Sending/Accepting Facebook Friend Requests from your office colleagues

Sending/Accepting Facebook Friend Requests from your office colleagues

You have a big network of friends on your Facebook Channel and suddenly

one day you get a friend request from your boss or co-worker, so what do you do next?

Lately, companies everywhere are using Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn,

but more and more employees are discovering that their management

is using social networking tools for purposes other than socializing.

For this reason, many employees feel awkward and defensive 

when approached about opening up their networks to their work colleagues.

Human resources department frequently research job candidate’s background

and existing employees through their Facebook profiles.

Inappropriate comments and images surfaced on Facebook have shown 

quite a few employees the exit door. Even more are denied job opportunities.

So given the circumstances regarding the regularity of social media usage in workplace,

many workers and management are at crossroads about what is appropriate and what isn't.

To friend or not to friend, that is the question
Jim Gould, president at I Support, agrees to the benefits of Facebook interaction with colleagues.

“It would probably help me to improve my business to see 

the uncensored and probably incidental comments of my colleagues,

but I cannot see any advantage to them including me in their private conversations,” he says.

LinkedIn professionals were asked where they stood on friending workplace colleagues

and more than 90 percent of respondents said that adding bosses to Facebook is a no-no.

Adding coworkers were deemed more acceptable:

More than 60 percent said they have or expected to add coworkers to their network.

Still most agreed that the best solution was to keep the two worlds separate.

“I firmly believe that LinkedIn is for professional use and Facebook is for personal use,” 

says Jason Chu, executive recruiter at Shulman Fleming and Partners.

 “My personal life, as tame as it is, is still my person life. It has no relevance in my work environment.”

If you must accept, here’s an idea
Many employees who want to maintain a level of privacy from their employers

find it hard to deny a friend request from a supervisor.

After all, how can you say to a boss, "no, I don't want to be your friend."

Doing so could also raise serious questions about your loyalty

and create tension in your working relationship.

To avoid getting tangled in the office politics of social networking,

some employees will even go so far as to create a second Facebook profile 

just for work relationships so as to not appear rude to colleagues and supervisors.

“Create two different profiles:

One you share with your closest friends and one you share with everyone else.

Facebook allows you to manipulate your settings so people in the latter group only see

what you want them to see,” advises Trace Cohen, chief marketing officer at Brandyourself.com.

But many also argue that keeping two profiles is easily searchable

and that it just makes you look like you’re trying to hide something.

Some even believe that refusing to accept a boss or coworker into your social network

puts a shroud of suspicion on your character.

With the constantly evolving landscape of networking platforms,

workplace ethics is as complicated as ever.

It’s a case of damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

Friending the boss after all 
Perhaps you’re the exception to the case— you have a wonderful relationship with your boss

and coworkers and you've decided to include them into Facebook page.

Are you being sensible or have you just committed job-sabotage?

“I am absolutely comfortable with adding supervisors and professional contacts as friends on Facebook,” says Scott Hale, Social Media Marketing Specialist.

Hale keeps his profile an even mix “between professional and personal

and I believe it represents my ability to balance my hobbies with my professional interests.”

Likewise, Erica D, an associate director at a nonprofit organization agrees.

Because she is a shy person by nature, she admits that adding coworkers to her Facebook page

has helped develop a camaraderie that she would typically find difficult to achieve in person.

“Having positive relations in the office is so important. I think [Facebook] has helped,” she says.

Erica uses updates as a way to start a conversation with someone at work. “When I ask for information or assistance to do my job, they are more likely to be receptive or willing to help.”

She also points out that while she has witnessed some indiscretions with others,

she herself is careful to recognize that Facebook, like all the other networks, is a public forum. “Everything I post is something I wouldn't mind seeing posted on the bulletin board at work.”

Yes, there is an upside to having a boss and coworker in your social circle—

it’s easier to build trust and loyalty within the confines of a Facebook page.

For those that are judicious about sharing appropriate information,

the benefit of having developed trust and friendship from a supervisor can be immeasurable.

The best advice in using any networking tool is to always be a bit guarded about what you share. 

Keep your Facebook page and other social networking platforms entertaining

and as non-controversial as possible.

While it’s easy to get carried away with posting pictures of yourself doing a wild strip tease

at a friend’s party, it’s also wise to remember that a quick laugh can just as easily

leave an unfavorable impression on those that are unfamiliar to you.

Bottom line is you just never know who is watching.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141206125927-64731724-sending-accepting-facebook-friend-requests-from-your-office-colleagues?trk=hb_ntf_MEGAPHONE_ARTICLE_POST

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