Strategy squared

Social Networking sites are having an increasing affect on staff productivity and organizations that fail to act with suitable policy are liable to increasing costs.

So says a recent survey by UK Law Firm Pennisula who found that upto 233 million hours are lost every month as a result of social networking sites. With many organizations already taking steps to filter content and internet usage - social networking sites are likely to be next on the hit list.

However not everyone sees social networking as a disadvantage – some UK unions including the
TUC have called for access to networking sites to be made available to staff citing that staff should be able to access such sites during work breaks.

Businesses should also look to the advantage that social Networking sites may offer – Search Engine optimization site Searchengineguide stated in a recent article that “user-generated content is just as important as traditional advertising messages”. Harbored correctly social networking sites can contribute to an organizations marketing plan.

However there is intrinsic danger hear regarding the actual content posted – whether it’s supportive or critical of the parent company. There have been a variety of legal cases where employees have been taken to court for defamatory comments made online. With the ability for blog postings to spread like wildfire, a suitable worded posting can cause serious problems for employers.

Without a doubt social media sites are hear to stay – businesses should ensure that a suitable policy is put in place and policed with organizations ensuring that the benefits that social networking sites offer can be capitalized upon.