Are you worried about the amount of time your employees are spending on the myriad of apps and social media platforms rather than focusing on their actual work? You might have been tempted or perhaps you already have banned the personal use of social media during working hours in your business. You wouldn’t be alone, many employers have done exactly this, to try and stem the amount of working hours spent on social media for personal use.
If you look at the headlines it isn’t hard to see why employers are concerned about the impact of social media and how their employees are using it. Employees posting negative, inappropriate or even inflammatory content can not only put themselves but also their employer into hot water.
Should you ban social media in the workplace?
Is a blanket ban on the use of social media really the answer? Realistically how can you enforce this, when a large number of the UK population have smartphones, and so your employees will still be able to access these sites at work.
Many workers also feel they should be able to access social media at work, in particular millennial and younger workers will feel especially aggrieved and resentful if it is prohibited. If you want to retain your talent and keep your staffs morale high, then an outright ban probably won’t be a good solution.
Here are some ways to help achieve a better balance of social media use whilst maintaining productivity, and ensuring your employees understand the wider impact of their actions on social media.
Have a clear social media policy
Instead of banning social media and apps entirely, try to balance your employees urge for using it with clear guidelines to help them understand what is acceptable. Your social media policy should be clear and easily accessible, outlining what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour, in regards to social media usage, both in and outside of the office. Remember it is a live document that will need frequent reviews and updates.
Allow for breaks
Research has shown that taking a break or working on something else helps to clear our heads and come back refreshed to tackle projects. Admittedly if an employee is spending the majority of their day on Facebook, then you definitely have a problem. Your social media policy should be enforced to ensure this doesn’t happen. However, a short break can offer your staff a respite from a particular work task and can help them feel revitialised and able to go back and tackle it again.
Increasingly companies are recognising that current technology has changed the way in which we work. There is greater emphasis on achieving tasks instead of hours served. This puts both trust and accountability on your employee, whilst offering them flexibility during their working day. Many workers are more productive and happier if they able to work for a period of time and then take a break.
Educate and train
Your employees are the public face of your company, so by educating and giving training in the use of social media, you can help your workers to represent your business in the best light. Your social media policy will help with this, you might also consider bringing in professionals to teach your staff on how to both utilise and avoid mistakes on social media.
Many of your employees will be completely unaware of the implications of using company time to go on social media or even on their own time. If for example, they gossip or make disparaging comments about the company or clients, discovery is easier than they may think. It is increasingly difficult to ensure your activities on the internet are private. With training they can build their knowledge and understanding of how their actions on social media can have an impact on their lives and their career.
Internal social media
Social media is a powerful tool and there are plenty of companies that are using internal and business social media tools to collaborate within their own company. It is a quick and efficient way to improve operations and embrace the culture of social media within the workplace. It can help to embed the corporate culture throughout the company and build closer links between departments and staff working in different locations.
When it comes to people issues, there are often no right or wrong answers. What’s important is that you can keep a level head, and act in your best strategic interests.
If one thing is for certain, it’s that challenges surrounding social media and the usage of mobile devices are only going to become more prevalent in the coming months and years. Make sure that you’re ready for them.