Companies Want to Monitor Workers on Social Networks

[Refugee 7]

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/technology_at_work/archives/2009/05/workers_social.html?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_technology

As more employees start to use Twitter and Facebook, executives are becoming increasingly concerned with the message their digitally savvy workers are conveying to the public. A new survey from Deloitte underscores the growing role of social networks and the dilemma they present for corporations that spend huge amounts to burnish their image.

The professional services firm found that 60 percent of the executives interviewed believe they have a right to know how employees portray themselves and their organizations. Employees, on the other hand, bristle at the thought that employers would monitor their online activity. Overall, about 53 percent say their social networking activities should not be any concern of their employer, although about 74 percent recognize that social networks make it easier to damage a company’s reputation.

Few companies have given employees guidelines about how to use social networks. “We found a high percentage of employers who are thinking about what they should do but not a high percentage of employers who have concluded what those procedures and policies should be,” says Deloitte Chairman Sharon Allen.

Some news organizations have issued guidelines but there’s little agreement about what those rules should be. Last week, my colleague Diane Brady wrote about The Wall Street Journal’s ground rules for how employees should use social networking sites such as Twitter. Editor & Publisher noted that the WSJ guidelines included the warning that “business and pleasure should not be mixed on services like Twitter.” Editor & Publisher followed up with a report on how different newspapers have issued a variety of guidelines and quoted this policy from the Los Angeles Times, “Assume that your professional life and your personal life merge online regardless of your care in separating them. Don’t write or post anything that would embarrass the LAT or compromise your ability to do your job.”

As a reporter and an employee, I often think about what is appropriate to tweet. In my case, my Twitter account started out as a personal account and I kept it private. I didn’t use my own name for fear that my editors might not like it. While reporting a story about how companies were using Twitter for branding purposes, a number of sources convinced me to take my account public to get the most value out of Twitter. Shortly after that, John Byrne, the editor-in-chief of BusinessWeek.com joined Twitter and then published a blog post listing all the BusinessWeek writers and editors on Twitter. I feel really fortunate to work for a news organization that embraces Twitter and actually encourages reporters to use it.

Having my editors and colleagues follow me on Twitter and Facebook probably makes me more cautious. But, I’m not yet ready to abandon my personal life when I tweet. My personal life is tame and I figure if people know I have a family and a dog or that I’m a geek who saw Star Trek on opening day, it doesn’t compromise my ability to be a reporter. I hope it makes me seem human and approachable.

What do you think? Should employers have a say in what workers share on social networking sites?

[Echosoftom 3]

Most of the social networking sites are blocked on our computers at work.

[angelic_22 0]

Interesting topic....

Seems to me that there are some obvious lines that shouldn't be crossed.... Employees shouldn't divulge confidential or proprietary company info this way, and would probably be well advised to let the company PR people handle company PR.

Of course, if you are independently wealthy, and don't really need the job, then by all means tell us all what you really think of your employer LOL!

But I don't think employers should be sifting thru social networking sites to pry into the details of employee's lives. But you better realize that they do it. I think it stinks.

(I was going to say pry into employee's PRIVATE lives, but once you post something online for all to see it isn't very private now is it? And technically there is nothing wrong with an employer scooping up info available to the general public, so the burden to maintain privacy really falls on the individual. And in the digital age, once something is posted on the net it is impossible to make it go away. Its kind of like digital herpes, so be careful where you play!)

(Hi Boss!)

Edited May 19, 2009 by Relic

[agirl 0]

It was only a matter of time. People should be aware of what they put out into cyber world. I've been reading for quite awhile now that employers google their employees.

[LizzieB 0]

Sharon, most networking sites are blocked on our corporate network, too. But that wouldn't stop me from putting something damaging to my company up on my own time.

If you are putting yourself out on the net, then your employer, and anyone else, has every right to monitor you. That's the point of these networks and people would do well to think about that. Now, should they be out digging up general dirt on you as a matter of practice? No.

I do think companies SHOULD tell employees what they expect of them on networking sites, that way there is no question later down the road. However, the guidelines should only be along the lines of "don't do anything to damage corporate image".

[Magnolia 171]

It was only a matter of time. People should be aware of what they put out into cyber world. I've been reading for quite awhile now that employers google their employees.

Perfectly said. Why shouldn't employers Google prospective employees? I Google prospective dates.

[Mudcrutch 285]

The problem is people need to be protected from themselves. It is now far too easy to look someone up and find out what they are up to. Stuff one person may think is tame could be a red flag to a potential employer, etc.

At work the other day we actually looked up a person we may be doing business with, and found them on Facebook. None of their profile was "private" so we could see everything. Just a case of somebody not knowing how to keep their profile private.. no big deal right? but even that could be a red flag.. "oh this person doesn't know what they are doing on facebook, why would we want to work with them?"

[surfnburn 5]

I can’t really add anything that hasn’t already been said. I just hope prospective employers don't judge me by my Facebook page..LOL I just have a picture of a ghost town there....

[Square One 0]

A friend of mine is HR at a company and said that it is part of their background search to look on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter....etc. I do admit whenever I write something on here or wherever, I have that immediate feeling of wanting to delete it. You get in a bubble where you feel like you're just talking to the people on the thread and then realize anyone can see it. Not that anything I am saying is noteworthy, it's just a realization of that it's not private....

[Refugee 7]

I work on a military installation, so of course our internet is heavily monitored and most sites, except their own, are blocked.

[DCAHNM 0]

I am so glad that my employer is not too internet-savvy. I pray he never gets a "Net-Nanny"..

I keep tabs on Facebook. He doesn't have one, but I did find his wife, his son, and his daughter-in-law. Found a way to block them from seeing my profile. Privacy settings rule!