Social media is part and parcel of everyone's routine these days. The more it's been incorporated as an essential, the more it possesses personal and professional threats. Therefore, when it comes to organization safety and potency, there are both the negatives and positives to the use of social media by employees during office hours.
Well, here are some pros and cons of letting the employees use social media during office hours:
PROS
#1. Strengthening Communication Gap
Social media helps to improve the communication aspect of a company with its employees. It is a free flow source of communication, which when used effectively can bridge the gap between the management and the employees. Social media gives employees a platform to make their voice, feedbacks and opinions reach the upper management smoothly and efficiently.
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#2. Branding
Branding is a significant aspect of connecting with the prospective customers/audience via social media. It's a cheaper way along with being useful and accessible. A unique identity can be developed by establishing long-lasting connections using a brand's online presence.
#3. Skill Development
When employees connect with other successful professionals and entrepreneurs, using professional social networking platforms, they get to know of different skills that can inculcate for their individual as well as their company's development. Employees get to develop better skills and abilities when they follow like-minded and like-visioned people using social networks.
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#4. Acts As A Support System
Connecting co-workers on a personal level will make them more inclined towards the office environment and engage in a better understanding of their colleagues. It’s an active approach to eradicating office politics and instead develop openness towards each other.
CONS
#1. Distraction Affecting Job Performance
Social media can be a major distraction for the employees shifting their focus from work to other unrelated activities. Excess usage can slow down the productivity, which in turn hampers the company’s work ethics along with the professional performance.
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#2. Lowering Cyber Security & Technical Perils
The Internet poses a higher risk of spammers and hackers threatening your online security and data safety. Cyber security needs not be compromised else it can lead to the pillage of confidential information too. Hence, greater use of social media without the much-applied security measures may result in an overall perilous network.
For instance, while using social media sites, people tend to download a lot of stuff that can pose technical threats for the company’s servers and systems. Computers can load with viruses, and ultimately it's the company’s responsibility to keep getting the systems repaired and restored.
#3. Time Wasted Isn't The Time Better Utilized
Social media does drain out a lot of time, efforts and productivity. The amount of time you spend on interacting with people who aren’t important for the organization is the time spent in the wrong ways. Instead, you can opt for something that’s fruitful not to feel bored and uninterested.
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#4. Inappropriate Online Behavior
When employees represent a particular company over social media platforms, it leaves the company liable towards their inappropriate actions. In case there's any misleading or offensive content posted, it risks the company’s reputation. If there aren’t any clear policies about the same, circumstances can be harmful.
Guidelines - Dos and Don'ts
There can be a suitable framework designed by the organization to put in place the Dos and Don’ts for the employees as well as the management. There needed to be an appropriate policy (can be modified according to the requirement) regarding social media usage and ensured organizational safety.
#1. Do – All rights reserved
Keep the rights reserved by the company itself on deleting/reporting any misleading content that’s been made by the employees or management.
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#2. Don’t – Hamper productivity
Do not hinder your productivity by wasting time over not so important activities unless you are an authorized social media administrator.
#3. Do – Corrections
Upon finding, employees should immediately correct and fix the posts made unusually.
#4. Don’t – Fraudulent
Do not commit or facilitate any kinds of identity theft and frauds against the company over social media.
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#5. Do – Professionalism
Maintain professionalism, co-worker integrity, impartiality along with privacy and credibility while taking things on the web.
#6. Don’t – Leak information
Do not involve in giving out personal information of any individual in the organization. Also, do not disclose financial/sales/legal/future/operational activities the company or the clients are involved in.
(Image Courtesy: McKinsey and Company)
Want to share your experiences, thoughts or opinions? Let us know through the comment section below about what you think is right. We would love to hear from you!
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