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  • Office Tech Trends that Will Dominate the Business World in 2023

    Office Tech Trends that Will Dominate the Business World in 2023

    It’s no secret that modern technology has been changing and reshaping the business world as we (used to) know it for quite some time now. New gadgets, hardware and software solutions are entering the scene seemingly on a daily basis, and what was considered “hot” just a few months ago may as well be rendered obsolete by now. 

    That’s why companies who are constantly looking to gain an upper hand keep their eyes peeled on up and coming technology solutions that will help them advance. Notably, while it is virtually impossible to stay on top of them all, and implement them all in your business operations, identifying the ones that will bring you the most value is where it’s at. 

    So, with that in mind, let’s take a peek at some of the most prominent office tech trends that are bound to dominate the business world in 2023 and beyond.

    Increased use of smart office gadgets and furniture

    To start off on arguably the most easily-applicable office tech trends, we’ll first discuss the implementation and use of smart office gadgets and furniture. More and more companies are starting to realize the importance of a comfortable working environment and they are now seeking smart solutions that will help them improve upon this.

    That’s why offices nowadays are somewhat moving away from open office floor plans which, although aesthetically pleasing, didn’t really work for everyone. So, companies that have embraced this approach in the past are now looking to install wooden panels and similar dividers that will not only bring more privacy, but will also significantly reduce noise pollution.

    What’s more, businesses are increasingly investing in equipment such as ergonomic office furniture, noise-canceling headphones and blue light blocking glasses, to name a few. 

    Greater emphasis on user-first data governance

    Believe it or not, recent studies suggest that only about 21% of users trust established global brands to keep their personal information secure. However, if you consider the way in which data is currently being collected by the majority of businesses, this really doesn’t come off as such a big surprise. 

    That’s why more and more companies are now trying to improve this level of trust by implementing and offering user-first data governance. In short, this approach allows consumers to be fully in charge of the type and volume of their personal data that will be available to businesses to collect. 

    Not only that, but with this user-first approach, the users will also be in charge of who their data is being shared with, in which manner and how is it being deposed of once it stops bringing value. Needless to say, this approach will bring very positive results to businesses that choose to use it, as trust is still arguably one of the key factors of a successful relationship.

    Greater implementation of adaptive AI

    Of course, we simply can’t talk about innovative tech trends in the business world without mentioning artificial intelligence (AI) and the massive impact it already left on businesses of all structures and sizes. However, as you may already guessed, things have only continued to evolve from what the majority of us knew about AI so far.

    Namely, one of the hottest new office trends is actually implementing adaptive AI to business operations. As the name suggests, adaptive AI has the ability to learn faster and in a more independent way. As such, it has the ability to basically learn on the go, which allows businesses to faster improve their operations. This, in turn, will allow them to offer far better customer experience, which is yet another key aspect of customer satisfaction and overall business growth. 

    Greater use of industry cloud platforms

    Industry cloud platforms allow businesses to manage, connect and automate their processes far more efficiently than traditional cloud platforms. To put it simply, these platforms turn regular cloud platforms into business platforms, which not only greatly improves overall operations but leaves more room for faster and smoother scalability.

    Since these platforms are a collection of software solutions they can take care of more industry-specific tasks instead of focusing on a single one. Therefore, it’s like basically having access to a business specific software solution that’s entirely customized according to your organization’s unique needs.  

    It’s no secret that businesses that stay on top of the latest tech trends and are quick to embrace them and adapt to them are the ones that are leading the race. That said, it’s crucial to recognize the trends that will bring the most value to your business and implement them first, to avoid overwhelming both their employees and their entire business structure. So, make sure you stay on a lookout but also recognize the areas of your business that will benefit the most from implementing some of the latest tech trends in your industry.

  • Burnout, Dissatisfaction, and Employee Engagement in the Workplace

    Burnout, Dissatisfaction, and Employee Engagement in the Workplace

    From the great resignation to quiet quitting, it seems that more and more employees around the world are throwing in the towel. Whether it’s from burnout, boredom, or not enough financial compensation for the time they spend at work, more people than seemingly ever before are reporting low engagement with their jobs.

