Social networking: resistance is futile

A recent survey by Right Management of more than 1,000 individuals throughout North America finds that 48% of C-suite and vice president-level respondents said social networking seldom interferes with their productivity.

Only 18% of respondents overall reported that social networking on the job often interferes with productivity, while 41% said that it sometimes does so.

While roughly half of respondents admit to blocking access to certain social media sites, others are looking to harness the medium, explains Melvin Scales, senior vice-president of global solutions at Right Management.

“We need to look for ways to channel social media in directions that benefit organizations and their employees,” he says. “Social networking is more and more central not just to how we stay in touch with family and friends, but how we stay connected to our colleagues. For many, social networking sites are an integral part of both personal and professional lives. Technology is changing how, where and when work gets done. It’s all about knowledge sharing, collaboration and transparency.”

Scales believes that managers should embrace new technologies in order to foster improved communications with employees to keep them engaged and informed.

“Forward looking companies use social networking to build loyalty, share ideas and experiences, and increase collaboration,” he says. “By nature, we are social creatures and these tools can foster brainstorming, teamwork and innovation. Organizations that resist are probably in a losing battle.”

Key survey findings:

• The larger the organization the less likely the perception that social networking hinders productivity, with 51% of people working at companies of 10,000+ employees responding that it seldom interferes, compared to 41% at smaller organizations;
• 62% of IT professionals said it seldom interferes, compared to 30% of sales professionals who reported that it often interferes;
• Of those aged 35 to 44, 47% said that it seldom interferes, compared to 35% of those aged 18 to 24.

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