With new technologies constantly being launched on the consumer market, the use of social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and others has become integral to most people's daily lives. But along with these innovations comes a new problem: setting limits on their use.
Users are finding it increasingly difficult to disconnect from the virtual world, even while working. There's no denying that social media has brought significant advances in interpersonal relationships, in addition to expanding contact networks, content flow, and information exchange. However, along with these innovations have also come some problems related to internet use, so it's important to know how to balance access to these tools to avoid compromising productivity.
But is simply blocking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram enough to keep your team focused and free from distractions? There are numerous other sites that can distract employees, making it impossible to block access to every single distraction. Furthermore, allowing short relaxation breaks throughout the workday can increase attention and productivity.
Clear strategies must be established to determine the company's stance on social media access. Learn what actions to take regarding this issue:
Set access times
Adopting a more tolerant stance can be a way to use controlled access to social media to increase company productivity. However, to prevent abuse, it's necessary to establish rules such as specific times, maximum access time limits, and also provide tips for conscious and safe internet use . Lunch and late afternoon periods are good options, as well as a 20-minute break during the workday for rest. This way, the difficulty in ensuring complete restriction can be overcome by establishing rules and usage limits.
Give suggestions for conduct
If access is granted, provide employees with guidelines, such as a company internet usage policy, to ensure distractions don't compromise productivity. Suggest, for example, disabling notifications to reduce curiosity and the anxiety of checking incoming messages. Also, recommend that employees select a few social networks that interest them, as having profiles on too many social networks can hinder focus at work and even on other activities, such as studying.
Cell phone use in the workplace should also be considered when recommending to employees. With the advancement of internet connectivity, the primary function of cell phones has become checking email, instant messaging programs, apps, and social media. Furthermore, personal cell phone use and the internet top the list of the 10 habits that most compromise employee productivity in the workplace . In some cases, cell phone use can lead to dismissal for cause . To avoid situations like this, educate your team on responsible cell phone use.
Learn how to use social media to improve team productivity
Although networks can sometimes compromise employee performance, several of their functions can be used to organize and increase productivity within companies. The sales department, for example, could be compromised if access is blocked, as many deals are currently closed online.
The speed of information exchange and the absence of intermediaries are the main benefits for teams that use messaging tools like Skype, for example. Furthermore, constant contact between employees, even if one of them is out of the office, can even accelerate the achievement of goals, since activities don't stagnate due to the absence of one of the team members.
Maintaining team engagement and demonstrating to employees ways to use social media profitably and without abuse are the secrets to improving low productivity and service quality!
Has social media impacted your team's productivity, either positively or negatively? Share your thoughts with us!
