Should You Be Friends With Your Employees on Social Media?
There are numerous challenges that come hand-in-hand with employing people…maintaining high productivity; regularly reviewing performance; adhering to employment legislation; the list goes on.
But how close should you be to your employees on social media?
We live in a digital age that relies more and more on technology to connect and communicate and managing it in the workplace can be a tricky issue.
There are no hard and fast rules about having employees as friends on social media; the decision is yours. It’s your business and you can decide who makes it onto your friends list.
There are a few important points to consider though …
When you’re connected with an employee on social media, you’re likely to find out more about them. How they like to spend their free time; what they had for lunch; who their friends are and possibly more contentious factors such as their religious beliefs and political views.
It could be argued that if you are friends with some employees and not others, these people are your ‘favourites’. Whilst you will want to build strong relationships with your employees, when they become friends, making difficult decisions regarding them suddenly becomes a different ball game.
Finally, it is ill advised to use a social platform to discuss work-related matters. Respect your employees’ spare time, don’t blur the lines between work and play, and keep the confidentiality of office issues in mind.
Are you open to the idea of having your employees on your friend list, or do you think that it’s an HR disaster waiting to happen?
If you would like to chat about how you can get the best out of your people, please get in touch by completing the Contact Form or calling us on 01604 763494 to arrange your no-obligation discussion.
