Think Twice Before Going On Facebook Or Twitter At Work

Workers who want to update their Facebook friends and Twitter followers during business hours should think twice if they want to stay in good standing with their employers. More than half (54 percent) of the bosses interviewed recently by Robert Half Technology said their firms completely prohibit employees from visiting social networking sites while at work. A career expert from Robert Half Technology can discuss the following topics:

CIOs were asked, "Which of the following most closely describes your company's policy on
visiting social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, while at work?"

Their responses:
Prohibited completely....................................... 54%
Permitted for business purposes only............. 19%
Permitted for limited personal use.................... 16%
Permitted for any type of personal use………. 10%
Don't know/no answer........................................ 1%
100%

"Using social networking sites may divert employees' attention away from more pressing priorities, so it's understandable that some companies limit access," said Dave Willmer, executive director of Robert Half Technology.

"For some professions, however, these sites can be leveraged as effective business tools, which may be why about one in five companies allows their use for work-related purposes."
Willmer cautioned that employees should always exercise good judgment, no matter how lenient their company's policy. "Professionals should let common sense prevail when using Facebook and similar sites -- even outside of business hours," he said. "Regrettable posts can be a career liability."

Robert Half Technology offers the following tips for protecting your professional reputation when using social networking sites:

· Know what's allowed. Make sure you understand and adhere to your company's social networking policy.

· Use caution. Be familiar with each site's privacy settings to ensure personal details or photos you post can be viewed only by people you choose.

· Keep it professional. Use social networking sites while at work to make connections with others in your field or follow industry news -- not to catch up with family or friends.

· Stay positive. Avoid complaining about your manager and coworkers. Once you've hit submit or send, you can't always take back your words -- and there's a chance they could be read by the very people you're criticizing.

· Polish your image. Tweet or blog about a topic related to your profession. You'll build a reputation as a subject matter expert, which could help you advance in your career.
· Monitor yourself. Even if your employer has a liberal policy about social networking, limit the time you spend checking your Facebook page or reading other people's tweets to avoid a productivity drain.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of information technology (IT) professionals on a project and full-time basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. It was based on telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CIOs from companies across the United States with 100 or more employees.

Another expert with Robert Half discussed another part of the issue of use.

"We feel this can be a very valuable tool," said Paul Flaharty. "There's a number of different ways, and the social networking sites have expanded in scope from where they started; for people to connect with one another.

"These social networking sites now have a very real business purpose. People are establishing themselves as subject matter experts and industry leaders based on the publications and based on whether it's Twitter, or Facebook or Linked In.

"From a corporate perspective, there are a number of fields in which networking means a great deal as it relates to business: PR and marketing for instance, where you can go and connect with new clients.

"It's a great way for you to get more exposure to both your work and your portfolio as a creative professional.

"As a technician, very often there are either issues, or problems that you encounter throughout the course of the day at work that there are very specific local interest groups and networks on these social network sites that are at your disposal. These online contacts can help you work through problems you might be having, so that's a great way for people to utilize that.

"At this point right now, companies don't see the value in it but as they learn more about what you can do with Linked In, and how that could help you do your job more effectively, that could change.

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