Social media at the office can be a boost for quick connectivity, which improves productivity in ensuring smooth business results. At MediaLeaders.com, we believe in working with professionals who can accomplish their tasks without micromanaging. Disallowing social media at work can take away important opportunities for employees to promote the organization and network in ways that can help the company. Reputational damage The more time that passes without employees logging onto the dreaded bluebird, after all, the more you may forget what you hated about it in the first place. Personal Use of social media in an employee's private life Most experts say personal use of social media on company time shouldn't be prohibited, but employees should be encouraged to limit it in the same way they restrict their personal telephone calls or Internet use. How Can Parents Better Manage Their Teenager's Use of Technology and the Internet? Crimes of defamation, discrimination and harassment can hold the employer responsible initially or completely. Only 20 percent use social networks to get information that actually helps them at work. Active social networkers are those who spend more than 30 percent . If you want to keep your employees informed of company policy, you should provide detailed guidelines for what is and is not allowed on social media during work hours. What are parents' thoughts on how they manage their teenagers' digital technology use? But times are changing and it's certainly best to keep up rather than scramble to bridge gaps and fill holes. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. It will all depend on the employee and the employer. There are distinct advantages to allowing and even encouraging employees to use social media sites while at work. Available soon: Digital agency's social media & community optimizer. This is why countless employers spend hours banning certain sites or restricting personal use. Let's hope this isn't the case. When registering online accounts for personal use, employees should not use their company email address unless it is work-related. Both public and private posts should be kept confidential, and employees should not be allowed to post without first getting permission from their supervisor. For example, lack of engagement, lack of training, poor time management, employee relation tensions, etc.. What are some methods you use to build a personal brand? Nor is about control, I think, Okezie. Published by Emma Saldanha on Thursday February 16th, 2017 and updated on Friday April 9th, 2021. Pros to an employee using social media during work hours: It may seem counterintuitive, but taking breaks throughout the day can make employees more productive. If you don't have strong security, and/or your employees aren't particularly computer-savvy, it can be a big risk to take. This often would backfire, because team members would want to connect with family and friends. An effective social media policy also has the power to increase productivity, efficiency and security for your business. (Although I agree with absolutely everything else you said in your comment.) Most hiring managers will screen social media at the application stage, before inviting a candidate to interview. Related: What are some pros and cons of using technology in the workplace? Agency business use of social media, including professional networking, should further WSDOT's mission and values. The company I work for seems fairly lenient on social media as long as it isnt your focus the entire day. The cons of allowing an employee to use social media is when an employee takes advantage of a company's leniency and then misses out on their work which leads to delay in the entire work process. Just like that, your employees should feel happier and more appreciated to boot, with a much less restrictive social platform policy behind them. You want your company to network. Social media is a place where people exchange information, opinions and experiences to learn, develop and have fun. No ones saying that you should entirely lift workplace bans on certain websites. Here are just some of the commonly reported reasons as to why using social media is rampant in the workplace: 1. Either way when everybody is using one smartphone you can't block them using social media! If there is an emergency most people provide a company telephone and extension number where you can be reached right? Ultimately, if an employee gets everything done, who really cares if they spend 10 minutes browsing Instagram? John Frigo, SEO Lead, Best Price Nutrition. Missing something? Provide a list of recommendations for monitoring and regulating social media use.-Word count must be at least 1,350 words . Building on data on the . Some employees take breaks by surfing through their social media feed. Win-win! Social media such as Facebook, Twitter Instagram and LinkedIn, are Internet-based services that provide individuals a way to interact with each other online. Answer (1 of 3): Yes, because the alternative, keeping employees off social media while at work is practically unenforceable. How about socializing at work on a face-to-face basis and leave the rest to either lunch-time or home time. Good employees won't abuse it and may use it for your advantage! Employers should limit the time and energy they spend on stopping employees from using social media in the workplace. Tags: #employee social media profile #employees on social media #ethical use of social media #social media guidelines first published: Oct 31, 2022 10:09 am Trending news A poorly-worded update, or the use of social media when a client is waiting on a service, is guaranteed to harm your companys reputation in a significant way. Company policy should discourage its use. What are the benefits of using social media in the workplace? Increased morale/engagement It can also be a great tool that can be utilized by your employees, depending on how it is used. Whether you're handling a