Social Media within the Workplace

Social media has changed the way we communicate no doubt about it. Social media sites give businesses a fantastic opportunity to widen their circle of contacts. It can also help increase sales, brand name, promotes, and a lot more.  However, social media can be a problem within the office according to an article I read called, "5 Problems with Social Networking in the Workplace". 

1. Productivity
One reason why organizations on social networking in the workplace is the fact that employees spend a great deal of time updating their profiles and sites throughout the day.

2. Resources 

There is a cost to Internet browsing, especially when high levels of bandwidth are required.

  

3. Viruses and Malware

This threat is often overlooked by organizations. Hackers are attracted to social networking sites because they see the potential to commit fraud and launch spam and malware attacks

4. Social EngineeringThis can result in data or identity theft. Users may be convinced to give personal details such as Social Security numbers, employment details and so on.

5. Reputation and Legal Liability

At then time of authorship, there have been no major corporate lawsuits involving evidence from social networking sites. However, organizations need to watch for employees who may be commenting publicly about their employer.

By Author David Kelleher

Do's and Don't in the Workplace

Most of us all know how to act within the workplace, when it comes to being respectful and polite to others.  However, an article I read stated the most common Do's and Don't that occur in the office.  Following these do's and don't can make a successful workplace. 

 

The article  Do's.... 

• Being respectful and courteous towards others - even if you don’t necessarily like a particular person
• Keep your voice at an acceptable level. A loud voice which is noticeable in a particular work environment can not only be counterproductive for others who are trying to get on with their work but can be extremely annoying too
• Offer to help others if there’s anything you might be able to do to assist them and make their job easier if you’ve time to do so
• Dress appropriately and adopt a similar degree of formality/informality once you’ve established the acceptable ‘code of conduct’
• Make sure you understand the rules surrounding e-mail etiquette and the use of your mobile phone
• Remember you’re being paid to work so keep idle chit-chat and other things that may take your attention away from what you’ve been employed to do to a minimum.
• Stay positive and upbeat and...smile!

Don'ts'....

• Engage in idle gossip about other colleagues or your boss or ‘bad mouth’ them
• Don’t get involved in any banter which might have sexual or racial overtones
• Be modest and don’t harp on about any of your previous achievements or be an attention seeker
• Don’t try to court favour with your boss or immediate supervisors. Just doing your job in the best way you can is the most productive way of impressing those higher up the ladder than you
• Don’t assume something is acceptable practice in either conversations you might have or actions you might consider taking. A good example of this is assuming that it’s OK to leave your mobile phone on silent or vibrate, yet still respond to text messages, for example. Establish the position on that and other things you’re not sure about first such as eating at your desk or work station, which is another good example where people often do the wrong thing.

http://www.worketiquette.co.uk/workplace-dos-and-donts.html

Advancement opportunities

Allowing employees the opportunity for growth and advancement within an organization illustrates an investment in the professional careers of employees and ultimately makes a company more successful.

Communication within the workplace

I learned that communication is so very important within the workplace.  In order to decrease misunderstanding, lack of employees performance, and conflict.  Managers must be able to communicate clearly and effectively when assigning task and sharing ideas.  This will keep employees from being frustrated and on the right track to perform well, which save the company time and money. 

The worth of employees

I think one of the main things that make a successful company is staff/employees.  They are the individuals who represent the company product, brand, and who interact with clients/customers.  This is why it's important to make employee feel appreciated and rewarded for their service they contribute to the company.