April 27 , 2010

Stricter social networking policies in effect

Survey shows CIOs are cracking down

Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook allow people to communicate more loosely, but many companies are tightening their grip on how employees use these channels at work. One in five (21 per cent) chief information officers (CIOs) interviewed are reigning in personal use of social media in the workplace and fifteen per cent are placing limits on its use for business.

A previous study found that nearly six in 10 (58 per cent) of companies have social networking policies (http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2009/07/c4603.html) that ban the use of social networking altogether.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of information technology (IT) professionals on a project and full-time basis. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 270 CIOs from companies across Canada with 100 or more employees.

CIOs were asked, "As social networking has become more of a business tool, how have you had to re-evaluate your IT policies surrounding its use by employees in your company?" Their responses*:

• More strict with respect to personal use..........................21%
• More strict with respect to business use..........................15%
• More lenient with respect to personal use.........................14%
• More lenient with respect to business use.........................10%
• No change.........................................................48%
• Don't know/no answer...............................................2%

*Note: Multiple responses permitted

"Companies are still evaluating the use of social media in the workplace and are weighing the benefits against the risks," said Megan Slabinski, president of Robert Half Technology's Canadian operations. "With the social media landscape constantly evolving, firms are trying to find ways for employees to leverage professional networking, industry developments and company positioning without compromising security or employee productivity."

Added Slabinski, "When designing social networking policies, there is no universal fit. Inter-departmental contributions from IT, legal, human resources, marketing, public relations and front-line employees will help ensure that a company's most critical needs are met."