October 21, 2009
Edited and Written by Ira S. Wolfe
Published by Success Performance Solutions. Major Sponsor,
2008 Best Places to Work In Pennsylvania
What's Inside this issue of The TotalView:
1. Employers Just Say No to Facebook
2. Perfect Labor Storm Warnings
3. Mike's Car Wash Cuts Turnover with Clues
4. eSKill Office Skill Testing
5. Quotes from the Hire Authorities
1. Employers Just Say No to Facebook
Despite nearly 90 million U.S. Facebook users and nearly 18 million people tweeting on Twitter, many employers are blocking employee access to social networking sites. Why?
According to a survey by Robert Half Technology, 54% of large business CIOs polled said they are banning the use of social media sites during work hours. ScanSafe, a web security software provider, reported in August a 20% increase in the number of companies blocking social networking sites in the past six months.
ScanSafe's research found that, "Currently, 76% of companies are choosing to block social networking and it is now a more popular category to block than online shopping (52%), weapons (75%), alcohol (64%), sports (51%) and Webmail (58%). Surprisingly, employers don't take the same stern approach to online banking and less than half (47%) of our customers block this category."
Most of the Twitter and Facebook foes claim that logging on to social networking sites decreases workforce productivity. Others fear the unauthorized release of proprietary information, security risks, and negative comments from customers and employees.
While these are all valid reasons, the resources required to enforce the ban and consequences of losing top talent due to "Big Brother-like" tactics may make the operation a success, even though the patient dies. Since the majority of users update their status via mobile technology, will employers next confiscate all the employee phones? How will they monitor and enforce off-hour use? Prohibition may propel the social media police down a slippery slope.
Whether this is a knee-jerk reaction or well-founded response to employee's use of social media at work, many organizations - small and large alike - are finding social media to be an effective tool for recruiting candidates, engaging employee, and supporting customers. Many non-profits, such as United Cerebral Palsy and Red Cross are using Facebook to raise awareness and solicit donations. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has engaged social media with a vengeance for an information blitz about the H1N1 flu. Even conservative and often stodgy organizations such as hospitals and NASA are actively using Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
So what's the deal? Are executives and business owners making a mistake by banning social media? What are other management teams seeing that the social media foes are missing? Will their caution and fear come back to bite them or will they be redeemed if others fail?
What do you think? Share your comments here.
Perfect Labor Storm Warnings 
47% of the US workforce is under age 40 compared to 16% at NASA. 25% of the US workforce is under 30 compared to only 4% of the NASA workforce.
Source: NASA
For more workforce and hiring trends. subscribe to the Perfect Labor Storm 2.0 blog.
Purchase the NEW Perfect Labor Storm 2.0 books (soft and hard cover versions) at PerfectLaborStorm.com.
Mike's Car Wash Cuts Turnover with Clues
The Wall Street Journal teams up each year with Winning Workplaces, an Evanston, Ill., nonprofit that helps small and midsize companies create better work environments, to identify 15 small employers who have built some of the most exemplary, innovative workplaces.
We were thrilled to learn last week that Mike's Car Wash, a 5-year user of our Clues users was honored and recognized as one of Top Small Workplaces 2009.
In an article published in the September 28, 2009 edition of the Wall Street Journal, Mike's Car Wash was cited for achieving "stellar service by rigorously vetting even entry-level job candidates and then reducing turnover through heavy training and incentives....If there's anything we've learned the hard way, it's that turnover hurts profits and customer service," says Bill Dahm, chief executive and co-owner of the second-generation family business.
The company hires roughly one of every 100 applicants. All candidates are interviewed by at least two people and take two computerized tests: one gauging personality and one testing basic math skills. (While not mentioned by name, Mike's has been using People Clues, both CandidClues and JobClues.
We congratulate Mike's Car Wash and wish them continued success.
Social Media and Manager Training for the "Wired and Tired"
Attention Meeting Planners, Program Chairs, HR Professionals
Don't miss out on the opportunity to schedule Ira S Wolfe for your next meeting on one of the following hot topics:
Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization
When Boomers and Young Workers Collide
Social Media 101: Link Me, Tweet Me, Nudge Me
Marketing Your Business: Using Facebook
Learn more about these seminars. Contact us today.
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Quotes from Hire Authorities
"There are generations yet unborn, whose very lives will be shifted and shaped by the moves you make and the actions you take."
Andy Andrews
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