Social media influences and often times saturates many aspects of daily life for Americans. The workplace is no exception. These digital platforms have the potential to increase worker productivity by developing connections with colleagues and global resources. However, employers have concern that employees engage in these platforms for non-work purposes while on the job as well. According to consumer analyst Experian Simmons, 66% of online Americans are visiting social media networking sites, up from 20 percent three years ago. Additionally, almost half of those individuals confess to accessing sites multiple times per day. Employees rely on social media for a wide variety of reasons while at work, with “taking a mental break,” leading as the most common reason.
Society is bombarded with all types of social media invitations and updates from: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr, to name a few. Social media platforms have become “time stealers,” and employers see the drain it has on effective productivity. Although “sharing” often presents no issues, people should be provided with guidelines on what types of information should be shared, and what should not.
It is becoming increasingly crucial to understand how to effectively utilize social media in the workplace. Understanding social media is about communicating the right way. The Social Media workshop will help participants understand how social media and the workplace can work together to improve the organization’s productivity.
