Productivity and Problems

Introduction

In the old day employees would use typewriters or even write down pages and pages of notes by hand, having to rewrite the whole note if they made a little mistake. Nowadays employees in the workplace use social media and technology to create documentations that they can revise when they need to. As social media has emerged into the workplace throughout the past decade or so it has greatly helped improve tasks and save companies time and money. It has taught elder employees how to be productive by using a new task (technology) and has helped millennial employees show their speed and knowledge when it comes to social media. Though social media has helped improve productivity in the workplace, it also has its downfalls. There is a balance in how much social media should be aloud in the workplace and this blog discusses the balance. This blog will also discuss how social media helps users grow and find their field of work.

Productivity of Social Media

When social media first came out in the twentieth-century, it was a very fearful change by some and an exciting change for others. Overall, social media was a new way for individuals to express themselves, and all in all, to better communicate with each other. It was never in the picture for social media to begin being apart of workplaces. Social media, at first, was just a way for individuals to express themselves and be in the company of those whom they have the same interests as. The real definition is as follows; a social networking service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others (Bennet; Owers; Pitt; Tucker, 2010).

 By having social media available to a company they are changing the culture and environment of the company. Because social media is used around the world, companies now have access to other company locations and can even get in contact with people in different time zones a lot easier. Not only has social networking given employees a new way of working, it is now increasingly becoming an opportunity for people to be personally involved in the organizational culture of the workplace and to participate in the values and beliefs of the organization (Bennet; Owers; Pitt; Tucker, 2010).

In the workplace, social media has helped many companies grow and get their names out to the public. Networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn have helped companies with social awareness, being able to share products and upcoming events with clients. For example, when Nordstrom has their annual Anniversary Sale in July they post information about the upcoming event on their Facebook page. Things such as when the sale is starting, for how long it's going on for, and what items are discounted help bring awareness to Nordstrom's' customers. The company can also tweet about the sale while it's going on to remind their shoppers of the event. This not only reminds customers who already shop at Nordstrom about the event, but it brings in new customers who originally wouldn't shop there. Not only does social media attract new customers, but it also helps companies find new employees as well through websites such as LinkedIn. In this sense, social media helps companies and employers extend their personal leadership influence in uncertain times by accelerating employee development, improving succession planning, and attracting energized pools of new workers in the war for talent (Jue; Marr; Kassotakis, 2010).


Small business owners and individuals who work on their own are also benefited from social media. Small business's owners need as much publicity as possible in order to be successful and expand their business. Social media can create a once in a lifetime opportunity for savvy leaders and organizations to get partners and employees who are committed to create a competitive advantage in their workplace (Jue; Marr; Kassotakis, 2010). If it wasn't for social media, myself personally wouldn't know about half of the business that are out in the market near my home. Posting notification that a company got new products in stock that day helps bring customers into stores. Other than posting information about the company itself, workplaces can post information about their charities or any other organization that they sponsor to help get the word out. On the other hand, individuals who work on their own are also helped by social media. People who create things at home and sell them online are greatly affected by social media. If it wasn't for social networking websites, how would these individuals be known and have clientele?

Although social media has helped improve productivity in the workplace for many companies and individuals, not everyone understands it. Many employees struggle with knowing what to do at work and what to keep at home. All employers should make sure employees are really working and not taking their paid time to work on private issues.

Make Sure Employees are Working

There is more freedom for employees when it comes to getting a task done in the workplace. Some companies do have specific ways and websites they want their employees to use when completing a task, but others give their employees a choice. Either way, employers should make sure that even if their employees are using social media to complete a task, they are actually completing that task.

 

Now that work and home life connect more, the probability of employees leaving work at work and home issues at home is decreasing. This is due to employees texting on the job, using their own Facebook pages instead of the companies, and even using their company e-mails to communicate with friends and family members. Other than personal lives interrupting the workday, the workday is interrupting employers in their daily lives. For example, when employees are on vacation or off for holidays or the weekend, other workers are contacting them about work. Even if an employees phone is off, they can still be contacted through social media, commenting on someone's Facebook page or even tweeting them. Another issue with social media in the workplace is the issue of mixing friendly e-mails with work e-mails. When clients are sent an e-mail from an employee they expect the employee to be respectful and professional in the language they chose. But because so many people are used to e-mailing their family and friends in a more informal way, e-mails to clients and other employees are starting to become less formal as well. Instead of terminating people during the workday, many managers are supposedly doing so online late at night when they are frustrated and haven't had time to think about what they're going to say. It is important for employees to represent the company in a respectful manner and they cannot do so while talking to clients as if they are friends. No matter how good the client is, they are still a paying client who will go elsewhere if they are unsatisfied (Kreamer, 2011).

