Social networks at work: productivity or distraction?

The Brazilian is currently ranked second in the world in terms of number of hours on social media. There are a little more than nine hours connected to the internet and more than three hours a day spent on social networks, according to a study by the agency We Are Social. Perhaps this number has increased significantly in recent months, due to the pandemic with many working from home, but even so, they are a very significant number.

It would be ignorant to think that the use of social networks, the internet and especially cell phones, is not done during working hours. Of course, there are positions and functions that need to be used, but, in most organizations, cell phone use can cause distractions, loss of income, workplace accidents, among many other problems.

With all these factors in mind, we have prepared material with data and information so that you can understand the magnitude of the relationship between social networks at work and user productivity.

Productivity

Taking into account the data mentioned above, it can be seen that there is a great risk of low productivity when the internet and personal life become a priority at work.

While the internet offers solutions and ideas, it can make your employees distracted and waste time on activities that do not contribute to their professional growth and can even harm the company.

In addition to the information cited, Triad revealed that 40.9% of those interviewed use email to pass on jokes, 26.1% of them exchange YouTube links, 20.6% play online games and 11.1% watch pornography.

Using the internet at work is still a subject that generates a lot of discussion. Knowing the limits of when it is beneficial and when it is harmful is a big challenge. It is also worth remembering that the misuse of cell phones and social networks at work, in more extreme cases, can even result in dismissal for just cause, in accordance with Article 482 of the CLT. It is up to everyone to have common sense and responsibility to use the internet as an ally.

Social media

Currently, there is no age distinction for employees when using social media at work. Today, practically everyone has a smartphone that is constantly connected to social networks. Typically, younger people use several channels at the same time, while others prefer only one or two channels. Therefore, a good idea would be to release the use of social networks over a period of time. This way, you make the employee more comfortable and attentive at work. On the other hand, it is necessary for professionals to be more demanding, and mainly, for there to be control over this period of release for access.

The job market is increasingly fed by “in tune” people, with excellent training and a vast CV and the level of demand and responsibility towards these individuals must also be greater. However, it is the company's role to designate functions compatible with the skills and abilities of these professionals, as accessing social networks all the time at work can mean demotivation and idleness.

There are some companies that need their employees to stay connected to the internet and social networks all day, in cases like this, care is needed on the employee's side and correct management by the employer. The owner/employer must always make it clear how the internet access policy works and how it is used in the company, thus ensuring that the employee is aware and avoids incorrect attitudes that could lead to unexpected dismissal.

Employees need to know that no matter how much they need to use the internet to work, they should not use their networks and use them as entertainment or even start personal conversations. When employees don't understand what role they should play, they end up lost and then social media can become a distraction, instead of work and productivity.

Tips

Many people know how to use social networks very well to have fun, but they have no idea how to take advantage of them to do well in the work environment. Therefore, below are some tips on how to use social media at work correctly and responsibly:

• Being connected to many networks causes professionals to have their attention spread across many sites at the same time, so try to be connected to just one social network and watch notifications to determine whether it is an important topic or information or not. Rambling between various social networks without a specific objective is a waste of time and income at work.
• A big reason for distraction is conversations on apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. If the subject falls outside the scope of work, avoid responding to conversations that are not of great importance or relevance.
• Leaving the social network open, with notifications (sound or not) all the time, gives the impression that the employee is idle. Choose a time to check your messages and notifications that doesn't affect your performance, which could be during your lunch break or afternoon snack.
• Another common mistake is using your corporate email to receive notifications from your social networks, which becomes a good source of distraction if you use email frequently. Therefore, configure your account to not notify anything to your corporate email.
• Keeping your cell phone always within sight or in your hands can also be distracting. Imagine that you receive several notifications during the day, it is natural to feel curious to check what notifications they are. Therefore, avoid keeping your cell phone very close or in your hands at all times to avoid falling into the curiosity trap.
• Vibrate mode, a cell phone feature that only vibrates when there is a new notification, can fool you into thinking that because it doesn't emit sound, it doesn't interfere with concentration. Leave this feature active only for calls, and only answer contacts that you determine are important.

Distraction

In a survey carried out with 1,709 professionals, from presidents to interns, specifically on the use of social networks, one piece of information that was disclosed refers to people who end up “breaking” the ban on access in companies. In analysis, 47% of people who work in companies that prohibit access to social networks continue to use them anyway. Furthermore, 66% of people interviewed say they access their cell phone when the network is prohibited.

In cases like this, of violation of company rules and policies , one solution is to implement a service for internet management and control, where it is possible to control schedules and monitor what is accessed on your company's network. This allows your employees to access the internet more correctly at work.

Internet management and control also enables greater protection of the company's network and data against attacks and harmful websites. We even published an article on our blog with a manual on safe use of the internet for professionals and companies . Furthermore, when an internet control service is implemented, there is an increase in productivity among employees and a decrease in wasted time, which generally causes a lot of damage to the company.

I hope you understand the importance of the use of social networks at work, and absorbed the tips to improve this scenario.

To the next!