Facebook At Work Makes For Better Employees … Sorta


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Facebook at work is a contentious topic — the social network provides a nice, quick cognitive reboot for employees, but bosses are generally not too enamored of Status Update-ing on the clock.

However, it turns out Facebook at work may not be all bad … for employers. While you may think a chronic social media updater or consumer is less efficient, the converse may be true.

An employee using Facebook at work may seem bad, and that doesn’t even factor in Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Pheed, et al. But Mashable cites research done by firm Evolv, indicating that the more social networks an employee is active on, the more productive they are overall — so maybe encourage them to keep crushing that candy?

The site indicates socially networked employees also clock a longer bout of employment, at “94 days of tenure with a company on average, compared to 83 days for those who shun social media.” Mashable also reports:

Those who use five social networks or more are slightly better at converting sales and handling customer service than employees on four or fewer networks, by 1.5% and 2.8% respectively. Their average tenure is a little lower at 92 days — possibly because they’re more in demand.

[It’s not clear what the distinction is between workers with the 92 day average versus 94 days, and if it is related to number of social media sites on which they are active.]

Both Mashable and Evolv are quick to point out other factors regarding Facebook at work may be in play when it comes to productivity — computer skills and customer relations prowess, for instance, may be key.

But it’s also a pretty good indicator that if a bit of Facebook at work is all it takes to retain a productive employee, perhaps workplace attitudes to social media use should be more lax.

Do you Facebook at work, or do you find it to be poor use of on the clock time?


Kossi

7 Comments

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  1. I am on Facebook quite a bit at work. But part of my job is to sit at a desk and wait for patrons to help, so I do not think that my use of Facebook gets in the way of my doing my job.

  2. Mindy. I couldn't agree more! Our entire SocialNewDaily staff telecommute and we all try to stay connected via our social accounts so we don't become lonely hermits 🙂

  3. I'm a full-time student, and I do think that it is possible for a "breather" on Facebook helps to get away for a minute, you just have to make sure to get back to work.

  4. Hmm I think that unless your specific job title requires networking,Facebook and other social media sites should be left at home… For your "social life". I can't even say how many times I have seen young kids at work on their phones, on Facebook…. Right in front of customers ignoring their duties. It truly disgusts me the lackadaisical attitude that employers have about their workers being on the clock and using company time to socialize…