In the current information age, news can be spread in a matter of minutes or perhaps seconds through various digital platforms, including social media. This leaves many vulnerable to "fake news" not only at home but also in their workplaces.
While the impact of fake news is obvious in political discourse, fake news can also cause unrest in the workplace and destroy the company's public image through false statements and completely photoshopped images.
There is good news for HR professionals because they can effectively prevent the spread of fake news at the workplaces, and we have created a small guide:
Fake news and misinformation are not always created to achieve a malicious end. At times, rumors and speculation are spread due to an "information vacuum" caused by too little communication from the organization's leaders. Therefore, it is the responsibility of business managers, department heads, project leaders, and product owners to ensure the information gap does not exist in the first place.
According to Element Trust Barometer 2020, 92% of employees want their leaders to communicate proactively on important workplace issues. This can help them stay ahead of rumors and speculations at the workplace.
While some employees are not vulnerable to fake news, not every employee takes the time to verify whether the information shared with them is true or false. This underpins the manager's role in encouraging employees only to believe the information published in official websites of reputable sources.
Having a single source of truth can go a long way toward reducing fake news in the workplace. As such, managers should establish transparent communication channels for informing employees and communicating with them frequently. With that in place, managers can address employees' concerns on an ongoing basis and avoid creating a gap that can be filled by fake news.
Staying a step ahead of employees and providing workplace updates is critical for any manager. Therefore, they should not wait for issues to arise for them to communicate but provide periodic updates even when things are going the right way. This helps keep employees on par with the happening within and around the organization and reassures them that all is well.
Information repetition is a powerful tool for preventing fake news in the workplace. Just like in marketing, where information is repeated multiple times for many people to understand clearly, the same applies to internal communication. Repetition ensures every employee receives the same information precisely without ambiguity.
HR managers should remain proactive in sealing the loopholes for fake news in workplaces. This can be done not only through effective communication but also by adopting workplace policies that prohibit sharing of unverified information within the workplace environment. Additionally, HR professionals can pay attention to news from credible sources and call out misinformation and bad discussion habits in workplaces. In doing so, fake news and misinformation in workplaces will be a thing of the past.
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