BC Business magazine contacted Cissy Pau, Principal Consultant of Vancouver-based Clear HR Consulting Inc., to write an article on managing employee productivity in this age of social networking.

As Cissy Pau explored in the article, for some employers, social networking has no part in the employee’s workday, while others view it as integral to the company culture. Where do you draw the line? Finding a balance between managing employee productivity and personal social networking will depend on company culture, employee needs and customer expectations.

For assistance in creating HR policies on using Facebook and other social networking tools to manage employee productivity in your small- to medium-sized business, please contact Vancouver-based Clear HR Consulting.

Recent articles in the Vancouver Sun and Business in Vancouver newspapers outline how companies are targeting Facebook and MySpace for recruiting employees and purchasing online ads.

Facebook and MySpace are not only used for social networking by individuals and groups, but also for business advertising.  Businesses, small and large alike, are focusing on creating profiles and ads on these popular social networking sites not only for product or service advertising, but also for recruiting of employees.  

Companies like Earls Restaurant, which targets the Generation Y workforce, have been quick to create a Facebook profile to attract and recruit for workers, as reported in Business in Vancouver edition 990 (Oct 14-20, 2008).

These social networking sites are another tool to be used in creating and marketing your employer brand - being known as a place where top talent is attracted to work. Boost your company’s profile by using Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites when recruiting employees.

There was an interesting article in the Globe and Mail about the consequences of using such social networking sites as Facebook and MySpace during the hiring process. Many people who post on these sites have no idea how much of their private information becomes accessible to complete strangers because they don’t use the security and privacy features properly. Social networking now forms the highest use of the internet.

The article goes on to reveal some potential unintended consequences of using social networking sites:

“It wasn’t that long ago that the first thing an employer would do to vet potential hires was run their names through Google to see the extent of their online footprint. Now, most employers don’t even bother with Google, they go straight for MySpace and Facebook to gauge the personality and professionalism of potential candidates.”

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