    High employee engagement is vital for productivity, with companies that report an above-average level of engagement coming in with 22% higher productivity across all departments. Yet, as more and more are expected of workers without further financial compensation, many are doing the bare minimum at work just to get by.

    Over the past year, 77% of workers have reported feeling burnt out at work, with this only looking worse over the next few months. But, what exactly is going on in the world of work that’s caused such widespread dissatisfaction?

    In this article, we’ll explore employee engagement, documenting its decline, marking the main signs of burnout, and touching upon how you can increase job satisfaction at work. Let’s get right into it.

     

    Why Is Employee Engagement Decreasing?

    Across the world, inflation is reaching peak figures, with the USA currently reporting an inflation rate of 8.6%. Employees that have been working for the past year without any form of raise to compensate for inflation are now doing exactly the same job for 8.5% less purchasing power. With the cost of goods and services on the rise, this leads to resentment, with employees deserving more for their work.

    This isn’t to mention the vast difference between CEO pay increases and minimum wage increases over the last 50 or so years. The pay increase of an average worker grew by 18% between 1978 and 2020. When you compare this to the CEO pay increase, which clocked in at 1,322%, you can instantly see that those earning the most have enormously benefited, while the vast majority have been left behind.

    Alongside the unfair financial structures in place, employees are also expected to be available almost around the clock. While a job is often advertised as 9-5, this is now rarely the case, with workers having to be on call or available after hours to keep up with deadlines. Especially considering the ease of connecting into work emails and instant messaging via a mobile phone, it’s almost impossible for modern employees to totally disconnect from work.

    With all of this considered, it’s unsurprising that employee engagement is decreasing. People are expected to work more for less money all while having fewer prospects than those they’re working for. The average American corporate worker has a tough deal, with many rebelling against this by mentally clocking out from work.

    What Are the Signs Of Employee Burnout?

    ●  Decreased Output – While everyone goes through peaks and troughs of how much work they can produce in any given week, a noticeable drop-off could be a sign that an employee is starting to feel burnt out at work.

    ●  Disengagement – A classic sign is a lack of enthusiasm or interest in the workplace, ongoing projects, or new developments in your field.

    ●  Emotional or physical exhaustion – Often, the first signs that show up are physical, mental, and emotional tiredness. As employees pull late nights to finish more work, they’ll slowly become more and more tired, leading to physical and emotional burnout.

    ●  Isolation – If employees rarely communicate with the team, they might have already reached the end of their cord in terms of how much energy they are putting into their work.

    ●  Sensitivity To Feedback – If an employee is feeling an immense amount of pressure at work, then feedback can often feel like a direct attack on them. Increased sensitivity to feedback could be an indication that the employee is currently struggling.

    If you begin to spot these characteristics within members of your team, then you should assess how much work they’re currently taking on. Although there is no instant fix to burnout, reducing the workload of that person can often help alleviate a lot of their problems and give them more time to focus on recovering their spark.

    What Can Employers Do About Employee Dissatisfaction at Work?

    Alongside lowering the number of tasks that you’re setting for employees, there are a range of ways that you can actively combat dissatisfaction at work and reduce the likelihood of burnout.

    There are three common tactics that you should attempt to incorporate into your business structure:

    ●  Communication – In your business, you should have an all-in-one HR platform that allows you to communicate and track your employees. Having this centralized location where employees can discuss their workload, their current mood, and how they’re coping with work can be a wonderful way of helping them to offload pressure. Whenever an employee is starting to struggle, a supportive HR team can help them get to the root of their issue, either delegating the work to more people or restructuring the task. Communication is the absolute best tool to help with dissatisfaction, and one that can preemptively put a stop to workplace burnout.

    ●  New Tools – As the workplace becomes even more advanced and driven by technology, looking into B2B or SaaS solutions that benefit your business can be a fantastic way of lessening the load you place on your employees. Are there any tools that could automate a time-consuming part of their job? Talk to your team and see where they could use some extra technical support.

    ●  Compensation – When push comes to shove, a bonus or raise is one of the most effective ways of improving the mood of any employee. This could be the extra push they need to reignite their passion for the role.

    Using one or a combination of these three tactics will help to increase workplace satisfaction and keep your employees engaged while at work.

