A Guest Post by Laura Backes
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest are just a few of the popular online social media outlets that your employees crave. A lot of different companies are toying with the idea to play or not to play online. The obvious reasons not to allow your employees access to social networks are obvious. Employers want to avoid time wasting distractions and anything that could lead to a bad situation at work such as reading or viewing inappropriate material. The list continues of all the negative points but what about allowing your employees online.
You Crave What You Can’t Have
As some companies see it, they allow their employees to get online for personal time for several reasons and the largest being a tactic we use on our children. If you deny someone access to something, there is that theory that they will crave doing even more so now that they are not allowed too. The same theory is considered in companies and Facebook. If you allow employee to log on, they will spend less time trying to find ways to check their Facebook.
Some studies have been done on this topic of allowing employees online. One writer digs in a little further and finds that employees are more optimistic and give their company they work for a more glowing and positive review. A study was taken with 5,519 North American and European employees and this statement was said: “In case you’re wondering if you should allow employees onto social networks (and trust me, you can’t stop them), try this fact on: workers who use social media are among the most positive. 48% would strongly recommend a company’s products and services and only 22% were detractors, for a net score of 26% (source here).
If you do allow your employees on line, set some ground rules, monitor and limit their access. Some companies allow their employees to log on during lunch hours. There are plenty of computer programs that you can monitor their online usage. This can help with the amount of time they spend online and not working. You can also pick and choose what sights you feel are not a good idea for your company. Most of the time setting ground rules and stating the consequences that come with abusing online time, employees will follow.
So you find yourself asking the not-so-age old question: do allow your employees online or not to allow them online? The decision is up to you. As far as most companies see it, it can’t hurt you and when it does you can stop it. A happy employee is better than an unhappy employee, and if allowing access online will make them happy, then why not? Happy Facebooking!
Author Bio:
This is a guest post from Laura Backes, she enjoys writing about all kinds of subjects and also topics related to internet service providers in my area. You can reach her at: laurabackes8 @ gmail.com.
