Good vs. Evil: Social Networking in the Workplace

You know that things have changed when your boss superpokes you on facebook. This is the moment when you pump your fist into the air and scream “technology-you’ve done it again!” In today’s world, it’s difficult to ignore social networks. Everywhere you go, people are talking about phenomenons such as Facebook, Myspace and Linkedin; and the workplace is no exception. Some employers are cracking down on these sites being used at work, seeing them as a distraction or an annoyance. Others are embracing them.

  A recent survey by AT&T 2,500 studied people across five countries in Europe and reports that 65% of respondents claimed that using social networks had made them or their colleagues more efficient; 46% said it had sparked creativity.

But Facebook and Myspace aren’t exactly the only social networks being sought out to increase productivity in the workplace. Here are a few of what employers are using:

1. Companies’ own collaboration sites on intranets (39%)
2. Internal forums within the company (20%)
3. Company-produced video material shared on intranets (16%)
4. Online social networks, such as LinkedIn and Facebook (15%)
5. External collaboration sites on the web and internal blogging sites (both 11%)

So it seems to me that employers are using internal networks to spark creativity and to bring the company together as a team. For instance, LinkedIn, (which I recently joined) helps you  network with people in your company, as well as employees in other companies. You can create a profile that highlights what your company does, what your position is, and even what your interests are. Social networks like these are bringing fresh new takes on the workplace, and I say it’s about time.