subject: Employers Should Encourage Intelligent Social Media Use [print this page] Employers are not wary about how their employees use social media because of the powers social media have in spreading information as well in influencing people's views and behavior. This is why companies choose to have social media guidelines for employees. This is just right to protect not just the interests of the company but to protect the employees as well. More than restraining the use of social media especially in the work place, companies must accept the fact that social media is so entrenched in people's lives that it cannot be avoided and so the companies must simply encourage intelligent use of social media among its employees.
This means that you need to also explore the different ways that your employees can use social media while in the workplace that will help not just the employees but also the company. The company must also try its best to establish a culture wherein employees use their time in the office responsibly even when they are not being closely monitored by their superiors. This a major challenge for most companies even without social media. This is because there are so many things that can distract employees in the workplace.
But encouraging your employees to use social media intelligently and responsibly can help your business gain advantage from social media. Your employees can use social media to share and gain information not just from family and friends but from industry workers as well. The more your clients know about your industry, the more your employees know and understand the world, the more knowledge and confidence they bring to the workplace. Employees who are also happy with their social and personal lives are more likely to also exude happiness in the workplace.
People who also use social media to discuss positive things about their work and their company can help humanize your company and make people more aware of what your business is about. You never know who all these little positive exposures reach and how they can help your business. When your employees reveal positive things about your business online, they could be influencing the attitudes and behavior of people toward your company.
What you need to do is set the expectations for you're the performance of your employees and let them know of these expectations. When your employees fall short of these expectations then you can let them know and they can regulate themselves when it comes to social media use, the productivity they deliver in the workplace, etc.