corporate account or using one of your own, you should remain productive and avoid damaging our . Supervisors can warn and then monitor the few employees that fall in that category. By creating social media guidelines, companies can empower employees and help them make the right choices on social media. While social media has been undeniably invaluable when it comes to specific modern business applications, most business owners still consider it a dirty word. Keep social media use in perspective. Instead, they need to focus on how they can channel social media use to benefit their employees. This article provides an overview of the use of social media by employers and their employees. Additionally, using social media can be a helpful way to connect with customers or potential new customers. Topics include common business applications of social networking sites, employee use of. break times). A waste of time One of the biggest concerns about allowing workers to use social media at the workplace is the wastage of precious time. Use social. In a traditional work environment, we're too attached to the idea of if you are paying someone hourly, you want them working, or at least pretending to work, for that full hour even if the employee is less productive working that way than working in their own fashion. Most studies indicate that internet usage hurts productivity in the workplace. If you want to monitor an employee's online presence, you can use Google Analytics or other software to do so. #Ilovemyjob, could be a social media post made during work hours. Facebook, Pintrest, Instagram) at work. This policy applies to all associates who work for [Employer], or one of its subsidiary companies in the United States ( [Employer]). I worked for a company that used a tool to block all social media and any other websites, content and information deemed to be non-work related. Below is an explanation of when to allow social media, and when its use is not acceptable. Use dedicated social platforms to increase employee engagement Supporters say companies need to accept some social-media risk to be successful. For example, social media can be used for promotional purposes, which could lead to premature job loss or other negative consequences. Copyright 2022 River Software. With those cons in mind, you may be wondering why you would ever waiver on your social media policy. The consensus seems to be that social media is part of everyones work day. Second, it should consider how it and its employees use social media for the company's business objectives. Employers may choose to block social media access in order to limit this. Chris Brenchley, Co-Founder and CEO, Surehand. Others say the risk is just too great. Because our society is on a collision course with an even further embedding of social media into our lives. Before you delve into whether social media should be allowed in your workplace, its worth refreshing yourself on why you banned it in the first place. Social media can help connect professionals with colleagues in the same industry. Laura Tolhoek, HR Consultant, Essential HR. Social networking can actually help you in the long run, and I want to try to open your eyes to this fact. Once each person knows what the annual goals, quarterly rocks and weekly tasks are, then you will be better able to allow them to have fun and Thrive Online. Banning social media use can help mitigate the risk of discrimination or harassment while providing an outlet for lost productivity. However, there are some cons to using social media at work. To help keep you out of trouble, we asked a lawyer, a HR expert and a tech specialist for their advice. Social media is a fastest way to reach your customer, business, friends and family. 1. Let's find out more about Building An Effective Personal Brand. Let's find out more about Should Companies Allow Employees To Use Social Media During Work Hours?. Light, Bright and Polite is a registered trademark of Joshua Ochs. - Use company-issued phones only for communicating with others at work and for sending out notices and updates about the company. - Reduced risk of bias: Banning social media use can help reduce any potential bias that may exist among employees participating in online discussion. On the other hand, when Covid-19 shut down businesses, we had to move to remote work in a matter of days. Arguments for allowing the use of social media at work: Company gets more social mentions Employees get to network Increases their personal brand Increases the company brand in return Knowledge can be shared and answers found Deeper social penetration for PR and news depending on companies social reach (Brand plus all employee accounts) The survey found 62% of employers admitted they use social media sites to check on prospective employees. However, research shows workers whose employers have at-work social media policies spend less work time on social media for personal reasons. However, company policy should allow employees to use social media at work, but a cautious approach should be used to ensure its use does not overshadow the positive aspects of the workplace. If your employees are happy, they are more likely to be productive, friendly and loyal. Learn more in our Cookie Policy. Click to reveal Increases productivity. And when the employees actually enjoyed working for a company, they did their best work. You need your finger on the pulse of society. It sometimes can be a pain to get them unblocked. Social media can be addicting and time consuming. For me, that means allowing them to check their texts, social media, or other platforms during the workday. Let's find out more about How Can Parents Better Manage Their Teenager's Use of Technology and the Internet?. Let's find out more about Teens and Gambling - the Risks Involved. The balance between these two is the key to successfully allowing employees to use social media during work hours. (And I think that meshes with your concluding point, Okezie. And