With more people who “grew up online” entering the workforce every day, employers have more difficult decisions to make about how to handle technology use in the office.
Young workers expect access to the technology they want at work, according to a recent Associated Press article.
Some may even factor technology access into their career decisions. If all other factors are similar, some employees may decide to work for a company that’s more flexible when it comes to Internet use and other technology policies.
Have managers who aren’t sure how to enforce those policies? Here’s some advice experts recommend:
- Trust employees – Having access to the Internet doesn’t mean every employee is wasting time. It’s often more productive to wait until performance problems develop and employees aren’t getting their work done – after all, that’s what really matters.
- Don’t forget about the really bad stuff – When companies take a softer line against personal Internet use, it’s important they don’t forget to maintain a zero-tolerance stance against any use of technology that’s illegal, could be construed as harassment or puts confidential information at risk of being stolen.
- Let them know you know – Most companies have the capability to monitor employees’ computer use – though monitoring everything everyone does is impossible. But knowing you have to power to monitor is often enough to keep bad behavior in check. Make sure every employee knows.
