What’s the Solution if Your Employees Are Too Social?
With all that you as a small business owner stand to gain from social media, it just takes one or a handful of your employees to turn those positives to negatives.
While many employees and their bosses understand how to properly use social media while on the job, others figure their time on social media during their workday is not harming the company. Okay, any of you who think that way may end up finding yourselves looking for a new job before too long.
Even though using social media at work can be beneficial for both employees and companies, there are other instances where it most certainly can prove not beneficial to all involved.
According to a 2012 SilkRoad Technology study (more than 1,100 employees), 75 percent of workers access social media on an average workday via personal mobile devices, with 43 percent reporting they work in companies wherein access to social media is completely open. Meantime, 24 percent watched over access, while just 16 percent claimed access to social media was entirely blocked.
With those numbers in mind, what kind of social media policy does your company have in place?
In the event you do not have a policy yet in place, consider the potential pitfalls of not having one:
* Lost time at work – While a number of studies in recent years have noted in general that many workers waste time during the day to web surfing, social media can be one of the biggest factors in that problem. Not only can workers be using their mobile devices to check in with friends and others on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more, but they can also be doing the same on company desktops and laptops. One of the ways to go about combating this problem is by monitoring what sites your workers visit while on the clock. If they are using some social media sites to research for their jobs and/or assist customers (see more below), that is fine. In the event, however, that their time on such sites is used to talk to family, friends, or just waste time reading what others have to say, then you could be missing out on getting the full work output from your employees;
* Careful with customers – Some companies encourage their workers to have an online relationship (social media in this case) with customers, but it should be done with caution. If you have not up to this point had a social media policy in place, that being for how customers use social networking to interact with customers, get in going now. As in any business-customer relationship, sometimes emotions get the best of people. In the event one of your employees has a run-in with a customer during a social media encounter, it can leave a nasty electronic footprint for many to see. Not only will your employee be put in an awkward position, but so too will your business (see more below). Any interaction between employees and customers online should be within the guidelines you set up ahead of time;
* Your company’s reputation – Finally, with all the good social media can provide you with when it comes to social networking, it just takes a bad experience or two on social media to tarnish your company’s image. In order to lessen the chances of social media being your company’s enemy and not its friend, make sure you take time to monitor social media chatter involving your business. Unfortunately, too many companies wait until there is a problem and then react, instead of taking a proactive approach from the start, Review pertinent social media sites, along with online forums to see if your company name is coming up in any negative ways. By getting out in front of your company’s online activities, you can be social and respected at the same time.
With all the potential social media has to offer your business, will you and your employees use it the correct way?
About the Author: With 23 years’ writing experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of small business and consumer topics, including how to find the right used cubicles for your office.
Image Credit: 1.
If you use social media the right way, your business can definitely improve in a great way!
Very helpful article, keep it up!