There are 850m active users on Facebook every month, while Twitter boasts over 465m accounts. According to a press release distributed by LinkedIn earlier this year, this business social network has over 1.5bn members - with two more joining every second.
What businesses need to understand is that the majority of younger-generation employees are accustomed to connecting with friends and family via platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Furthermore, they expect to be able to do so during working hours. Prohibiting these employees from having a job and socialising at the same time could result in a lost employee.
On the other hand, there are the older generations who did not grow up with Facebook and other digital real-time communication tools. For them, the idea of simultaneously working and socialising is hard to accept. So how do companies successfully address the expectations of both parties in a way that will maximise both employee productivity and retention?
It shouldn't be a case of 'young VS old'. Life is about mindset and not about which generation you fit into. Social media has introduced several new channels and dimensions to communication and interaction, which can only be a good thing - provided the tools are used sensibly.
It wasn't too long ago that businesses and organisations faced tough challenges in inter- and intra-company communications - a result of the complexity and cost of information sharing. Then along came the World Wide Web, enabling the adaptation of Internet technology within an intra-organisational space.
Soon, intranet technology was introduced, opening up a wealth of communication possibilities. Today, as an extension of what intranets have to offer, social media supports and even enhances inter- and intra-company communication.
By using social media tools, channels of communication are increased, allowing colleagues to send a tweet or instant message and get a response right away, resulting in increased efficiency.
If colleagues already have connections built within their social profiles, allow them to leverage their networks for the professional gain of the business. Encouraging employees to communicate and collaborate with thought leaders in the industry, staying up to date on the latest news and connecting with knowledgeable people, will benefit any business.
LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter have over 500 million combined users. That equals a lot of potential talent. These 'job-centric' social media platforms dramatically reduce the search time for potential candidates.
It's crucial for businesses, and companies who provide services to businesses, to take advantage of the opportunities that these platforms present.
