Should You Use Social Media in the Office?

Social media has become one of the most popular platforms for business as well as for socializing. If you are part of the management team of your company, employees and supervisors have probably approached you about whether or not social media can be used on workplace computers. While you obviously want to have a happy workforce, the idea of letting your employees access their social media profiles in their comfortable chairs for the office may be a scary thought.

If you currently do not have a social media policy in force, it is time to read some of the arguments for and against allowing access to all of the most popular sites:

The Arguments For Allowing Social Media in the Workplace

Your Employees Need Little Breaks to Stay Productive

You know how it feels to need a mental break from your project. Sometimes, checking their Facebook pages for a few minutes is all your employees need to boost their morale. In fact, some studies conducted by university students show that employees are 10 percent more productive when they are allowed to use social media throughout the day.

Giving Employees the Opportunity to Get Answers Quickly

You would be surprised just how effective it can be for your employee to ask a question on a social network to get an answer. Social networking might just help solve problems to work-related problems.

Let Your Employees Become More Familiar with the Platforms

If you are not using social media for your business, you should encourage your employees to learn more about the platforms so that they can help you create a business profile. If these employees can brush up on their skills, they can help you with a new social media marketing strategy.

The Arguments Against Social Media Use

Losing Productivity

While some individuals are more productive when they take mental breaks, when employees are abusing the privilege, you might have to worry about losing productivity in the office. This is why you seriously need to monitor social media use.

Privacy Concerns

You never want your confidential information to be shared online through a network. You have to consider that there is a chance that a hacker could infiltrate a network if you do not have the best security system up and running. Uploading and downloading videos on the platforms may be difficult as well, leading to a need for more IT support.

Inappropriate Behavior Online

You have heard of bullies in school using social media to discriminate against studies. There are also bullies in the workplace that can do the same. Unfortunately, not all adults are mature and caring individuals.

You must choose policies that you are most comfortable with. If you believe the pros outweigh the cons, you are going to need to write up a policy that limits use. If you feel like the cons outweigh the pros, you will need to restrict access to the sites so that you are not required to “babysit.” Make sure you consider all of the aspects and listen to your employees as well as your supervisors.