10 Ways to Keep Employees Off of Twitter

The impact of social networking on the workplace in the last five years has been undeniable. With the number of users steadily increasing, many employers have found themselves in the unfamiliar territory of regulating the potentially distracting sites. Though Twitter can be a powerful marketing and promotional tool for businesses, it can also cost those same businesses hundreds of lost man hours and reduce productivity. With these ten tips, you can keep the focus on work and off the Twitter feed.

1. Follow Employees – Unlike Facebook and social networking sites of it’s ilk, users don’t have to approve a follower unless their feed is locked. Whenever possible, following your employee’s feeds can give you a great idea of how much time they’re spending on Twitter versus important work-related projects.
2. Beware the Cell Phone – Twitter is one of the easiest social networking sites to use surreptitiously from a cellular phone. Updates can be made via text or streamlined applications, making it difficult for observers to know if an employee is sending legitimate, work-related texts or tweeting. Cracking down on cell phone use whenever feasible can help eliminate this aspect of the problem
3. Draft a Written Policy – Most businesses have policies in place to govern all sorts of behavior; social networking use can certainly be covered by a specific policy.
4. Call a Meeting – Staff meetings are a great way to not only share your concerns with employees regarding their social networking use, but also to get their feedback on the subject. Creating an environment that allows employees to aid in the creation of a Twitter use policy will also foster a sense of commitment.
5. Use a Case-By-Case Approach – Wasting man hours to draft policies and call meetings when Twitter overuse is limited to a handful of people might be counterproductive; instead, allow employees to police themselves at first. If use becomes a problem with a specific employee, pulling them aside for a discussion might be more efficient than an office-wide campaign.
6. Avoid Overly Harsh Restrictions – If use of social networking in the workplace isn’t a problem, it’s probably best to avoid preemptive restrictions or harsh policies. Employees that can balance their workload and maintain productivity are likely to be resentful of the implication that they lack time management skills.

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