It’s official: The Pope hearts social media.

This past weekend during World Communications Day, Pope Benedict XIV urged priests to start using social media to get their message across to followers.  It seems the 82-year-old Pope has had somewhat of a change of heart over the use of social media, recognizing that trying to reach followers “amid today’s cultural shifts, to which young people are especially sensitive, necessarily involves using new communications technologies.”

In finally embracing social media, the Pope is setting an example not just for priests, but for anyone who wants his or her message to have a greater impact on and reach a wider audience – including employers.

Here are four ways employers and hiring managers can – and should – emulate the Pope’s actions (when it comes to social media, at least):

1. Acknowledge that the culture of communication has changed. Pope Benedict has long been wary of using social technologies (not unlike many employers), but it seems he’s finally realized that ignoring new media won’t make it go away. For all of the supposed “distractions” it holds, social media also presents a great opportunity to reach a wider audience.  From a business standpoint, not only can social media increase exposure and promote an employment brand, but enabling employees access to social media at work enables them to exchange ideas, create partnerships and learn from other industry professionals.
2. If you have a brand that you’re proud of, you should encourage your employees to be advocates for that brand. Understand that just because you’re not using using social media to talk about your brand doesn’t mean others aren’t.  In fact, if you’re not in the social space these days, it might leave consumers and job candidates wondering what you have to hide: A 2008 Cone study titled “Business in Social Media” found that 93 percent of social media users believe a company should have a presence in social media, and 85 percent believe that companies should go one step further and interact with customers on social media sites.  Employers can leverage social media to respond – immediately, if necessary, and on your own terms – to negative comments or criticism – and clear up misconceptions about your brand on your terms.
3. Trust that your employees will make good decisions. Okay, the pope might have a leg up on this one, considering faith is the basis of his business, but still… “It comes down to hiring and training employees who make good decisions,” Liz Strauss has said on her blog of how employers can get over their fear of letting employees blog.  After all, if you can’t trust your own employees, what are you doing making them employees in the first place? And aren’t you already trusting your employees to represent you in a positive, professional light by letting them communicate with customers on a daily basis? Why should blogging or tweeting be so different?
4. …But still exercise caution.  Just as the pope urged priests to practice “sensitivity to those who do not believe, the disheartened and those who have a deep, unarticulated desire for enduring truth and the absolute,” employers also need to articulate to their employees the importance of abiding by certain guidelines with a clearly stated social media policy.  When creating it comes to creating a social media policy, remember two very important things: 1) Make sure your employees know that you have the right to monitor employee use of social media regardless of location (i.e. at work on a company computer or on personal time with a home computer). 2) Remind employees that company policies on anti-harassment, ethics and company loyalty extend to all forms of communication (including social media) – both inside and outside the workplace – and that badmouthing the organization or colleagues online can lead to consequences at work.

Amen.