    Final Thoughts

    With the current economic crisis facing the majority of countries around the world, this era of workplace burnout is, unfortunately, only just beginning. But, as economic hardships increase, HR teams and managers can work to make their workplace as positive as possible.

    To best support your team, focus on creating a workplace that facilitates easy communication. The ability to speak about feeling burnt out without shame or repercussions is vital when constructing a healthy work environment. Alongside this, focusing on incorporating HR structures that help employees at work can go a long way.

    If all else fails, seriously consider the financial side of your business – as inflation continues to get worse, a blanket raise is a phenomenal way of keeping the peace.

  • How to Humanize the Workplace in a Startup

    How to Humanize the Workplace in a Startup

    When it comes to the world of startups and entrepreneurship, there’s one thing that is certain – it’s not for the faint of heart. This lifestyle of hard work, self-starting, and brutal determination has huge payoffs, but also comes at a great cost. As much as there are highs, there are in many ways as many, if not more, lows. This all comes with the territory, and it’s always going to be seasonal, with certain seasons feeling victorious while others can feel numb, or even discouraged.

    Among the many challenges and things to do with creating a startup, is setting a company culture. While some entrepreneurs may not be as wired to be excited about this as others, this is truly one of the most potentially satisfying, and gratifying parts of the job.

    Why Is It A Privilege To Create a Workplace?

    In order to properly understand how to humanize a workplace and create a culture of success, you have to have the right mindset. On the one hand, there will always be those things that you have to do. No amount of positive platitudes can change the fact that certain admin work and daily disciplines will never truly be a ‘get-to-do’ task, but will remain a ‘have-to-do’ task, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

    Some things are too necessary and important to not be done well, and regularly, but they don’t all have to have some kind of forced positivity over them. Where creating work culture, environment and space are different, is that it does take the same amount of disciplined work, and dedication, but it impacts two very important things: Your work, and your product. Humanizing the workplace involves understanding the fact that the people making your startup dreams happen are humans and have human needs.

    On average, a person will spend one-third of their life in the workplace setting. Whether that’s remotely from home or their favorite coffee shop, or in a traditional brick and mortar workspace. This is an incredible amount of time that a person will spend during their life. The ability that you have in running a startup is to create a humanized workspace that empowers all of that time, and holistically improves the company and your employees. By focusing on giving your employees a workspace that has a positive effect on their lives, which will impact the other two-thirds they spend outside of work, you will create a workspace that pushes your business forward.

    How Do You Make a Humanized Workspace?

    So how do you create an environment where you and your employees will spend a third of their life well? What goals should you have in place and what will it take? Here are a few ways to create a workspace that creates employees that are healthier, happier, and more confident in not only impact the company in a positive way but their entire lives.

    Empowerment

    The number one way to create humanized enrollment is by empowering your employees. This comes down to see them as wholly human, and not just partially human. Their life experience, their talents, and their unique personalities all make them valuable. Yes, they may have different departments they excel in, but one way to empower employees is to bring them into problem-solving situations across your company.

    This is often not effective when it is forced. An accountant will be using their time unwisely if forced to grapple with the problems from marketing. However, creating an environment where challenges are made known and participation is encouraged to solve those challenges can have a hugely humanizing effect. In essence, you are telling your employees that you value their thoughts, and who they are, even if they have an idea for something out of their field of profession.

    Community And Listening

    This goes back to the fact that your employees will spend a third of their life working for you – so create an environment where life can happen. Sometimes the lines between personal life and business can get a little blurred, or need redefining – that’s normal, and will happen. Allow your employees the chance to make work a part of their lives by structuring meetings, and interactions throughout the workweek around communication and community. Having proper conference rooms with conference room signs can go a long way.

    Conclusion

    The road to creating a workspace that is empowering, and fulfilling for your employees to commit such a large part of their lives is hard, but it has big payoffs. GR0 is an example of a company that believes in supporting each other, clear communication, always putting the other first, and giving the benefit of the doubt. This kind of strong comradery-driven work culture has created a start-up that has quickly become a top content creator.

    While creating company culture is always going to be hard, consistent work, it’s one of the most important things you can do to create a business that will last the test of time. People are what makes a startup successful, and keep a business running, so investing in creating a humanizing workspace is one of the best investments you can make.

