People Don't Use Social Media at Work to Talk Shop
Despite research released last month that companies are beginning to warm to social media, with an increasing number allowing employees to access it at work.
A new report from Taleo Corporation suggests that few employees utilise social media for talking with colleagues however. The report, titled UK Social Talent Management, reveals that 72% of office based employees use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter for work. This figure is broken down across the following networks:
- 21% use LinkedIn
- 20% use Facebook
- 9% use Google+
- 8% use Twitter
Also of interest is how little communication is done with colleagues on social media. Most workplace social media activity is designed to help their personal careers. Two-thirds (66%) of respondents reported 'flirting' by using social networks to enhance their career prospects outside of their current company
Dave Wilkins, VP of Taleo Research, said: "Social networking is here to stay, so to retain top talent in the current environment, employers should leverage internal social talent practices to better engage employees and identify top performers. Employers need to focus on building a strong employer brand and incorporating social media presence into their talent acquisition strategies. At the same time, companies need to do a better job in tapping into employee networks and self-identified areas of expertise without being perceived as overstepping boundaries.
"Businesses who can successfully use social talent practices to harness the collective wisdom and expertise of their teams while also connecting with a broader pool of external talent will be poised for success."
Earlier this year research was published into the real cause of so called cyber loafing. The research pinned the blame on a lack of good quality sleep. Their rationale was that when we are tired, our willpower drops, and we're therefore unable to resist the urge to waste time with some online brain candy.
Of course ensuring your employees get plenty of sleep won't solve your employee engagement issues on its own, but it might be a good first step.
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