Part Two: What Can You Do About Cyberloafing?
In my previous post comprising this two-part series, I talked about the idea of cyberloafing and what causes it. Many employers feel as if they’re being seriously slighted by a cyberloafing workforce because it can essentially feel as if they’re having time and money stolen from them in the process, but employees may not even realize the impact it’s having on their job, their performance, their career, and their workplace.
Others may realize the impact, but simply not care, or may not be willing to make any changes, which can require a different approach.
It can seem inevitable, and while some degree of at-work surfing may be, there are a lot of things you can do as an employer to at least curb it somewhat.
Consider Cyberloafing During the Hiring Process
While almost every employee is going to do some level of Internet surfing more than likely, a lot of the prevention can happen during the hiring process. Employees that don’t seem to be conscientious or intrinsically motivated are more likely to waste time in the workplace. During the interview process, look for candidates that appear to hold themselves accountable for not only their past successes but also failures.
Ask questions about self-motivation and how people push themselves to get work done, and also try to choose employees who are willing to take initiative.
These are all characteristics that can be indicative of higher levels of productivity, which can reduce some of the impact of cyberloafing.
Have a Consistent Policy In Place
As an employer, it’s really up to you to manage how cyberloafing is seen in your workplace. If you don’t have an Internet-browsing policy in place, then why would you expect your employees to do anything other than what they want?
Create a policy that clearly and specifically states the expectations for workplace Internet usage.
For example, is some personal surfing okay as long as it’s limited to a few minutes a day?
Do you have a non-Internet policy?
What about the sites workers are allowed to access while they’re at work? Are there different rules for sites that can be seen as work-related versus non-work-related?
Here’s another thing to think about: can employees use their personal smartphones, tablets and laptops to access the internet for personal use when they’re at work? If they’re not permitted, how will you address this challenge? If they are, what are the restrictions or expectations on use?
All of these are issues that should be addressed when you’re creating your Internet policy.
It’s important to realize you can’t hold different employees to different standards because that’s only going to lead to extreme frustration that won’t just impact Internet usage but that will also likely spill over into other areas of the workplace.
If managers are seen surfing the Internet on a daily basis, it’s not surprising other employees will feel angry and resentful. Remember from part one of this series that one of the reasons employees may cyberloaf excessively is because they already feel like they aren’t empowered or in control of their job. If higher-ups are setting a poor example regarding the company’s Internet policy, this problem is only going to grow.
When you’re creating Internet policies, it’s important to remain not only consistent but also fair. When employees feel like they’re being treated equitably, fairly and like they’re capable of making the right decisions, they’re going to perform better.
You may want to include all of your employees in the creation of an Internet/anti-loafing policy. Ask for their input as to what they would see as fair versus what they would see as too controlling or taking away their autonomy.
Another factor worth noting here is how you’ll handle the issue with employees who work remotely some or all of the time? What are expectations for these employees and how will they be enforced?
Evaluate Why You’re Concerned About Cyberloafing
Let’s think about this: are you the type of boss or employer who is worrying yourself with how work is getting done, versus that it’s getting done successfully? If so, there might be issues to address with your management style rather than your employees.
If your talent is successfully completing tasks, but perhaps have a different way of getting to the end result that includes some mental relaxation via Internet surfing, is there really a problem?
If your workforce seems to be running smoothly and there aren’t productivity issues, you may want to back off the topic of cyberloafing a bit.
The problem comes into play when employees are letting it interfere with their job performance.
You need to evaluate these issues before jumping into an anti-loafing policy.
Train Employees on Security Issues
As we mentioned in my first article on cyberloafing, the concerns employers have may go beyond productivity issues. Surfing the Internet at work can lead to data and IT security concerns, and that is definitely something that should be dealt with proactively.
You can install protective software and tech solutions, but you should also train your workforce not just on how to avoid security threats, but the impact they can have if they occur.
Many employees may not realize the potential risks they’re putting their employer network at just by casually browsing the Internet, so make them aware.
If they still don’t adhere to policies, then you can consider further action.
Should You Restrict Employees with Software or Biometrics?
Some employers take the issue of cyberloafing so seriously they use software or even biometrics to keep an eye on employees’ Internet usage.
In some industries or organizations, this may be necessary.
A situation that comes to mind occurred a few years ago, when an Investigation by the EPA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) discovered one of the agency’s employees had downloaded and viewed more than 7,000 sexually explicit images while at work. When investigators went to ask said employee about it, he was actively in the midst of viewing pornography.
If you feel there’s the potential for these completely inappropriate situations in your workplace, then that could be the time to go ahead and use software and other technology-based security measures to prevent internet access at work.
However, if you trust your employees but simply want to improve productivity, you may actually create the opposite result if you try to react too harshly and utilize software to keep their surfing at bay. Employers may feel as if they’re being spied on, as if they’re not trusted and as if they’re viewed as not able to act responsibility in the eyes of their employer.
In our opinion, the most successful ways to combat cyberloafing are to provide employees with a strong policy that’s enforced consistently, but still balance that with some level of independence, so they don’t feel as if they have no control in their job role.
Let me know your thoughts — do you take steps to prevent cyberloafing in your workplace?
Additional articles: Information Security: You Can’t Afford to Ignore it, Information and Cyber Security Training
