Many Americans are denied access to social media at work. According to Statista, one in five Americans can’t go on Facebook during work while roughly one in six Americans can’t access Twitter at workplaces. These impediments are all part of American companies’ efforts to boost their employees’ productivity.

 

While many companies may think social media could reduce employee productivity, research studies have proven otherwise. According to two studies conducted by Evolv, a workforce science software company, and a Warwick Business School professor, social media usage appears to boost workplace metrics such as productivity and retention. Employees who use one to five social networks weekly stay in their jobs longer and produce more sales in less time compared to their colleagues. This increased performance is likely due to social media’s ability to grant employees new methods of communication, making them more creative, collaborative, and productive. Therefore, instead of trying to make their employees solely concentrate on their tasks by banning social media usage, companies perhaps can boost productivity by finding ways of integrating social media as part of their business culture. Companies such as Zappos are encouraging their entire staff to use social media at work.

 

Read the whole article at Mashable.