  • What is Hot-Desking?

    What is Hot-Desking?

    Hot-desking is an organizational workspace system in which desks are used by different people at different times, on an ad hoc basis. Typically, the aim is to maximize space efficiency and lessen real estate risk by reducing redundant office space. Hot desks can be implemented in private offices as well as coworking spaces. The flexibility associated with hot-desking is often linked to an increase in employee innovation, while the social aspect is cited as a way to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration.

    How Does Hot-Desking Work?

    Find a desk, plug in, and get to work: Hot desks provide space for professionals to work as needed, in both private and shared office spaces. That means that the particulars for hot-desking may vary depending on the environment, but here are the primary factors to consider. It’s very easy to use hot-desking when your workspace has coworking management software. With it, you can book your desk online just in one minute.

    Access to power outlets and phones

    Hot desks typically come with their own power outlets and WiFi connection. In shared coworking spaces like WeWork, there are dedicated spaces away from the desk for taking calls—phone booths or in shared lounges, for example. In private office environments, particularly in sales companies, a permanent phone is likely attached to the desk for different employees to use as needed.

    Bookable meeting rooms

    Most hot-desking arrangements in shared coworking spaces allow you to book meeting rooms through an app or a web log-in. Amenity-rich solutions like WeWork also afford you access to shared lounges, kitchens, brainstorming areas, conference rooms, and a global network of professionals.

    Printing facilities

    Similar to booking conference rooms, hot-desking spaces often have a central printer that workers can use through an app or web log-in. These printers are managed by the community team in shared workspaces and internally by office managers in private environments.

    Storing personal items

    A frequently touted concern associated with hot-desking is the absence of a dedicated “base” for users to store their bags, coats, and work accessories. The way this is addressed changes between workspaces: In some coworking spaces, users are permitted to leave their belongings at a hot desk for a certain amount of time as they attend meetings or have lunch. Other shared spaces provide cubby holes or lockers for their hot-desk clientele. In private offices, it’s more common for an employee to camp out at the same desk for the whole day, regardless of meetings or lunch breaks.

    Technology and internet

    Hot-desking wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for laptops, tablets, and smartphones—and all offices with hot-desking arrangements should provide WiFi to accommodate. Some users, however, need more than their laptop to work effectively. For this reason, some hot desks come with a monitor and a VGA, DVI, or HDMI connection, allowing users to plug-in and use a second screen temporarily.

    Bathrooms, kitchens, and other common areas

    As in most office environments, amenities like bathrooms and kitchens are included in hot-desking arrangements and are cleaned, stocked, and maintained by office management. In all-inclusive solutions like WeWork, hot-desk agreements also give you access to free-flowing coffee, quiet rooms for meditation, showers, bathroom necessities like lotion and hair products, as well as perks like community meals and frequent networking events.

    Private space when needed

    Most professions call for some privacy during the workday, whether it’s for attending meetings, strategic planning, or discussing finances. These conversations are likely too sensitive for a hot desk, especially when you’re surrounded by people from other teams or other companies, and require a more private space.

    Both private offices and coworking spaces provide bookable conference rooms for holding private meetings or taking sensitive calls; however, workspace solutions like WeWork also provide sound-proofed private phone booths. Plus, intentionally designed lounges offer private nooks for taking calls or having conversations.

    Benefits of Hot Desking

    1. Increase collaboration

    Hot desking encourages people to move around the office, and this leads employees to talk to team members they normally wouldn’t interact with. It allows staff from different parts of the office to collaborate on projects.

    2. Tidier workspaces

    Your office will likely be tidier if you use hot desking because staff is unable to leave their personal items, such as knick-knacks and stacks of papers, behind at the end of the workday. Hot desking forces employees to become minimalists. Although people are unable to add a personal touch to their workspaces, the result is a much cleaner and more organized office.

    3. Autonomy

    Hot desking gives employees autonomy because it allows them to change their day-to-day environment and remain mobile. This gives them a lot more flexibility and autonomy over what their daily work environment looks like and feels like. People are no longer tied to their desks.

