 Social Media: You Should Be Paying Attention.
The use of social networking media such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is growing at a rapid pace. The use of this media has become extremely popular and is one of the primary ways people communicate in the workforce today. It is especially in style with the new generation entering the workforce now.
According to Mike Spinney of Principal of Sixweight Communications Consulting, "as the new generation enters the workforce, companies believe that they have a few options: lockout the social networking sites and deal with discontented employees, or leave access unfettered and absorb a loss of productivity". As a result, many companies are struggling with decisions related to these sites and questioning their usefulness relative to organizational benefits and business productivity. Is it a big deal? It could be and you should be paying attention.
The issue is not black and white. For many businesses the social networking phenomenon presents a new set of challenges. Depending on the type of organization and its market focus, social networking sites can be leveraged as effective business tools to improving efficiency, professional networking and spreading promotional messages at a very low cost. But for some, the use of these sites may divert attention away from more important priorities and the organization's business strategy.
Whether a business acknowledges the use of these networking sites during working time or restricts access completely, social networking does present significant liabilities to the organization if not properly addressed. The truth is that the tradeoffs between efficiency and risk may be tricky to weigh.
What Should You Do?
Without question, organizations should incorporate Web 2.0 technologies into their existing policies and procedures governing IT, document management and employment expectations. Some areas of policy construction (or revision) should include:
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Policy Statement/Employee Notice
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Social Media Tool Competence
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Purpose & Parameters of Use
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Respect & Integrity
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No Right to Privacy
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Appropriate Content
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Use Outside of Work
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Penalties/Discipline
Developing a social networking policy is very purposeful and a multifaceted act. It requires its authors to walk a tight line, which seeks to protect the organization's integrity and privacy, while leveraging the value of the Internet and social media to remain competitive, foster relationships and differentiate from competitors in today's difficult economy. Take a good look at your situation. Whether you need to consider it for marketing purposes or address its use on company time (or both), a formal policy is necessary.
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Below is a chart which illustrates the increase of popularity in the use of social networking sites. We found it to be very interesting.
|
Usage |
Age Group |
|
18-29 |
30-39 |
40-49 |
50-64 |
|
2007 |
67% |
21% |
11% |
6% |
|
2009 |
70% |
43% |
29% |
16% |
|
Increase |
4% |
105% |
164% |
166% |
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