when the employees actually enjoyed working for a company, they did their best work. Social media use adds very few positives to a work environment, but it can be used in a responsible way to communicate with coworkers and customers. Sites like LinkedIn, for instance, provide endless articles that could both inspire and improve employee skill sets. I believe it affects them and the company positively because I do not have to trouble myself with controlling my employees time. Taking a quick look at my social media feed and seeing what my wife and boys are up to helps refresh my mind and motivates me to power through the rest of the day. Do not allow any incorrect, confidential or non-public content about the company or your clients to be posted on social media. When an employee uses social media websites while at work, the employer can face liability concerns because of the access to and use of social media while the person is working for another individual or an entity. Let's find out more about What Is the Dark Side of the Internet?. Breaks refresh your mind and can lead to more creativity on the job. The NLRB and Social Media nlrb.gov I value corporate social responsibility a lot and I try to engage my employees in all kinds of activities. Worryingly though, around 20% of the links on any Facebook feed contain viruses. Let's find out more about The Benefits of A Bring Your Own Device (Byod) Policy In the Workplace. In this society, caring goes a long way. When I approached some employees, they said social media is their primary source of community activities and also a medium for connecting with co-workers. When you create a circle of trust amongst your staff, you're indirectly boosting productivity. Here's our other 50 favorite books: http://medialeaders.com/about/books/ Join our family safety social media program: https://SmartSocial.com Sign up for Mailchimp: http://eepurl.com/4duI1. Does this mean that scrolling through Instagram will help your employees come up with the next ground-breaking innovation for your company? They can 'like' posts published by the company on Facebook or Instagram, retweet company tweets, or share pictures to be used on company social channels. Social media policy wikipedia.org Use of social media by employees can have negative effects on the work environment. There is a dilemma for HR executives concerning social media policies: Should HR managers allow employees to use social media while at work? The work that I and some other employees performed required web searching for information on various other companies and employers for clients and sites were constantly being blocked necessitating a trip to the web site manager to get permission granted to look at the sites (for example: Burton Snowboards being blocked as a sports site when we were doing corporate research). - No posts during work hours unless specifically approved by a supervisor. Are employees allowed to use social media at work? . Expand professional networks. Q: 1.On 1 July 2021, OZ Ltd grants 20 share options to each of its 100 employees working in the sales department. To view or add a comment, sign in After that experience my take is that you need to trust your employees. 2. However, the conflicting views can be resolved if we focus on the individuals with whom an employee interacts through social media. The question has no easy answer because there are . In reality, though, social media usage done right does also offers workplace benefits. Ensure that the policy contains details about the following: When they are allowed to use it (e.g. Back in the '90s, people wanted to be hired by companies that were cool to work for. This is up 81% and 60% from last year, respectively. Use of social media can be beneficial or harmful depending on the employer's reason for banning it. Social media use at work enhances employee's ability as they gain more knowledge and increase their work-related capabilities. The world wants transparency. Limit Distractions at Work . Studies are conflicted over whether using social media in the workplace detracts from productivity. The lost profits don't even bear thinking about. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has criticized overly broad social media policies that prevent employees from exercising their collective bargaining rights, by, say, talking about wages or working conditions. Should you allow social media use at work? However, there are certain risks that need to be considered when using social media at work. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when creating social media policies: Use of social media by employees at work can be a source of distraction and irritation. There are pros and cons to allowing employees to use social media during work hours. Let's find out more about Cyberbullying and Its Effects On Teenagers. Improves employee engagement Social media is a great platform for employees and . Unfortunately a lot of blocking applications that are put into the enterprise have this category added by default, and they get blocked. Here are seven reasons social media in the workplace can help employees. If an employee violates a policy, they may be fired or awarded less work hrs in retribution. Except where the nature of works requires the use of it to create potential leads for business development and marketing the brand, social media sites should be prohibited to enhance the work productivity not just for the company but for the employee's appraisal as well. Disloyalty, as you know, breeds attrition. On the downside, however, social media might also allow for distractions from work (such as time spent on comparative websites or imitating friends on social media). Such a set of rules ensures that the demands of an employer are clear, and workers understand their limitations when it comes to the Internet and social media usage. The future of business is a networked future. :-) I agree with the article's points. 