    4. Lower costs

    Traditional offices provide employees a specific spot to work in, and that space remains unused if the worker is out of the office, traveling from work, or working from home. Hot desking cuts down on this type of wasted space by allowing organizations to downsize their space and optimize the use of existing space. Not all employees need to have their own permanent desks.

    5. Improve performance and the circulation of knowledge

    Static seating arrangements tend to lead to people working in silos, while flexible seating arrangements made possible via hot desking help to improve performance and encourage the circulation of knowledge. Hot desking improves communications by leading to more face-to-face interaction and accelerating decision making.

    You might be concerned that hot desking could hurt productivity since people may need a quiet workspace to concentrate and focus their work. This is why it’s important to maintain a flexible, easily reconfigurable space that can be used for different tasks, from concentration-heavy solo work to team huddles.

  • Majority of Enterprise Will Keep Work-From-Home Options

    Majority of Enterprise Will Keep Work-From-Home Options

    Work-from-home is one of the biggest impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, and it appears its a change that is here to stay.

    As the pandemic swept the globe, companies big and small sent workers home to telecommute. Some even went so far as to provide budgets for their employees to buy what they needed for their home offices. Even as restrictions have eased up, many companies have decided to make work-from-home options a permanent option.

    According to a new S&P Global Market Intelligence survey, 67% of enterprises expect their work-from-home policies to extend permanently, or at least for the long-term. S&P Global surveyed 575 IT decision-makers across a range of industries.

    “As organizations are heading back to the office in the wake of COVID-19, it is important to quantify what changes materialized during these past few months as a potential indication for the future of work,” said Liam Eagle, Head of Voice of the Enterprise Research at 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence. “Leveraging timely data from our flash survey capabilities can help us better understand these changes and overall market sentiment, while enabling organizations to make informed business decisions during times of uncertainty.”

    The survey found that only 19% of organizations intend to bring back employees as soon as possible, 25% in a month or more and 24% have no planned timeline. Not surprisingly, 79% see social distancing as the single biggest impediment to returning to normal office operations.

    An interesting side effect is an expected reduction in office space. Some 47% of companies said they are likely to reduce their physical office space as a result of the pandemic and the changing work landscape, with at least 20% planning to reduce their office space by as much as 25%.

    The survey is an interesting look at the long-term issues facing companies, and a barometer of just how much the pandemic has permanently changed the workplace.

  • Medical Marijuana Gets Quadriplegic Fired

    If you’ve been out looking for a job anytime in the past few years, you know how common it has become for employers to require a drug screen test before hiring someone. That usually involves a trip to a local lab, where they have a person urinate in a cup and send it off for analysis. Sometimes, the Human Resources department may do a saliva test right there in the recruiting and testing process.

    Why do employers do this? Some workers imagine that it has something to do with keeping everyone “legal”. Far from it. Most employers simply get insurance breaks for doing so, and some insurances even require it.

    And sometimes testing is done to weed out any folks who might be in the habit of coming to work high. It scares them off and helps the employer avoid the hassle of firing and replacing them later.

    But what about those states that have legalized medical marijuana? If a worker’s doctor has recommended that they use marijuana as a treatment, does marijuana now fall under the same protections as other prescription drugs?

    Apparently it does not. Huffington Post recently ran a story on Brandon Coats, a quadriplegic who worked for Dish Network in Colorado. Coats had been in a car accident that left him with a spinal injury. He has debilitating muscle spasms. A wide array of prescription drugs had been tried, but nothing worked well. Finally his doctor recommended he try medical marijuana, which is legal in Colorado.

    Coats was entered into the Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry, as required by law, and now smokes a small amount in the evening before bed. His symptoms have decreased remarkably, making it much easier for him to get up and work the following day.

    Coats does not smoke during the day, and certainly not at work.

    But Dish Network asked Coats to take a “random drug screen test”. He told them about his medical regimen and showed them doctor’s documentation. They administered the test, confirmed that he did have THC in his system, and fired him.

    Coats had been with Dish for three years, had only ever been late twice — a considerable feat given that he is confined to a wheelchair — and was otherwise a model employee. But his appeals to cooler heads and reason at Dish fell on deaf ears. Dish responded to his appeal with scorn.