There are problems in the workplace when it comes to social media but it can be useful and increase productivity if employees understand its usage. Many firms are afraid of it expanding their work environment into social networking. Having a balance of how to use social media and setting a standard for al employees to follow are key factors in keeping social media and in person communication apart.

How to Use Social Media the Right Way

When technology and social media was first developing, many firms and companies were afraid of using it. They didn't know what kind of impact it would have on their company and whether it would benefit their employees or keep them clueless. Now that technology and social media have become more of second nature to the society, companies have started implementing social media over some old techniques. Techniques such as face-to-face meetings are no longer taking place because of the time flexibility on social media sites. The usage of social media has been valued at about $1.3 trillion, making cost less of an issue for companies. Though this is true, others argue that "value" is not something you get by purchasing technology and decreasing leadership efforts. Technology and social media give value to a corporation when the employees understand how to use the networks which comes about by trusting the workplace and its managers.

To dig deeper into this topic, there are five tips for employers to have in mind when wanting to receive value from the use of social media in the workplace (Biro, 2012):

1. Define what value means to your company as a leader. This statement can help managers think about what they value more for their company, having face-to-face conversations with other workers or talking about workplace topics over social media behind a computer? They also have to think about when social media can take the place of these in person conversations and who in the company will be able to do so.
2. Create a value measurement methodology. With this tip, employers should measure the methods they are using. For example, is it better to use social media instead of meeting face-to-face in order to save costs? If so, how many people do you need to complete the task in the short amount of time available.
3. Determine what tools, processes, and policies support your definition of value, and those that need to be changed. In reality, value might not come from social media conversations nor face-to-face ones. In order for people to work together who are in different locations and time zones, there needs to be processes which support teams which are constructed virtually. Performance review policies might have to change due to changes in the tools the company will use.
4. Create a link between your notion of leadership value and the value of employee trust. Human resource managers can help leaders to create a statement explaining what the company values and how employees are to keep that value even in the hands of their social networks.
5. Socialize your expectations of the value to be realized from social technology. Surveys and polls of employees to see if they agree with that statement will help the company reinvent the companies policies and procedures.

All of these five tips above are time consuming and, if they are done correctly, can help employees work better in the workplace by using social media. The value of the amount of time these take to develop need to be measured in the company as well. In order for leaders in the workplace to keep employees private and work lives separately, they will have to implement rules and regulations. Employers must define the meaning of being able to use social media at work and make employees understand that they should be used only to get work done, not personal work but the companies work (Kreamer, 2011). If employees have a work cell phone and a personal cell phone, there should be no mystery if an employee is on the phone with a client or friend. As long as the workplace understands what is expected of them in terms of using social media at work the environment can benefit tremendously from it.

Conclusion/Take Away Points

There's always conflict when big changes arise in the workplace. Not everyone is up-to-date with the newest technology and websites that help get work done. Social media can provide increases in productivity if employees are using it for work purposes. Getting a companies name out in the public or even posting an advertisement of upcoming sales or events they are hosting is a great way to earn customer relationships and build a brand. Not only does social media benefit companies and firms but it also helps individuals who have branched out and work from home and small business owners. For anyone using social media for a working purpose, it helps them get their name out in the open and build clientele. This way, especially for small business owners and individuals, they can build a brand that can eventually help them expand their business. Although social media has increased productivity in most of the companies its been adopted in, it does have its downfalls. Many individuals have failed to keep their private life away from the workplace, and their workplace away from their private lives. Answering personal calls, e-mails, or Facebook messages is unacceptable in the workplace and employers should make note of these issues. Employees should only be able to used social networking for the benefit of the business and not for their personal reasons. If employees undertake the rules and regulations that the company provides on the case of social media, it can build them clientele, awareness, and productivity in their workplace.

References:

Jue, Arthur L.; Marr, Alcalde Jackie; Kassotakis, Mary Ellen. (2010). Social Media at Work: How Networking Tools Propel Organizational Performance. Retrieved by http://books.google.com

Bennett, James; Owers, Mark; Pitt, Michael; Tucker, Michael. (2010) Workplace Impact of Social Media. Retrieved from search.proquest.com

Biro, Meghan. (9/16/2012) Make Social Technology Count In Your Workplace. Retrieved from www.forbes.com

Kreamer, Anne. (06/11/2011) Taking Your Feelings to Work. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com