social networking in the workplace
TRANSCRIPT
SOCIAL NETWORKING IN THE WORKPLACE
Threat or Opportunity
Paul RowneyNamibia ICT Summit – [email protected]
Social Networking in the Workplace
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WHAT IS SOCIAL NETWORKING?
Social Networking in the Workplace
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STAND UP
Social Networking in the Workplace
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STAY STANDING IF YOU HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
Social Networking in the Workplace
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SIT DOWN IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A SOCIAL NETWORKING PROFILE
Social Networking in the Workplace
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SIT DOWN IF YOU HAVE LESS THAN 20 FRIENDS
Social Networking in the Workplace
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DEMYSTIFYING THE CONCEPT!
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ARE YOU AWARE OF HOW
MANY OF YOUR
COLLEAGUES SOCIAL
NETWORK AT YOUR OFFICE?
Social Networking in the Workplace
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• Are you aware of the many social networking site.• for example…
• Facebook• MySpace• YouTube• LinkedIn• Flickr• Twitter
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THAT SAID WHO ARE SOCIAL
NETWORKERS ?
The generation gap
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• Silent Gen (above 61) • don’t understand it, don’t want it
• Baby Boomer (44-61) • see it as an threat
• Gen X (27-43) • understand it, are using it
• Gen Y (18-27) • want it, need it, are living it
Who are the users?
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• The average social network user is 37 years old. • LinkedIn : 44 • Twitter : 39 • Facebook : 38 • MySpace : 31
Source : Pingdom February 16th, 2010
Risks
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• Productivity losses• Can be addictive leading to over use or abuse• Can affect company moral • However: It can also increase productivity and effectiveness in some
areas
• Reputation and Legal liability• Most organisations have user policies on internet and Email usage;• but are policies in place and updated to accommodate social
networking?• Can compromise a company’s reputation• There are many examples of gaffes and negative comments• Its difficult to manage or remove these comments
Risks
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• Viruses and spyware• A platform for malicious attacks using viruses and spyware
• Privacy breaches and identity theft • Can promote identity theft, even where ‘private’
• Social engineering• Can be used to mine information targeted towards acts of fraud
• Inadvertent release of information• Windows into the lives of users • Unintentional release of confidential information
Benefits
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• Expanding Market Research• Can open a business to a new circle of contacts with minimum effort
and cost
• Personal Touch• Allows for a targeted approach on a seemingly personal level
• Improve Your Reputation• Can enhance business reputation and boost image as thought
leaders
• Low-Cost Marketing• Users are open to online marketing giving business the opportunity
to quickly target their online contacts
Impact on Employees
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• How can this impact an employee• Does your employer have a right to control what their employees do
in their own time, outside of the office?
• Does an employer have an implied right that effects an employees online social networking activities, i.e..• To work with care and diligence• To obey all lawful and reasonable orders• To act with good faith and fidelity
• Can an employee be dismissed if these duties are breached by actions in their private lives
Impact on Employees
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Former Employees
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• How do you manage former employees• Restraint of trade ?• Confidentiality ?• Employment contract ?• Non disclosure ?• Defamation ?
• There are no easy answers…….
Your views?
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• How do you view Social Networking in the work place• As an opportunity ?• As a threat ?
The reality is that both hold true, it is about finding the right balance…
Strike a Balance
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• Restrict access. • Implement time-based access to these and other sites. • Leverage technology
• Educate and train staff. • Most employees are not aware how their actions online can cause
security issues for the organization - Educate them…
• Set security and usage policies. • Update usage policies to accommodate social networking • Employees should be aware that their actions are being recorded
and that failure to adhere to company policy can result in disciplinary action and/or dismissal.
Embrace the change
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• Accept the inevitable (a certain loss of control)• Expect resistance from managers• Obtain executive buy in (align with corporate strategy)• Stay focused on culture, not the technology
Leverage technology
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Questions and Answers