    “We are surprised by your recent claim that you do not understand the basis for your termination at Dish Network. You tested positive for marijuana while at work. Following your positive drug test result, we met with you … and at each of these meetings you did not deny that you use marijuana or that you tested positive while at work. You further stated that you plan to continue to use marijuana. Consequently, your employment with Dish was terminated.”

    Note the phrase “tested positive while at work”.

    THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, can stay in the system for up to 40 days. “Testing positive” in no way indicates intoxication. It can have been a month since someone used marijuana and they may still “test positive while at work”. Dish has made no claim at all that Coats’ performance was affected, that he appeared intoxicated, or that anyone even knew about his use of medical marijuana.

    When asked about Coats’ case, a Dish representative replied, “As a national company, Dish is committed to its drug-free workplace policy and compliance with federal law, which does not permit the use of marijuana, even for medicinal purposes,”

    Their reply indicates that Dish does not understand the basics of medical marijuana use. Nor do they understand the concept of “compliance with federal law”. An employee’s off-the-clock use of medical marijuana — or, indeed, even of any substance, legal or illegal — has no bearing on that company’s “compliance with federal law”. The company is not responsible for its employees’ private practices, so long as they do not affect performance on the job.

    Coats has sued Dish. His case is currently winding its way though the courts. The outcome could have a significant effect on laws throughout the country.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Zombies Get No Respect in the Workplace

    Zombies Get No Respect in the Workplace

    What do you do when the zombies invade your office? The natural reaction would be to cower in fear and be eaten alive. But there are those out there that refuse to go quietly when the walkers come. Those that will grab any implement of destruction available to them and fight off the hoard for as long as they can. In an office setting this is a little tricky. Not much around that can do very much damage. Sure, hot coffee could be thrown in their face but that won’t stop them. Sure, you could grab a handfull of thumbtacks and hurl them in the zombies direction, but that will only make them mad. We desk jockeys are more or less doomed when the undead ones come.

    It seems unfair when we are the ones most concerned and most interested in the zombie apocalypse. Sadly, all we have is the ability to pretend we would all be badasses when the world ends and we’re the only ones left. So grab your stapler and your binder and join me in a little fantasy zombie violence. If you’re a weekend warrior zombie hunter this set of stationery is for you:

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    This set comes from razorfish, and surprisingly a lot of people went into its creation. Creative Director Jacques Pense from Frankfurt, Germany gets most of the credit. Isn’t that always the way with office work?

    CREDITS
    Client: NBC UNIVERSAL Global Networks Deutschland GmbH
    Agency: Jung von Matt AG, Germany
    Creative Directors: Jacques Pense, Michael Ohanian
    Art Directors: Matthias Kracker, Stefan Rösinger
    Copywriters: Lennart Frank
    Graphic Artist: Karla Kurz
    Account Manager: Kerstin Stutzmann, Ruben Ockenfels
    Post Production: Recom
    Production: Frank Schweizer
    Published: 2008

    AWARDS
    New York Festivals – Silver
    ADC Germany – Bronze
    ADC Europe – Finalist
    D&AD – In Book

  • Google Adds a Half Pipe to the Company Perks

    Google has often been described by employees and outsiders as one of the coolest places to work.

    The company has consistently made Fortune’s “Best Companies to Work For” list over the years, ranking number four last year. The Mountain View company is famous for offering free food, free laundry, a game center, and a climbing wall, among other perks, to all of it’s employees. Adding to this list, employees can now spend their breaks on the companies very own half pipe.

    In this video you can see the office through the window in the background, as Director of Product marketing, Brett Crosby, tests out the half pipe.

    Google’s revenue was up a whopping 20% last year. That equated to a 10% pay raise to everyone that works there. Some people have such a hard work environment.

  • Social Networking For The Workplace

    Anthony DeRosa, social-media editor for Reuters news service says:

    “Social media now is not an option, it’s a necessity,”

    “A couple of years ago that wasn’t the case, but I think now people have to be a part of it, whether it’s one social network or a couple of them.”

    What DeRosa is talking about is sharing content with those you work with and clients outside the business. It is essential to create an online persona for your organization via Twitter, Facebook, and/or countless others which are available. Today it is nearly impossible to avoid social networking if you want your business to grow.

