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Staying connected is essential for the way people work. Whether it is through voice, video, or text, workers use different platforms to make these connections. And according to the 2019 State of the Digital Workplace Report from Igloo, coworkers are connecting on Facebook more frequently than on other social media.

Facebook is by far the leading platform where employees are connecting with their coworkers. At 87%, it is more than twice as popular as Instagram and LinkedIn who both have 42%. Twitter was next at 38%, followed by Snapchat at 16% and Pinterest 9%.

Source:IglooThe report shows workers are more engaged on social platforms than ever. In last year’s report, 68% of workers were connecting on social media. This year it increased by 8% to 76%.

Considering the security threat landscape of today’s digital environment, the most innocuous share can be used to chip at the security protocol a company has in place. For businesses in industries where security is paramount, they have to caution their employees about the information they share.

Connecting with Coworkers on Facebook and Other Social Media

The report says coworkers are increasingly connected, but they are also more cautious. The majority of employees or 71% say they haven’t posted on social media because a coworker might see it. This is considerably higher than the 55% of 2018.

So the data shows, employees are more aware. Therefore, businesses have to do more to create a safe environment where employees can connect.

Igloo says a dedicated social zone for interaction in the workspace is the key. By encouraging workers to use your own space to connect and share, you can create a safe and structured environment.

Once the forum becomes more popular, you can incentivize it to motivate everyone in the organization to come aboard.

The goal is to give employees a safe place to connect without jeopardizing the safety of the organization. At the same time, workers can learn more about the tools in the digital workplace of the company.

Why Facebook Works?

Facebook allows workers to carry out conversations and share media. Essentially this is how people communicate while they are at work.

They are talking about a particular project and sharing documents or files about said project. And Facebook makes this possible on a global platform. This means you can easily bring teams in together and start working right away.

Facebook also has introduced more tools geared for workers. Workplace by Facebook allows teams to work online with people inside and outside of the organization.

The platform keeps things simple by getting rid of different communications tools, sharing files, keeping your data separate and secure, automating tasks and more.

Social Media is not Going Anywhere

The fact of the matter is social media is not going anywhere. Employees are going to use it one way or another. Business who understand this can create a safe environment for their workers to connect.

As Igloo said in the report, “Providing a space where employees can interact and socialized within your own digital workplace can improve morale and ensure a more structured and productive platform than the ones employees use in their personal lives.”

The report outlines recommendations businesses can use to improve communication, collaboration, and information sharing.

Read the full report here.

Image: Depositphotos.com

This article, “87% of Coworkers Connect Using Facebook” was first published on Small Business Trends