The Pros and Cons of Social Media in the Workplace

When used effectively social media can provide business with the opportunity to enhance its communications both external and internal, as well as assist with management of business brand and reputation.  However, by its very nature social media creates many difficulties in the workplace.  Its ‘one to many’ and ‘many to many’ structure combined with its immediacy and viral capacities, means that content can be seen by unintended recipients.  Further the mixing of personal and professional contacts in networks can create confusion as it blurs the lines between home and work.

Some employers are unsure what to do tend to block complete access to social media or allow limited access to particular networks.  However, with the rapid development of technology these options are no longer viable.

The following provides some positive and negatives of social media in the workplace.

The Case For Social Media in the Workplace:

• It can facilitate greater trust between the employer and employee.
• Consider this: are employees who surf the net just a new version of employees who chat by the water cooler?
• For Gen Y, social media is an essential part of their life. They see access as fundamentally a ‘right’ not a ‘privilege’.
• Blocking these sites really does nothing as employees have smartphones which provides access in the workplace.

The Case Against Social Media in the Workplace:

• It is arguably a disruptive element in the workplace – employees are there to work not to connect with friends.
• Employees can’t multi-task.  According to some researchers, multi-tasking is a myth – you can’t surf the net, check emails and do your work at the same time.
• Access will lead to decreased productivity and therefore is not favourable for employers.

In reality, each workplace will need to handle the issue differently depending on their culture, industry and expectations.  However, there is no doubt that a paradigm shift is needed by employers to stop seeing social media as a problem.  There have always been disruptions in the workplace and this will continue because at its core people are social beings.

Blocking social media in the workplace is not effective because of mobile and hand held devices.  Allowing social media and developing social media policy in the workplace is a proactive approach.  Employers can take the opportunity to see social media as a positive and put policies in place to manage the negatives.  This way businesses can start to manage the possibilities and mitigate the risks.

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Tags: Social Media Education • social media in the workplace • Social Media Policy • Social Media Risks