109.73.80.135 Q: In a study conducted in 2004, it was found that the share of online advertisement worldwide, as a percentage of the tota. But taking five minutes to cool off by looking at social media after receiving another nagging e-mail from Barb is not going to hurt. There have been plenty of memos sent to some of my coworkers whose work quality and productivity have plummeted due to their inability to tear themselves away from browsing through social media. As a society we tend to connect time with money as opposed to value for money or tasks for money. However, since social media wasnt allowed at work, they didnt feel the need to bond too much and failed to acknowledge some of the initiatives we supported. Still, a little patience goes a long way. According to their research, here's why employees use social media in the workplace: 34% to take a mental break from their job. I've seen people say negative things about their job on social media during work hours, but that could also happen after work. On the plus side, social media can help employees share information about your company's products and services directly with their customers. Social media is like a black hole that sucks you in and spits you back out hours later, with no idea how your precious time just flew by in the blink of an eye. Yes, employees should be ethically allowed to use social media at work. - Posts should be descriptive, specific to the situation, and brief. It can allow your employees to have mental breaks and relax for a while. Morale and employee engagement Allowing your staff to use social media at work can boost morale and actually improve employee engagement for a number of reasons It shows that you trust them (boosting morale and happiness). Perhaps the best option here is to redefine the social platforms you consider for workplace implementation. Thats an impressive percentage, and one that any manager dealing with different departments will want to consider. Instead of giving full access to the employees, which can be rather distractive, you can allow them to use social media at workplace with some restrictions and focus on employer branding and social collaboration. As soon as a manager sees a problem arising from an employee's social media use, they need to address it and understand what the root cause of the issue is. How to let your employees use social media at work without losing their focus October 7, 2014 - 4:10 pm. While social media can be an ideal platform for effectively building an organization's brand and image, improper use of social media accounts by employees can be damaging. Social networking brings to businesses a boon of free advertising. Because of that, you block chat, tweets, and all other social networking to make sure your workers are doing only what you pay them for. Social media use adds very few positives to a work environment, but it can be used in a responsible way to communicate with coworkers and customers. Smart Social - Teaching Students How To Shine Online. ). Related: What are the benefits of using mobile technology in service based businesses? In fact, it's just about the most immediate form of communication you can find. However, I don't think there should be a blanket policy of no social media use due to one bad egg. Bottom line is that allowing employees to use social media during work can help them share ideas and thoughts with others, and can boost their productivity. At my law firm, I allow my employees to use social media during work hours, but they should use them in accordance with proper work ethics. Draconian measures to prevent private use of social media in the workplace may have a positive short-term effect on productivity, but they will harm employee retention in the long run. All of that makes for some seriously powerful advertising. It will make them feel valued (it's like a little perk of the job). Twitter, too, can lead to business connections and followings that could provide development employees would struggle to harness elsewhere. We all have different working styles. They would read bad, sensationalist news all the time and I could tell this affected everyone. Social media gives people an escape into the digital world. We have made a list of pros and cons of using social media in the workplace. Story by Ritika Puri . Back in the '90s, people wanted to be hired by companies that were cool to work for. What are some of the biggest mistakes people make when building a personal brand? The lost profits dont even bear thinking about. To view or add a comment, sign in, Adeel Javaid, CITP, I.S.P, FOCP, CIHE, CCP, CISSA, CDSOE, GRCP. When used correctly, social media can: Boost employee engagement Give employees the opportunity for a mental break Build stronger team bonding and work relationships 1. Privacy Policy. Cybersecurity is always a pressing business concern, with data breaches costing in everything from downtime to legal fines, and even reputational damage. Being able to talk directly to consumers might be fantastic for your profits, but paying employees to browse social media at work isnt exactly going to impress. According to a 2016 study 77% of employees in the US use social media while they are at work. However, the CEO is worried that employees might use social media for non-work purposes. We asked employers and employees what their companys policy is about using social media during work hours, how they manage it, and why its important to them. Low morale among the workers breeds contempt, and contempt breeds disloyalty. And although you might not think so, this can quickly snowball into a PR nightmare, especially as more and more young employees -- who depend upon social networking -- join the workforce. Moreover, using social media allows employees to stay updated and catch up on any new trends and opportunities that may come up online. With the above in mind, its easy to see that this isnt a cut and dry issue. If an employee is authorized to use social media as part of their job duties, be