Morse, an IT services and technology company based in the U.K., recently found that the use of Twitter and other social networks by employees while at work is costing businesses in the country a pretty penny to the tune of £1.38 billion, or $2.25 billion, each year in lost productivity.
Of the 1,460 office workers surveyed for the research study, which was conducted by TNS, 57 percent said they used social networking sites during the work day for personal use, with the average time spent on these sites at 40 minutes each week. Morse handles the math and notes that this is equivalent to a little under a full work week being spent each year by every employee who dwells on social networking sites at their offices.
The research found that this figure could very well be higher as office workers, on average, thought that their co-workers spent 59 minutes each day on social networking sites while at work.
“The popularity of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook has grown considerably over the last couple of years, however with it has come the temptation to visit such sites during office hours,” said Philip Wicks, a consultant at Morse. “When it comes to an office environment the use of these sites is clearly becoming a productivity black hole.”
He pointed to a recent example of Portsmouth City Council banning access to Facebook for all its employees, “but it is clear that businesses shouldn’t turn a blind eye to their employees’ use of social networks, and instead look to formulate and enforce sensible usage policies.”
Seventy-six percent of employees said their employers had not given them specific guidelines regarding Twitter use, indicating a glaring spot for improvement for businesses, who Morse notes are “leaving themselves wide open to a reduction in productivity, brand damage and security risks.”
Morse highlights brand reputation as a vulnerable area of concern if social networking sites are used inappropriately, although 84 percent of employees said what they post online should be up to them.
The research goes on to point out the security threats that shortened URLs present for employees who click on malicious links on Twitter.
In the U.S., the respective issuances of Twitter guidelines by ESPN and the NBA were interesting examples of the gray area of personal social networking space being painted with a corporate brush. If it’s between blocking these sites altogether or being educated about guidelines, employees would probably choose the latter, though it does bring up interesting issues for discussion. Expect continued discussion about this topic of growing relevance and importance.
Sources:
http://www.morse.com/press_20.htm
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/10/26/social-networks-blamed-for-225b-in-lost-productivity
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