more connected before we are done.
See you online.
LAST UPDATED 7/9/2010
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