sure use meets your supervisor's expectations and is targeted to those duties. And getting on board early shows the public that you are an agile, aware company. I get it You're completely convinced that allowing your employees to get on Facebook and Twitter would pull the rug out from under your bottom line. One of the reasons employers choose to block social media access employees have at work is to limit distraction. For a break-based approach to be success, Wrigley says, employees should be encouraged to turn off their social media notifications, so their work time is not continuously interrupted. How Can Technology Improve Communication In the Workplace? Everyone felt like they were being baby-sat and that the company felt they were untrustworthy. Using social media during work hours can really help employees to stay productive and help them have short breaks during stressful work. 24% to make or support professional connections. See how it affects performance and morale and then decide whether it's a perk worth keeping. However, it is best to communicate an informal policy to your employees that they are free to use social media as long as it does not interfere with their work. This amounted to lost time and productivity and tons of frustration among employees who couldn't do their jobs without permission. Social media also acts as a way for the employee to grow their network and stay connected in the industrywhich could help the organization. It is important you read this thoroughly and sign to say you have understood and accept the terms outlined. Do not allow employees to give advice to clients on social media. While Twitter and Instagram are notorious for lost productivity, companies are now recognising the need for more business-focused networking platforms, and these, rather than general social media, could bring the benefits mentioned directly to your door. The question has no easy answer because there are conflicting views on the matter. Of course, if you have an employee who isn't completing their work due to social media use, you may need to sit down and have an honest conversation about what you've observed. Include information on not using social media on company equipment unless it is work-related. Jacob Sapochnick, Founder, Law Offices of Jacob J. Sapochnick. Essay on Employee Social Media Use Policy ivoryresearch.com Social networking facilitates collaboration internally, but it also lets users collaborate with the entire world. Employees can easily. Facebook Workplace and Yammer, for example, both have the downsides of private chat functions that could still result in unnecessary lost productivity or even workplace bullying. For instance, when searching for how to do something in Excel or Word, often the search results point to a page on Quora, Reddit, or Youtube, which is a great resource for up-to-date information. Sharing of professionalplacedon social media can result in wasted time, as well as lost profits due to the increased security risks and cyber threats. It's important to have a social media policy that shows the balance needed to use social media throughout the work day. However, I believe that with moderation, it can be a useful tool that will help us keep our energy throughout the day. Have HR do it. The answer, as many times in life, is: it depends. Look later in the process. In the past, some companies would ask employees to stay off social media. If an employer decides to grant social media breaks, Wrigley cautions them not to run afoul of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which requires them to pay workers . news of new product launches). Many companies use Internet Usage policies describing what is allowed and not allowed while using the Internet at work. This new level of personal and professional transparency combined with the availability of mobile technology heightens the likelihood that your workplace will be impacted with social media in . (Unsplash) If you use social media and have a job, what you post, share or like online can have an impact on your employment. The core issue is probably not the employee's access to social media, but rather some other performance or workplace issue. All it takes is a message on Slack with a link to a tweet, Facebook or LinkedIn post asking them to like, share or otherwise get the word out, for your company's social media posts to get exponentially more traction organically than they otherwise would. I dare and I do. People who are adept at using social media well will ensure that they use strong privacy settings which will not allow companies to dig the information out, other possibilities are that the employer can create a fake account to mislead the companies for the information. It helps them feel more relaxed and improves their abilities to take responsibility for their actions. Related: How can technology be used in the workplace to improve communication? While employers may still be unsure about instigating business-wide social media use, theres no denying the benefits that well-planned social networking sites could bring to the modern workplace. Nearly half of them said that they used social media to connect with friends and family, view photos and videos and even to search for a new job. Performance & security by Cloudflare. When I've been stuck on an idea, I call out to my followers on Twitter or Facebook to get a deluge of answers. Use dedicated social platforms to increase employee engagement. Make sure policies allow for both private and public posts. This includes any posts on social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Personal use of social media like listening to music or watching videos during breaks can help make work more enjoyable and less stressful. Social media in the workplace: Research roundup journalistsresource.org When you post on your business socials, you probably spell check, edit, and guarantee political correctness.
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