Help!…I’ve Just Posted a Personal Status Update From My Work Account!!!!
by Natalie @BubbleJobs
We’ve all heard the horror stories about posting a misplaced status or tweet on your work social media accounts. Famously, the intern that posted a tweet using an MPs logged in Twitter account led to both ‘#SackTheIntern’ and ‘#SaveTheIntern’ trending on Twitter for almost 3 days. I, myself, have on a few occasions almost tweeted something on the Bubble Jobs Twitter account that would not be appropriate at all (luckily, as yet I haven’t actually posted anything too risqué). But, what should you do if you find yourself in this awkward position?
Your first move will depend on whether the post has been seen. This relates more specifically to Facebook than to Twitter. If you have posted something accidentally and it has received over 500 likes and numerous comments, it is not reasonable to merely delete the entire post. Equally, if you are receiving a large number of retweets or responses to your tweet on Twitter, you can’t really just delete the tweet. If there has been no comments or likes and you realise the moment you hit that send button, it is likely that you could delete it without causing too much of an issue. Therefore, it is suggested that the best way to deal with this situation is to first apologise for the post, asking politely if it has offended anyone.
Should anyone respond expressing concern over what you posted, you need to provide them with details about how to make a formal complaint if they wish to do so. This may seem a bit like a suicide mission, as you are essentially giving them the details needed to complain about you, however, transparency is the key point here. If you are seen to be helpful and open about the complaints procedure, most people will actually change their mind about making a complaint.
At this point, and this point alone, you can delete the comment, not after taking a screenshot of the post and the comments thereafter. This is so that if complaints are made against you, you have evidence of exactly what you posted in the first place (because when making a complaint people tend to exaggerate to make their complaint sound more important – we’ve all done it), as well as evidence of how the post was received by your following and ensure that it shows your apology. This will allow your employer to be more adequately prepared for the impending complaints and also allows them to seek legal advice if this is required.
Finally, don’t get too caught up in it all. Anyone can make a mistake, and many have. You will neither be the first, nor the last to post something on Facebook or Twitter that you didn’t mean to. As long as you follow the rules above when dealing with it and minimise the negative reaction that could occur as a result of the post, your employers will appreciate the way that you have dealt with the mistake.
Have any of you acidentally posted someething you shouldn’t have? We’d love to hear any funny examples, (please keep them clean though!)
Natalie
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Great article. I manage many accounts, so I have to stay alert when I’m posting, and try not to hurry. I’ve found that specializing in a certain “genre”, like real estate, helps. That way, if you post something accidentally, it’s not that off-center.
I try to be honest and open to comments (even tho sometimes my gut reaction is to pull a politician and do a cover-up). Mistakes make you look human! And don’t underestimate the positive affect of humor–it goes a long way.
Good subject to post about. I really enjoyed the article. The #savetheintern is just a great story!
(Wait–who am I commenting as? @:P )