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There have been warnings of social media being destructive to the workplace but can it be all that bad ?

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Nearly 75% of people access social media multiple times a day at their workplace. However, only 2% of this time is spent on business related purposes.

With over 1 billion people on social media, it’s unavoidable

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The trend in today’s society is towards “hyper-connected, always-on employees”, meaning work is also being taken home thanks to digital technology.

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Work vs. Personal is difficult to track

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Workplaces can benefit from the use of social media among their employees if it is regulated correctly.

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1. Increased Productivity 2. Improved Communication 3. Reduced Stress

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“Employees who are able to access social networks in the workplace are able to produce better results than their socially inclined peers” - Huffington Post

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Data collect from Evolv demonstrates that “employees who accessed five or more social networks racked up higher sales figures than their fellow workers.”

Research from another data firm, Ipsos, found that 39% of employees don’t think their workplace has enough collaboration . 40% felt that social media could increase this team work.

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“Social networks’ immediate benefit to companies is clear: more connected workers can lead to higher productivity and increased efficiency” - Forbes

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MAKE TIMELY DECISIONS With Communication tools, such as e-mails,

Facebook, Twitter, etc. employees can be reached anytime, anywhere

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This Increases Collaboration, Internal Interaction and Speeds Operations

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“For some, checking social media is a way to relax for a moment away from your work

situation,” - Kinicki

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Taking a 15 minute break online can lead to creativity, energy and new perspectives

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Younger employees feel alienated Creates mistrust in the workplace

Shows lack of support

However, using social networking sites (SNS) in the workplace

presents privacy issues for both the employer and employee.

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“Employees should be aware that when using SNS in a workplace context — including an SNS hosted by their employer — that their personal information can be collected, used and disclosed by the employer. “ Privacy Commission of Canada

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Employers may be concerned with what employees are saying about them online.

REPUTATION AND LEGAL LIABILITIES

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Successful employers aim to find a balance

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1. Restrict access – limit social media use to certain hours or activities

2. Educate and train staff – pay attention to links and what they are posting

3. Security and policies – make it clear what is allowed and not allowed

http://socialmediatoday.com/leaderswest/1453831/study-30-people-are-social-media-work-one-hour-everyday http://www.creditdonkey.com/social-networking-work.html https://www.priv.gc.ca/resource/fs-fi/02_05_d_41_sn_e.asp http://www.cerait.com/5-problems-social-networking-workplace http://business.financialpost.com/2013/12/04/can-social-media-make-us-more-productive/ http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/228641 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-pontefract/social-media-in-the-workp_1_b_5270543.html All Pictures Sourced on Image