< Back l Next > (Social Networking at Work continued)
For HR, it’s just another communication method that needs to be managed properly since many people visit a Social Networking site while in the office. Who hasn’t checked out Facebook or LinkedIn during a little downtime? HR has a good handle regarding email etiquette and websurfing issues by implementing policies for their use. But while deciding on managing access to social networks, some employers are just blocking the sites - about 23% according to WebCPA - because they believe it will interfere with productivity. We did that here at Alstin until social networking became a way to recruit employees and connect with clients as well as colleagues in the industry.
Along with decreased productivity, I could see employee use of YouTube creating a problem because streaming videos reduce bandwidth and will slow the network down for everyone else. Saving videos can also create a problem because they take up a considerable amount of room on a hard drive. Some other problems with allowing employees access to Social Networking sites in the office involve network security. Recently Twitter was hit with a computer worm that was spreading through the Internet. Facebook also had a virus problem which unfortunately I recently discovered for myself. I clicked on a seemingly legitimate video link someone sent me and my computer became infected. It took me quite a while to get rid of it, several hours of running a virus scan for several days.
But Social Networking at work can also be positive and opens up much more opportunities, especially for recruitment. Facebook FanPages are a good way to promote a company’s culture and tapping into your employees’ creativity. LinkedIn could be used to connect with employees, clients and potential business contacts. Twitter could be used to keep current on industry news while also promoting products and services.
Companies that allow their employees to access Social Networks while at work should think about implementing a policy that eliminates a gray area letting employees know what they should and shouldn’t do on a social networking site. A survey released in July and conducted by Chicago-based Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., a global outplacement and business coaching firm, polled 200 HR professionals and found that 59 percent of companies do not have a policy regarding employees using social networking sites at the office. Almost half of those polled said that social networking sites are not a problem as long as work gets completed. But enough statistics. I forgot to update my profile picture on Facebook…. gotta go….But if you want to read more, there’s an excellent workplace and ethics survey on social media just published by Deloitte. You can access it here: http://www.deloitte.com/ dtt/cda/doc/content/us_2009_ethics_workplace_survey_150509.pdf
- Theresa Hastings, Internet Account Coordinator
in the news...
JobVite
Until recently, Facebook might have been more likely to be viewed as a barrier to getting a job. Cautionary tales circulate of job offers rescinded after an employer discovered unseemly content on an applicant's Facebook page. Social network users have been advised to sanitize their personal pages when job hunting, lest potential employers spot an inappropriate photo or comment.
But now more personal pages, profiles and social networks are serving as fodder for companies looking to fill jobs. To mine its employees' social networking contacts for potential hires, a business can pay for services from companies like Appirio or Jobvite.
A hiring company that uses Appirio's product asks its employees to add an application to their Facebook pages. The tool will notify the employees when new jobs open and which of their friends might be a good fit.
"Appirio's matching engine comes up with a list of friends whose job titles, geographic location and other keywords match their company's available positions, and the employee can send them a referral in Facebook," said Ryan Nichols, Appirio's vice president for product management. The matching engine has access to the same information that a Facebook friend does.
A friend who gets a referral can apply for the job if interested. If that person is hired, the company can use Appirio's service to track which employee found the match and offer a referral bonus.
To address privacy concerns, the list of possible candidates is available only to the friend/employee and not to the hiring company or software provider. "People's Facebook friends don't want their personal information going to any companies they haven't specifically authorized," Mr. Nichols said, "so to protect their privacy, the candidate list isn't sent back to the hiring company or reused in any way."Jobvite offers a similar service with a wider range. While the Appirio software can currently search Facebook contacts, the Jobvite tool can search Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter contacts. "And anyone who receives a Jobvite can search their own networks and pass it along again," said Dan Finnigan, the chief executive of Jobvite.
"Employees have always referred friends for jobs," he said, "Our technology just does the matching for them."
Recipients who are hired can be tracked to the original sender for a referral bonus, even if the Jobvite has been passed from one mailbox to another up to six times.
