It's time to extinguish the firewall

By Sona Hathi, Online Editor, Melcrum

Last week, the following statistics from research by OneNewsPage.com dropped into my inbox:

• Almost four in ten people (39%) use social media networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter while at work.
• Over a quarter (26%) admitted that they were spending more than an hour a day on social networking sites, but on matters that had no relation to their jobs.
• Some 45% of respondents called for their bosses to monitor other employees’ online habits more closely.

It's a concern that's been going round and round the block and doesn't look like it's going to settle down any time soon. Are social networks a distraction in the workplace or not? It's high-time we come to a conclusion, because with Facebook users reaching 500 million, it's clear that social networks are here to stay.

We've all heard the usual comparisons such as Facebook being an online alternative to water cooler conversations. But let's face it, it's much easier to look like you're working on something highly strategic while sitting behind a computer screen.

The catch 22 for bosses is that if they crack down on employees and monitor their internet usage, it has a massive impact on trust, morale, engagement and potentially, productivity. 

Research shows that more and more employees are responding to emails outside of the office and during holidays using Blackberries and iPhones. So, if an employee wishes to spend an hour on Facebook each day, but is willing to make up that time outside of office hours in order to meet their deadlines on time and to a sufficient standard, surely that's okay.

It's time to stop worrying about how much time employees are spending on social networks each day and start worrying about what they're achieving. And if an organization cannot trust their employees to manage their own time, they're simply recruiting the wrong people. 

Social media has had a revolutionary impact on the way we communicate and collaborate, but it is, after all just another channel and can't be a scapegoat for poor time management. By enforcing a blanket ban on social media, employers are not only showing that they don't trust the very employees that they've chosen to hire, they're also demonstrating a reluctance to change, progress and innovate.

Keen to hear your thoughts.

Comments

[Ambuj Dixit]

Hi

I agree with you completely. If bosses and employers are clear on what they want from a subordinate or an employee and if that is being delivered on time, I don't think that it should bother employers or bosses.
Of course! This is on a condition that while doing this employees should be not be commenting about the employer or sharing details of the company.