SOCIAL WORK? More Companies Permit Social Networking on the Job, Robert Half Technology Survey Reveals

Tweets and "likes" are becoming more beneficial to business, a new Robert Half Technology survey suggests. More than half (51 percent) of chief information officers (CIOs) surveyed said they permit employees to use social media sites like Twitter and Facebook on the job as long as it's for business purposes. This is up from 19 percent in 2009. But while firms may be more open to the business applications of social media, more than one out of three (31 percent) organizations still prohibit it completely at the office.

The surveys were developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of information technology (IT) professionals on a project and full-time basis, and conducted by an independent research firm. They were based on telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CIOs from companies across the United States with 100 or more employees.

CIOs were asked, "Which of the following most closely describes your company's policy on visiting social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, while at work?"

Their responses:

Prohibited completely

2009 - 54%

2011 - 31%

Permitted for business purposes only

2009 - 19%

2011 - 51%

Permitted for limited personal use

2009 - 16%

2011 - 14%

Permitted for any type of personal use

2009 - 10%

2011 - 4%

Don't know/no answer

2009 - 1%

2011 - 0%

Robert Half Technology offers four tips for using social media sites in the workplace:

-- Know the rules of the road. Make sure you're clear about what type of social networking use is permitted within your organization.

-- Exercise discretion. Never share sensitive or confidential company information or post negative comments about your employer, or current or potential clients and customers.

-- Get the scoop. If permissible, use social media sites at work to connect with customers and clients, follow thought leaders in your field or gather industry news.

-- Play it safe. If you use social media on behalf of your company, make sure you protect your feeds by creating secure passwords, refraining from clicking on questionable links and limiting access to select employees.

More information on social networking can be found at www.CRMindustry.com.