Too many businesses see social networking media as a problem to be controlled, not as an opportunity.

The boss who spends his or her time worrying about employees wasting time on Facebook is missing the possibilities for staff engagement and communication offered by integrating social networking functions into corporate intranets.

New research from Watson Wyatt Worldwide suggests that the attitude of employers to social networking technology today is the same as it was to the internet itself a decade ago, with fear of lost productivity prominent.

Now as then, the company argues, businesses should aim to harness the benefits while limiting the capacity for abuse, by setting clear guidance for use while putting social media to productive ends.

"When properly rolled out, social media and Enterprise 2.0 tools can help companies meet their No. 1 internal communication goal - engaging employees," said global intranet and portal leader at Watson Wyatt, Michael Rudnick.

"Instead of simply mass emailing information or posting to an intranet in hopes employees will see it, social media tools help employees actively participate in creating and sharing information. This shift to employee- generated content has resulted in employees' becoming more engaged online."

Transforming a static intranet into a socially networked one can have significant effects in terms of employee usage and interest, Watson Wyatt stated.


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