Social Networking Sites + Employment - do they mix?

You've probably seen/heard the news recently that social networking sites are costing UK businesses upwards of £130 million per day. It is suggested that 233 million hours are lost to people using work hours to surf social networking sites.

Many firms are now using social media as a tool to communicate and build business.

The times are changing and employers should consider how social networking sites can be used to their advantage. Networking sites can be a great way to keep up with an extended network of friends, acquaintances workplace colleagues, customers, and fellow-professionals.

Staff of Deloitte, IBM and PricewaterhouseCoopers activley encourage their staff to use networking sites. The ability to reach out to the right person for expertise and knowledge is one of the primary values of any knowledge-based worker.

A "network " of people can be built around anything, including law firms. We need to adapt to this phenomonal new media and focus on how it can help rather than disregarding their use because others use them in an unprofessional or non business related way.

To prove a point:

Law firm Allen & Overy recently had to repeal their ban on Facebook after their IT department was bombarded with complaints from staff members. Staff at the firm are now allowed to go onto the site as long as they do not view videos, which may compromise the performance of Allen & Overy’s IT systems.

US law firms as ever have welcomed social networking - eight of the largest law firms have a Facebook network:

• Skadden, Arps 335 Members


• Baker & McKenzie 557 Members


• Jones Day 220 Members


• Latham & Watkins 291 Members


• Sidley Austin 107 Members Mayer Brown No Network


• White & Case 287 Members Weil, Gotshal No Network


• Shearman & Sterling 137 members


• Kirkland & Ellis 160 Members

Latimer Hinks have a Facebook and LinkedIn prescence. I feel the business related social networking is definitely the way forward.

You may find these articles of interest:

• Why lawyers can't ignore Facebook for networking


• compelling information for law firm marketers about FaceBook


• How Social Networks are Disrupting Everything you Know About Business - Valeria Maltoni explains how social networks are becoming the glue which holds real-life and online lives together (from US perspective)


• Social Networking for Businesses and Associations - What is social networking? Why does this matter? Isn't "social networking" just for high school kids? How can my organization get closer to customers or members using social networking?


• Who said the Internet was getting Boring? How much of an influence and social networking sites having on corporate life.
  
  Facebook Stats:


• There are over 150,000 registrants daily. That's 1 million a week since January.


• Average visitor stays 20 minutes.


• Most growth is among people over age 25. 47,000 Facebook groups.