Social networking consultancy SITEFORUM, law firm Osborne Clarke and the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) have joined forces to present a whitepaper to the government.

The whitepaper will recommend that businesses’ social media policies protect not just the business itself, but employees, clients and suppliers.

The whitepaper identifies seven areas that need protection in such policies as brand and reputation, confidential information, intellectual property, staff identities, business value and regulatory issues.

David Bashford, director of SITEFORUM, says: “We identified recruitment as an area in which social media has been readily integrated into day-to-day working, yet has no clear guidelines and policies to manage potential risk to companies, employees and candidates.”

Marilyn Davidson, director at APSCo, adds: “The purpose of this whitepaper is to help recruiters get the most out of social media while minimising the risks.”

More guidance for recruitment strategies can be read in today’s recruiter.co.uk story ’Get your tone of voice right when using social media’.