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Cyberslacking

 

Think about your work day…how many hours would you estimate that you spend scrolling through Facebook statuses, shoe shopping, checking sports scores, watching the latest YouTube video, or reading Twitter feeds?  Different studies show that employees spend anywhere from a total of an hour per day to upwards of two hours on non-work related websites. The knee jerk reaction of many managers might be shock at the amount of time being spent on the internet at work and an immediate ruling to block personal internet usage. However, a recent article in Psychology Today suggests that “cyberslacking” might not be such a bad thing. A few different studies over the past several years have shown that it can even lead to increased productivity.  A 2009 Australian study of 300 workers found that those who “waste time” on the internet for pleasure are about 9% more productive than those who don’t, as long as they do so less than 20% of the time.

There are pros and cons, of course, to allowing your employees to freely surf the internet:

Pros:

Give them a breather: Visiting a website or answering a personal email is like taking a short break without ever leaving your desk. We all know how beneficial “stepping away” for a moment can be…all the better if you’re still physically at your desk in case of an emergency phone call or email.  A study published in the Journal of Cyberpsychology and Behavior in 2008 stated, “And just as very short naps have been demonstrated to revive mental activity, perhaps short virtual breaks for a quick hand of solitaire, a note to a friend, an exploration of the online deal of the day, or a check on a sports score might refresh and invigorate many individuals’ work and productivity.”

Show your employees that you trust them: No one likes to be micromanaged or shown that management doesn’t trust them to get their work done. If the job is getting done, who cares how many family photos your employee browsed through on Facebook that day?

See what’s missing: If you have an employee who seems to be getting his or her work done, but is still constantly online reading news, posting on Facebook, etc. that might be a pretty good indicator that he or she is not being challenged enough. Truly engaged employees who are interested in going the extra mile will be less likely to spend excessive time browsing around the internet or playing games because they are too focused on the job at hand.

Your employees are your best advertising: Allowing your employees to make Facebook posts or tweet about your company’s latest promotion or new product offerings can be a huge (and free!) boon to your marketing efforts. Gen Y especially follows the advice of their peers in making purchasing decisions more than any other source.

Cons:

The whole “slacking” part: If your employee truly isn’t getting assigned work done on time because he has spent the entire day building up a fantasy football team, that’s a problem. However, if you block fantasy sports websites or even usage of the internet in general, there are a million other ways to avoid work. Odds are, this person will find an alternative way to do so.

Threats to security: Network security is a pressing concern for any company, and allowing your employees freedom to explore any website they choose always introduces the risk of viruses or other harmful agents attacking your systems.

Managers have to be on top of priorities: If your managers are measuring productivity by how many hours their employees spend in their chairs with work-related material up on the screen, allowing freedom to take cyber-breaks will be a problem for your organization. Similar to a results-oriented work environment like Best Buy’s or the many companies that allow a large percentage of telecommuting, freedom comes with responsibility on management’s part to set priorities that accomplish organizational goals and manage their related deadlines.