Work is supposed to be a place where we, well, work. And yet the world is a fairly social place. It used to be that employees would take their “breaks” at the water cooler, or in the famed restroom of Ally McBeall’s law offices (complete with Barry White in the background). These days, however, breaks are less scheduled and social interaction is only a click of a mouse away. So how can a company maintain productivity in light of the challenges of the social side of the internet?
Some companies lean towards the more rigorous and less flexible (and less risky) policies banning the use or even access to social media websites or other questionable internet domains. Others attempt to find a way to balance employees’ needs to stay connected with the world and legitimately remain productive while feeling empowered to take their mental “breaks” as needed. According to the folks at the Society for Human Resource Management as well as our friends at Managing Your HR, there are a few tips and techniques to keep in mind:
There can be a time and place for social behavior, even online, at work. But keeping work focused on the job at hand means having limits on the use and scope of social media.
Monique Mahler is the CEO of interviewstream. She is an avid researcher of facts, a self proclaimed marketing geek, and an equestrian in her spare time.