More than two-thirds of New Zealand employers don't have a policy on their employees' use of social media, according to a survey.Employment services company Manpower surveyed 34,000 employers in 35 countries, including over 500 New Zealand respondents, ga
More than two-thirds of New Zealand employers don't have a policy on their employees' use of social media, according to a survey.
Employment services company Manpower surveyed 34,000 employers in 35 countries, including over 500 New Zealand respondents, gauging employer attitudes toward social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter being used at work.
It found globally 75 percent of employers have no formal social media policy, while in New Zealand 68 percent of employers had no policy.
Of those organisations with formal social media policies in place, the majority said the policy has been most effective in preventing productivity loss (63 percent globally, 76 percent in New Zealand) and protecting intellectual property/proprietary information (33 percent globally, 40 percent in New Zealand).
"Social media is here to stay, and the distinction between work use and personal use is increasingly blurry," said Chris Riley, general manager, sales and marketing at Manpower New Zealand.
"Social media is redefining the way we work, so rather than trying to avoid it, businesses need to learn how to harness its power while managing its risks."
Limiting or blocking access to social media sites was not the answer, he said.
"There is not a lot you can do to curtail the use of Facebook or Twitter at work. Employees will simply pull out their iPhones or BlackBerries to get onto these networks. So the challenge - and the opportunity - is to turn them into a positive force."
The Manpower research argued that the connective power of social media can enhance productivity, innovation, collaboration, reputation and employee engagement within organisations.
"Leaders need to channel social media use in directions that benefit both the business and the individual. In fact, they can use social media in creative ways to do that. For example, challenge your employees to develop ways to do their job better through social media, and encourage them to share these innovations with their colleagues."
Some New Zealand employers acknowledged the positive potential of social media: 39 percent believed it could boost brand building, and 16 percent saw it as a promising method to foster collaboration and communication.
