A third of UK personnel currently access social media in the workplace and more than half of managers now sanction such activity for motivational and productivity reasons, according to research.
A survey undertaken among 1,600 staff in the UK, US, Japan and Germany by security software provider Trend Micro revealed that the percentage using social media at work across these territories has risen from an average of 19% to 24% over the last two years.
Adoption was highest among UK employees, however, jumping from 27% in 2008 to 33% now. But the leap was even higher for staff members accessing the corporate network using laptops, with figures up to 38% from 28% two years ago.
Worryingly, the number of UK respondents admitting that they shared confidential information via social networking sites also jumped to 23% from 16% in 2008.
A second study undertaken among 1,629 managers and employees at firms in the UK, US, Germany and Australia by rival security software vendor Clearswift indicated, meanwhile, that just over half of respondents believed that social media was now ‘critical’ for the future success of the company.
Some 92% of those questioned felt that employers should use such technology so the company was seen to be taking action and adapting to new situations, while about nine out of ten also said it was useful to increase brand awareness, generate new business and support customer service.
As a result, eight out of 10 respondents were now discussing social media usage during selection interviews, while more than a third were looking for candidates to show knowledge and understanding of the medium.
More than half of managers also viewed social media in a favourable light, indicating that banning access would be detrimental to employee motivation and productivity.
Nonetheless, some 61% of those questioned said that they were worried about security issues, with more than a third turning down business opportunities due to such concerns. Nearly two thirds said that a new approach to security was required to tackle the situation.
One Response
be safe
The most alarmng piece of information in this article is the fact the more people are choosing to share personal information on social networking sites. It should go without saying that you should never withdraw personal information over the internet, but maybe some were taken under a false sense of security becasue they were at work.
David Evans, commercial director at accesplanit, specialising in learning management system and training administration software.