Benefits and Disadvantages of Social Media in the Workplace

Social Media Use in The Workplace
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Social Media Use in The Workplace
* Introduction
Social networking technologies have significantly impacted daily human lives, and the influence has extended to the workplace as technology continues to evolve. The initial purpose of social media was to allow people to interact with their friends digitally. However, with the advancement of technology and the creation of advanced algorithms with unimaginable capabilities, social media use has grown tremendously to the extent of being used in business and governance. Initially, the use of social media in the business environment attracted a lot of criticism that still persists in some institutions. However, organizations have realized that the creative use of social media in the business environment can be of great significance and have crafted mechanisms where they can use social media in workplaces for a good course. The key benefits of social media use in the workplace are increased productivity, business promotion, and employee job satisfaction, while the cons include higher turnover and increased legal hurdles.
* Benefits of Using Social Media in Workplaces
* Increased Productivity
One of the notable benefits of using social media in workplaces is increased productivity. Researchers have attributed increased workforce productivity to the population of workers using social media to share ideas, partake in problem-solving, and even for mere communication (Bizzi, 2018). The idea that the persistent use of social media decreases productivity in workplaces may be misunderstood due to the skewed perception that social media cannot be used for any creativity and productive purpose. However, the use of social media, for example, to build relationships among team members through social and formal interactions on social media spaces increases collaboration within the workforce, removing any fears that might exist between people of different ranks.
Another way social media use in workplaces increases productivity is by shifting the energy used in barring social media use in workplaces for other productive roles (Bizzi, 2018). It has been a norm for most managers and people in positions of authority to enact policies aimed at baring the use of social media during working hours. In extreme cases, social media use is completely barred within the company premises. This sometimes may require a lot of effort and may even hinder relationships with the subordinates, greatly lowering the productivity level of both the managers and the subordinates. The effort and time used to enact and enforce the stringent measures barring employees from using social media can be channeled to other more creative and productive areas, including encouraging employees to use social media to promote the company's products and services (Westwood, 2018). Therefore, social media can be beneficial in raising productivity levels if organizations seek to perceive the platforms as an opportunity for advancement.
* Business Promotion and Job Satisfaction
Aside from the private social media pages and handles, organizations can leverage social media’s improved capab...