The pros and cons of using social media at work
Social networking has altered the way people communicate at home and work dramatically. Additionally, social media platforms provide firms with significant opportunities for public relations, recruiting, organizational learning, and internal and external communications. Most employees say social media may help strengthen work connections, while many believe it can aid in decision-making.
However, companies view social media as a productivity drain, with most employers restricting access to social media apps at work. Rather than providing employees with complete access to all social media platforms, which can be somewhat distracting, you can focus on social collaboration while restricting access to only internal employees. You can also outsource your online marketing to an agency that offers social media management services.
Pros of social media use in the workplace
1. It strengthens team bonds and interpersonal ties in the workplace.
Social media can facilitate casual talks between coworkers and contribute to the development of healthy working relationships. It is the simplest and most effective method of encouraging employees to communicate with their coworkers after hours. Because it is a more natural method of connecting, it can help boost organizational camaraderie and team cohesion.
2. It provides an opportunity for employees to take a much-needed mental break.
The primary reason most employees use social media at work is to de-stress from the tension in their jobs. People use social media to escape into the digital realm. It enables them to watch whatever they want without leaving their office or going to the break room.
3. Encourages greater employee engagement
Allowing employees to use social media on their work devices builds their confidence, makes them feel valued, improves their mood, and raises employee engagement. When employees acknowledge their bosses’ confidence in them, it correlates immediately into higher quality work, as employees feel more responsible and accountable for their job and the amount of time they spend on social media.
The cons of social media use in the workplace
1. Generates envy
Individuals frequently share personal information on social media — a new car, a new house, a new piece of jewellery, or a large vacation. Seeing their coworkers enjoy all of these pleasures in life might inspire envy, which can negatively affect employee morale, team bonding, and team efficiency.
2. Contributes to a reduction in productivity
Excessive amounts of anything may be deadly, and this includes social media. On average, people spend about 2 hours and 23 minutes per day on social media. If even half of that time is spent scrolling through social media platforms during work hours, it can have a significant impact on employee productivity. With so much content available on social media and new content being uploaded on a near-daily basis, it’s far too easy to fall into a downward spiral and develop an addiction.
3. Social media destroys
Irresponsible posts or comments can quickly go viral, eliciting widespread outrage. There have been numerous instances in the past where individuals have been fired for being rude, degrading, and insulting on social media, which can also bring a great deal of negative attention to the company.
How social media influences employee productivity and mindset
Social media has a significant impact on every aspect of our lives due to the quantity of time we spend on it. While social media was created to connect people and share their perspectives, it has evolved into a platform for users to create and consume material at a breakneck pace. Every time you open it, a new hashtag, a new outrage, and a new debate await you.
Employees who communicate with their coworkers via social media are more motivated and frequently come up with unique ideas at work. On the other hand, when employees contact people outside their firm, they lose motivation and demonstrate less initiative at work. This study demonstrates unequivocally that the impact and effect of social media on employees is highly dependent on the individuals with whom they interact. Employees who interact directly with their peers can share and create meaningful work experiences, whereas those who network with professionals outside their organizations are unproductive and distracted at work.
While it is obvious that firms must find some means of encouraging casual interactions among their employees, providing unfettered access to social media might not only reduce productivity but also employee engagement and retention.
While it is beneficial for employees to maintain an online presence, they should equally maintain a focus on work. For businesses, social media platforms can only be a temporary solution for encouraging employees to communicate with one another and share their opinions online. If you do not make a transfer to a healthier option quickly, your firm will begin to see the bad consequences of social media, which will invariably damage efficiency and team cohesiveness. That is why corporations should place a greater emphasis on social collaboration rather than providing constant access to social media platforms.
A healthy alternative that fosters social cooperation is a digital workplace platform that enables easy networking and collaboration among employees. The primary advantage of a digital workplace is that it restricts access to information to those outside the organization. By providing access controls, it enables you to determine which elements of the platform should be accessible to which users.
With a digital workplace, employees may express their ideas and collaborate on critical initiatives without fear of violating their privacy, as the platform is solely accessible to corporate employees. Additionally, secret communication channels can be created within the digital workplace to limit interactions with your team members exclusively when working on a confidential project.
