While most of us would like to connect with office mates over social media, a new study reveals managers do not go along that line of thought. In fact, only less than half of senior managers interviewed by a staffing service firm think that it's ok to engage with fellow employees in the cyber space.
California-based OfficeTeam on Tuesday has released its new study, showing that most professionals are fine with connecting with office mates on social media. More than 7 of 10 professionals or 71 per cent express their approval for Facebook, 61 per cent for Twitter, 56 per cent for Instagram and 44 per cent for Snapchat.
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Senior managers, on the other hand, seem dubious of the idea. Of the 307 interviewed managers, 49 per cent say it's "not very appropriate" and "not appropriate at all" to connect with co-workers online on Facebook, 34 per cent on Twitter, 30 per cent on Instagram and 26 per cent on Snapchat.
Based on the findings of the study, male employees and those ages 18 to 34 are most likely to engage with fellow employees on social media than their counterparts.
While connecting with co-workers may be helpful in growing one's professional network and build stronger relationships, OfficeTeam's district president Brandi Britton stresses "not everyone's comfortable connecting with colleagues on digital channels".
"Before friending or following someone, check if that individual has other coworkers in their networks," says Britton. "When in doubt, let fellow employees make the first move online."
