Don’t be surprised if social networking websites such as Facebook is going to increase employee’s productivity in office rather than the other way round as what most of us is concerned. People calls it Web 2.0. Anything is possible!!

Britain’s Trades Union Congress (TUC)  issued an advice on not to ban the access to social networking websites such as Facebook. Employees should be allowed to access it but with proper policy in place with regard to the usage of such websites, which is known to pose security risk to the company as well as privacy concern if used in improper manner.

On another research by Pop Games it’s also found that 10 minutes break by browsing the internet can release stress and tension from their work, and in fact it can refresh your mind as well.

Similar views shared by Jeremy Burton, CEO of Serena software, an IT company based in the US. He created ‘Facebook Friday‘ where employees are allowed to browse Facebook on Friday for a few hours. While the outcome is not that obvious just yet, but it has resulted in more variety of small but useful pieces of software invented.

Based on these 3 articles, it should provide a ‘quite’ clear signal that social networking websites is not necessarily time waster. It might be the case if it is invented a few years back, when the only purpose of such website is solely for entertainment. But current generation of social networking website has more than that (yes, there is still lots of fun & entertainment there).

By forming intellectual communities, groups and event, and with Facebook’s wide accessibility, it can attract more users to join the team, rather than the traditional ways of doing that such as through forums, emails, word of mouth and etc

I’m pretty sure that traditional HR folks won’t agree with these articles. There is no way entertainment/socializing can turn on the productivity booster. With lack of knowledge about social websites and even web 2.0, it is understandably such stance still exist in most companies especially on developing countries where internet penetration is still lower.

On the other hand, I’m glad that since a few months back, our leadership team in the company where I work has allowed such websites to be accessed but with certain guidelines to be followed.

1 important point that I 100% agree is that, with current workload, one can simply feel the stress, and Facebook can cure that.

source: pcworld, pcworld, CNN