Social media in workplace

Nowadays, social media, for example, Facebook and Instagram, cannot be separated from people's daily life, no matter you are a student or an employee. Based on a survey, which was conducted during the period from March 1 to April 5, 2018, in Australia, over 35% of Internet users use social networking sites more than 5 times a day, not to mention the usage frequency of the social media app on mobiles or pads. Since the emergence of social media, it is convenient for people to make communication and share information. In addition, people are more willing to share information which is a good thing. However, when it comes to the workplace, the use of personal social media may become a complex thing. People in the workplace may benefit from the social media, in the meantime, the social media may bring some potential issues as well. In this blog, how social media can be used to benefit the workplace relationships, and potential issues with mixing personal social media with workplace relationships will be discussed. And at the end, I will recommend some etiquettes for the appropriate use of social media.

++How social media can be used to benefit the workplace relationships

++1. Engage and build relationships

By using social media, as an employee, you can learn more about your teammates, co-workers, customers, etc., which may help you to build good relationships with the people in your workplace. Based on my experience, by adding my colleague as a facebook friend, I can know more about his personal life, from which I felt that my co-worker is a serious person and has lots of experience on IT projects. Thanks to it, I cooperate well with him in our workplace. Hence, if you know quite well about who you work with or work for, then the work efficiency may be increased and the work environment may comfort you. Stand in the shoes of leaders, leadership within any given organization should always be looking for ways to increase their employees loyalty and raise morale. Social media allows your employees to build relationships with people they work together and people from other departments.

++2. Communicate Effectively Beyond Email and Phone

Communication by Email and Phone in the workplace is a traditional and conventional way. However, some phone calls go unanswered and some email unread. For me, I always missed some phone calls and emails. Through the use of the social media, you can bring in a new channel of interaction that may allow for certain topics to be better addressed. Social media often allows for more of a conversation and it is less likely for important topics to be missed or swept under the rug when they are all out there for the world to see. Hence, the communication efficiency via social media is much higher than that of traditional communication way.

++3. Provide Companies with Trends and Analysis

The use of an internal social media within a company can provide huge info regarding employee satisfaction. The amount of data that is available to employers from employee activity, search and interests can help organizations learn more about employee interests, engagement levels, peak work times and productivity, etc. When that information is collected and analyzed, employers are then able to make the necessary changes to increase satisfaction and capitalize on these trends.

--Potential issues with mixing personal social media with workplace relationships

--1. Distracted at Work: Using Social Media During Working Hours

In my opinion, the content on a personal social media account is always colorful and attractive. Therefore, it is easier to get distracted at work. Imagine that you receive a work-related notification from your personal Facebook account, after you deal with that notification, suddenly a channel you subscribed pop up an update to you, it is easier for us to click that not work-related thing. In short, using social media in a workplace may decrease the productively. 

--2. The Confidentiality of Workplace-related Information Is Threatened

You, or company, may lose control over content and who sees the content. Also, the information related to the workplace may be leaked via your personal social media account. From my perspective, it is not uncommon for employees to post confidential information on sites like LinkedIn. Specifically,  confidential client or matter details are often described on an individual's CV and posted online as part of LinkedIn's job search function. Perhaps an employee adds as a "highlight" the details of a deal, or client feedback they have received. Employers should ensure that their employees are regularly reminded of their obligations of confidentiality and that such obligations extend to any posts or tweets made on social media.

In conclusion, the rise of social networking has literally changed the way we communicate in a workplace and has benefited us a lot. However, it has also introduced issues that, as yet, the law has not addressed. Here, I will recommend some etiquettes for the appropriate use of social media in a workplace:

• BE PROFESSIONAL AT WORK: pay attention to your company's policy and culture
• THINK BEFORE YOU USE PERSONAL SOCAIL MEDIA: be careful of the content you post and communicate via social media
• PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR COMPANY AS WELL
• DO NOT MIX PERSONAL LIFE WITH WORK