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The Power of Social Networking Eludes Businesses
Workplace Options’ Survey Reveals Companies Not Harnessing the Benefits of Social Media
Contact:
Christine Hall
chall@capstrat.com
919-882-1998
8 June 2010 – Raleigh, NC – — Social networking provides vast opportunities for professionals to showcase their companies, connect with clients and prospects and track industry thought leadership. Even so, only 16 percent of American workers say that social networking has benefitted their professional lives, according to a recent survey commissioned by Workplace Options, a leading global provider of work-life and employee support services.
One reason for this may be that social networking, such as Facebook, MySpace or Twitter, is generally not encouraged in the workplace. When asked about their employer’s stance on social networking, 42 percent said it was seen as a distraction and was discouraged, while only 8 percent said their employer encouraged everyone to participate in social networking to increase the company’s online presence.
Of employees using social media for business purposes, nearly half (49 percent) said they used it to access thought leadership, 33 percent to connect with peers and colleagues and 19 percent to showcase themselves or their companies.
"The explosion of social networking gives professionals tools to connect with other people more easily and efficiently than ever before," said Dean Debnam, CEO of Workplace Options. "There is much to be said for harnessing the power of social networking from a business perspective, but it is important to remember it can also drain valuable time from employees’ workdays, decreasing their productivity if not properly managed."
A 2009 study by Nucleus Research found that Facebook alone costs companies 1.5 percent of total productivity. Some employees in the study used Facebook as much as two hours a day while at work. Of the 237 employees surveyed, 77 percent who had Facebook accounts visited the site during the work day and 87 percent of those did not have a clear business reason for accessing the site.
Research released by Morse, an IT services and technology company, has shown that the use of Twitter and other social networks by employees at work costs businesses in the United Kingdom the equivalent of $2.2 billion each year in lost productivity. From the 1,460 office workers surveyed, more than half (57 percent) said that they used social networking sites during the working day for personal reasons. On average those people were spending 40 minutes on these sites each week.
Workers responding to the Workplace Options survey did not have a highly negative view of the impact of social media on their productivity. Only 26 percent said using social media at work hindered productivity, while 49 percent said it had no impact and 9 percent said it improved productivity.
"When used properly, social media can be a great business tool," said Alan King, president and COO of Workplace Options. "Companies need to be thoughtful about developing social media policies that promote productivity and encourage connecting with clients, business partners and thought leaders."
A hindrance of social media use in the workplace also may be a worker’s desire to keep personal information private and maintain a personal life separate from work. The majority of employees interviewed (62 percent) said they were not comfortable engaging in social media with co-workers, such as friending a colleague on Facebook. Twenty-two percent said they were comfortable, and 16 percent said it depended on the person.
When it comes to the personal value of social networking, many workers are ambivalent. An overwhelming 76 percent said they wouldn’t care if their employer banned the use of social media at work. While more than half (54 percent) of American workers are using social networking sites such as LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, nearly as many respondents (49 percent) were neutral about the importance of social media in their personal lives. Only 11 percent said it was very important, 30 percent said it was somewhat important, 8 percent said it was somewhat unimportant, and 2 percent said it was very unimportant.
The national survey was conducted by the North Carolina firm of Public Policy Polling, May 7-9, 2010. The survey polled 742 working Americans and has a margin of error of +/- 3.6 percent. Full survey results can be viewed at www.workplaceoptions.com/polls.asp.
About Workplace Options
Workplace Options helps employees balance their work, family and personal life in order to make their lives healthier, easier and more productive. The company's world-class employee support and work-life services provide information, resources, referrals and consultation on a variety of issues ranging from dependent care, legal and financial issues to stress management and wellness.
Drawing from an international network of credentialed providers and professionals, Workplace Options is the world's largest integrated employee support services and work-life provider. Service centers in Raleigh. N.C., London, Toronto and Dublin support more than 32 million employees in 20,000 organizations, across 170 countries. To learn more, visit www.workplaceoptions.com.
© 2012 Workplace Options, Inc. All rights reserved.
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