Social media is everywhere! You see people on trains, trams and buses on their phones using Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. It may seem that most people’s lives actually revolve around this particularly since it is in our homes and our workplaces.
Some workplaces have decided to restrict access by not allowing employees to login to any forms of social media. However with more and more businesses joining the social media revolution restricting access becomes a problem. Businesses now need to be using social media to reach customers which means some employees now have to be able to login to social media websites.
Allowing access also means employees will login to their personal accounts in work time. This means less productive hours and work that will be done. The overuse of personal social media is usually due to the workers work ethic.
Sometimes staff will get into the habit of checking their social media pages at certain times of the day. Given that it is so easy to “just quickly login and check my updates” this can lead to distractions that consume large portions of the day.
Many large organisations have dedicated computers that allow staff to access social media sites. This makes the person actually get up from their seat, which usually breaks the habit. Others have turned a blind eye, saying that production results are the key.
Social Media Policies are also common within the workplace and are another way of deterring staff from using social media in work time.
Research has shown that common social media policies include:
- The purpose
- Consider legal ramifications
- Include external regulations
- State what your employees can and can’t post (company logos, blogs etc.)
- Create two policies – one for employees using social media in their job and one for employees using social media for personal use
Whatever you decide to do with social media in your workplace you need to ensure that your employees are using this to benefit the company. Although social media is now used within the workplace you need to make clear to your employee’s that personal use of this is in their own time. Whether you do this by bringing in a social media policy, blocking the websites or providing dedicated computers all will ensure your employees are not wasting company time on social media.
