An engaged workforce is a happier and more productive workforce, and that positively impacts the bottom line. During the continued rough economic times in 2011, a Gallup study found that firms with engaged workforces have 2.6 times the earnings per share growth rate compared to their industry counterparts and an Aberdeen Group study found that companies using Web 2.0 achieved an 18% boost in employee engagement, as reported by Nancy Kaplan in the Social Media Today article, 3 Benefit Measures – The ROI of Internal Social Media Networks.

Benefits of 2.0 inside the organization depends on how effectively the social media tools help drive an enhanced employee engagement, streamlined operations and better, faster innovation.

How can 2.0 inside the organization really drive engagement and lead to a happier workforce? Business is run and done by people, not machines. Because people are social beings, offering opportunities for connection helps create a stronger sense of belonging; a bond designed to help colleagues survive and thrive. The article mentions Sabre, which implemented Sabre Town in 2007. Employees embraced the idea of connecting, which led to a reframing relationships and workplace goals.

Just looking at the results of a 2009 Towers Perrin study, knowledge managers recognize that companies are at a point where they cannot dismiss the power of employee engagement as a result of internal social media implementation. View the Towers Perrin report at http://www.towersperrin.com/tp/getwebcachedoc?country=usa&webc=HRS/GBR/2008/200805/ENGAGEMENT_IMPROVES_BOTTOM_LINE.pdf

Large or small, with a workforce that’s either co-located or geographically disbursed, the company size really doesn’t matter. Results do. Implement social media within your company and people across departments will come together to connect, engage and share knowledge, thus helping one another learn, innovate, create, overcome roadblocks to productivity … and ultimately create stronger company profits, even in rough economies.

Read about the 3 Benefit Measures – The ROI of Internal Social Media Networks