    But there is a downside to maintaining a presence in the public eye and there are many instances when an angry rant or differences of opinion have left organizations looking ugly in the eyes of the public.

    Milwaukee attorney, Jesse Dill specializes in these kinds of issues and remarks on the subject of social networking for the workplace:

    “You’re seeing there’s some value to it … but it seems like every year something new is going to pop up that is going to catch employers’ attention.”

    “It’s so easy to start these [social media] profiles that a lot of people might not have thought right away [about] what are going to be some of the repercussions down the road.”

    I think many people are accustom to using social media for personal use, especially with sites like Facebook, but in the public sector there’s a whole different decorum. DeRosa points out some aspects of social networking that employers should consider:

    “Not everyone is cut out to use social media,”

    “Some people just don’t know how to handle themselves in public.”

    “[When] you have a platform where they can say things instantly and the world can see it, you’re always running a risk that someone’s going to say something stupid,”

    “We try our best to lay out the guidelines and have the workshops, but it kind of comes down to common sense. There’s not much more you can do than tell people not to be stupid.”

    Another concern for employers should be the increasing role Federal Government wants to play in regulating issues surrounding social networking Particularly the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

    Jesse Dill elaborates further on the delicate balance that has to be maintained by the employer:

    “The employer has to be careful about their policy, but also how they react to an employee’s posts.”

    “They (NLRB) seem to be drawing a line between employees complaining about the terms and conditions of their employment and employees just making personal gripes about their employers or the customers they serve,”

    Employees have protection to express their views on company policies to coworkers but that cannot cross over into public criticism of the organization. Because it is a relatively new issue, there will be new issues arising all the time. Dill comments further on the unfolding issues with social networking in the workplace:

    “As people start to pay attention to these issues — to see what employees might be doing with the social media accounts — then we’ll see more issues identified,”

  • Tech Envy & The Object Of Your Coworkers’ Desire

    If you feel like your coworkers have been a little icy towards you since you returned from the holiday break with that new tablet in tow, you’re not imagining things. A new study reveals that happily displaying or even using your new gadgetry at work may cause your colleagues to become slavering, green-eyed monsters.

    Captivate Network, who specialize in providing customized, actionable information to business professionals, found in their latest Office Pulse study that 30% of employees reported being “very envious” of the devices their colleagues have and they do not. Furthermore, the survey found that 73% of employees considered their smartphones (43%), tablets (15%), e-readers (8%), and HDTVs (7%) as their favorite device.

    Another fun fact: the more money you make, the more attached you become to your tablet. Here’s a table breaking down of favorite electronic devices across a few basic demographics:

    Adding to the extrapolation of this data is the fact that 80% of adults surveyed desired an iPad above all other tablets which, I dunno if you’ve noticed, also happen to be one of the most expensive tablets currently on the market. Consider this a triumph of Apple’s expensive admission into their cult of personality.

    While the affluent are fonder of their tablets than the non-affluent, they are also more desirous of tablets than the non-affluent. Granted, only 12% of those surveyed admitted to coveting tablets, as opposed to 32% desiring a smartphone, but the longing for tablets among the haves was much higher than among the have nots. Again, here’s the breakdown of objects people desire among demographics:

    It’s no wonder tablets, and specifically iPads, are preferred among the rich: they’re the ones that can more easily afford them. Yes, I’m inferring this assertion from correlations so I reserve the right to be wrong on this, but still, it raises the question of whether tablets are desired among professionals less for their utility and more for being a status symbol. But don’t demonize the rich over this particular phenomenon because, as the report from Captivate Network explains, “Affluent tablet owners (those making more than $100K per year) are happy to let co-workers play with their device with 42 percent reporting sharing their tablet with five or more of their co-workers as compared to just 15 percent of tablet owners making less $100K annually.”

    Reading this report, it’s hard not to walk away thinking that every white-collar office isn’t some muted recreation of Battle Royale. Nobody’s holding hostages and threatening to cut throats, so rest assured, taking your iPad to work won’t invite violence upon your person.

    One last take-away from this data: where people like to use their gadgets. I’ll let this one speak for itself:

    Yeah.

    Anyways, for more adventures in office drama data, check out the infographic that Captivate Network put together using their data: