Although social media has found a home in the workplace, its role is not the same everywhere, according to a new study by service provider Appirio.
Personally, more people are becoming social online, just not as much at work, with half of all adults using social networks at least once a month.
Workers may not be using the internet at work (many are prohibited), but mangers and companies are beginning to see the value of online tools.
Small- to medium-sized businesses in the U.S. are more likely to use social media to network with customers than for hiring or engaging with employees, according to a overview of 300 employees and managers in the U.S. and the U.K.
Large companies (over 4000 employees) are less than half as likely as SMBs to use social media platforms to attract new customers, but see it more as a method for employee engagement.
The study also found that 41 percent of respondents believe their business can do more to become a social enterprise. Even though one out of every five minutes spent online are on social networks, managers use social media twice as much as the people they manage.
Corporate culture and a sense of ownership are more relevant to employees than budget when understanding the impact of social media in the workplace.
Mark Feldman has created this infographic to illustrate the The State of Social @ Work: The People’s Perspective:
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