It doesn’t make sense to end the fun when the party begins.

According to a Jobvite study, you might belong to one of the 89% of companies that use social networking to hire employees.

Which means that you might belong to one of the 63.6% of companies that successfully hired through social networking.

So does it make sense to stop using social media because you’re already where you want to be?

Here’s a word for you to consider: proactive. When Merck acquired Schering-Plough in November 2009, you better believe that the multi-billion dollar deal was all over the news.

Given today’s strong and flourishing economy, this story doesn’t seem unusual. Negotiations begin, the press goes wild, and suddenly “sources” begin to appear and disclose “information” about these deals.

So it’s no surprise that in many of these stories, the “sources” are, in fact, employees and the “information” may be…what’s the word I’m looking for? Slanderous?

A lightbulb went off in Merck’s pharmaceutical head. Instead of managing a gaping hole of communication between Merck and former Schering-Plough employees to allow for imaginations and rumors to run wild, why not create a social network to manage it all in one place?

Bingo. No slander, just facts.

From acquisitions to research and development, social media is a bridge. It closes the gaps between the goods and its customers, the brand and the press, and most importantly, the company and its employees.

So it’s a shame that though 89% of companies use social networking to recruit, only 21% use it to engage their employees, according to the Deloitte Consulting Firm. Why?

This isn’t just a tool for a company, it’s a power you endow to your employees.

Bridging gaps – There’s often a huge break of communication between executive management and their employees. Social media evens out the hierarchy by making the big guys more accessible.

Bridging ideas – Corporations with subsidiaries have many issues in relating ideas and issues with one another. Creating a forum allows for easier communication between departments or sister companies.

Bridging truth – Press gossip, customer reviews, controversy; it can all get very messy for a company’s reputation especially within the company itself. Taking proactive measures by informing and discussing these situations with employees allows them to spread the good word.

At the end of the day, endowing this power to your employees makes them stronger. The stronger you allow them to become, the stronger the company will grow.

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