Introduction
Social media has become an integral part of human lives these days. They permeate all areas of society, including the work environment. Wide media usage raises the question of whether employees should have access to social networks in the workplace.
The magnitude of the concern was evident numerous years ago when Facebook gained millions of users. Bosses resorted to bans, hoping for a simple and effective solution to the problem. However, time has shown that such measures are ineffective and can harm business. Restricting access can decrease office efficiency and miss opportunities to expand the client base and share experiences. Social media in the workplace is more than a source of entertainment; it is a valuable resource that should be utilized in the workplace.
Social Media as an Integral Part of the Work Process
The amount of time an employee spends on social media depends on the nature of the work, workload balance, and control systems in place. For most organizations, the loss of time on social media does not exceed 40%, while banning them in the workplace inevitably leads to decreased office productivity (Kanwal et al., 2023). The availability of Internet entertainment does not impede performance. Planning, control, rewards, and penalties policies shape it. Moreover, it is necessary to emphasize the benefits that the company and its employees receive from using smartphones in the workplace.
Benefits of Professional Social Media Use
The first relates to strengthening communication because correspondence between employees during the day positively impacts their mood and productivity. They can exchange thoughts, share ideas about projects, and find common solutions. Positive teamwork builds loyalty, reduces company turnover, and increases team productivity (Kanwal et al., 2023). Furthermore, smartphones impact engagement because using social networks in between work reinforces the feeling that employees are valued and their rights are respected. Moral relaxation positively affects employees’ moods, increasing engagement and productivity.
Equally important is that employee publications in social networks expand public awareness of the company. They support their brand, and good feedback attracts talented employees. Moreover, it is important to emphasize their role as a source of additional training.
Social networks are a source of useful information about management, leadership, personality enhancement, and self-development solutions (Farivar & Richardson, 2021). Reading publications on the latest market research, business statistics, and news from competitors allows employees to keep abreast of the latest developments and keep up with the competition. The direct argument favoring the need to use social networks in the workplace is the experience of large corporations that have long introduced social networks into their operations.
Examples of Business Social Media Use
Pfizer
For example, Pfizer has restructured and asked its employees to publicly express their opinions on corporate changes. Employees posted videos on YouTube, resulting in the company’s video diaries becoming hits and ten Pfizer employees becoming recognizable brand faces (Song et al., 2019). Pfizer’s openness about embracing change helped build employee buy-in and created a sense that the leadership team cared about their feelings and opinions.
Humana
Another example is Humana, which successfully implemented a corporate network. Employees post useful information in thousands of groups in various directions. The network analysis revealed that 70% of the communication is devoted to discussing operational issues (Farivar & Richardson, 2021). During the introduction of the corporate network, the employees were less interested in other social networks in the work process. The benefits of social networks for organizations are clear: communication between colleagues and joint work increase employees’ productivity and the company’s overall effectiveness.
Conclusion
Therefore, social media influence pervades all areas, including the work environment. Social media is not a source of amusement but a powerful tool for business communication and self-education. Proper and controlled use of social media strengthens connections and communication among employees and increases engagement and productivity. It can provide additional training, delivering useful information on various aspects of business and self-development. Thus, it should be considered acceptable in a workplace following the example of large corporations.
References
Farivar, F., & Richardson, J. (2021). Workplace digitalization and work-nonwork satisfaction: the role of spillover social media. Behavior & Information Technology, 40(8), 747-758. Web.
Kanwal, N., Nizam Bin Isha, A. S., Salleh, R. B., Kanwal, N., & Al-Mekhlafi, A. B. A. (2023). Paradoxical effects of social media use on workplace interpersonal conflicts. Cogent Business & Management, 10(1), 22- 82. Web.
Song, Q., Wang, Y., Chen, Y., Benitez, J., & Hu, J. (2019). Impact of the usage of social media in the workplace on team and employee performance. Information & Management, 56(8), 103-160. Web.