Among employers that block social media websites, 77 percent say they do so to protect from security threats while 67 percent say it is to prevent decreased productivity, according to a new survey by MySammy, a software company that specializes in productivity measurement.
In fact, more than three in four respondents say social media hampers employee productivity; however, they don't know by how much. Sixty-five percent of respondents say they lack a means to measure employee productivity while on the computer, and 54 percent of respondents say social media helps employees perform their duties.
Although 76 percent of respondents say they're worried employee social media use could be bad for their reputation, only 38 percent of respondents report blocking social media websites in the workplace. Of respondents who allow social media access, 66 percent say they also don't record the time employees spend on them.
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When employees use social media for company purposes, 57 percent of respondents say that information is classified as company property. Sixty-nine percent of respondents have modified their social media policies.
While 66 percent of respondents don't believe blocking social media hurts recruiting, another survey by Cisco reveals 56 percent of respondents say they wouldn't accept a position with a company that does so, or they would find ways around it. Considering that 87 percent of respondents say they allow employees to bring their smartphones to work, employees can work around blocked social media websites through their personal devices, and 58 percent of respondents say they're concerned employees use smartphones to access social media during work.
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