Gone are the times when managers could take a snapshot of productivity by listening in on the level of office gossip. Nowadays, there are emails, texts, tweets and all manner of wonderfully eclectic notifications to think about; making some employers a little mistrustful of what their workforce might be up to. But social media doesn't necessarily spell the end of hard work - and not all employees take advantage.

1. Ahead of the game / The social factor Page 1 of 2
The social factor
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2. Ahead of the game / The social factor Page 2 of 2
Gone are the times when managers could take Nearly a quarter (24%) of the employers that we surveyed
actually think it’s always ok to use Facebook or other social
a snapshot of productivity by listening in on media sites during lunch breaks; compared to just 16%
the level of office gossip. Nowadays, there of workers. And because 22% of people would be put
are emails, texts, tweets and all manner of off working for a company where the use of social media
was restricted, employers should really be doing more to
wonderfully eclectic notifications to think about; communicate their approval.
making some employers a little mistrustful of
Understandably, most employers will be a little concerned
what their workforce might be up to. But social
that work will be neglected and productivity will drop if
media doesn’t necessarily spell the end of hard their staff are given free reign of the internet, but they
work - and not all employees take advantage. should find relief in the fact that most employees already
know the boundaries. In fact, a whopping 60% of employers
and 40% employees agree that it’s unacceptable to regularly
use Facebook or other social media during office hours.
Managers should also find reassurance in the knowledge
that, while 86% of them think it’s occasionally ok to take
personal calls at work, just 64% of workers feel the same.
And when looking at the average amount of time that
employees spend on their own personal emails, phone calls,
text messages and social media over the course of a day,
close to a third (31%) don’t spend any time at all handling
personal matters at work, and over half (55%) spend less
than 10 minutes each day dealing with personal messages -
suggesting that employers’ concerns may be ill-founded.
Of course, employers will always want to set some
boundaries for their workforce, but the skill is in striking the
right balance: concentrating on restrictions will lower morale,
but letting employees know what they can do will make them
feel trusted.
And let’s not overlook the huge potential that social media
brings: more than half (58%) of 16 to 24 year olds, and
more than a third (39%) of 25 to 34 year olds, agree
that having access to social media at work increases their
effectiveness as an employee. Not to mention the fact that
it’s a great promotional tool for any business.
So, while over usage can be counterproductive in a business
environment, a little bit of give and take really can work
wonders.
Technology is growing, employees’ expectations are evolving,
and times are changing - and if employers are as determined
as their workers to stay ahead of the game, they need to
move with them.
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