Sharing the responsibility for Web 2.0 understanding

The term 'Web 2.0' was first coined in 2004 to give a name to the growing number of websites and web technologies which aimed to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users. This so-called 'second wave of the Internet' is now big business, with social networking site Facebook recently valued at $2 billion and its competitor MySpace attracting 200 million users. Millions of people are now regularly using blogs, wikis and sites such as Facebook and in doing so are creating a dilemma for employers - should staff be allowed access to Web 2.0 sites at work, and if so, who should monitor this usage - HR or IT?

Some employers are firmly in the 'blanket ban' camp, with Lloyds TSB, Credit Suisse and British Gas, amongst others, putting an end to staff using Facebook. The reasons cited are fears over time wasting and potential confidential data leakage. However, such blanket bans are not confined to just high-profile organisations; recent research conducted by Clearswift, found that more than two-thirds of HR professionals said their organisation did not allow access to social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn.

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The reasons behind implementing such bans do seem to be based on bad experiences, with eight per cent of respondents saying they had encountered or had to discipline staff for posting inappropriate content to social networking sites. This may seem like a negligible amount, but when you consider Facebook only launched in the UK in 2006 and the explosion in popularity of these sites has been within the past two years it becomes significant.

A high profile example of internet misuse which may have served to encourage HR managers to implement blanket bans was reported in November 2007 in the Daily Telegraph, which discovered that more than 1,700 people had been sacked for internet or email misuse in the past three years from UK public sector organisations. With such incidents widely reported in the media, it is little wonder that organisations have taken a safety-first option by choosing to block access to Web 2.0 sites.

However, the Clearswift research shows that most HR managers are not making these decisions based on thorough experience and understanding of the Web 2.0 technology scene - only 31 per cent of HR professionals actually use Web 2.0 sites, with a further 41 per cent claiming to be familiar with these sites but not actually using them. This suggests there is a knowledge gap on the potential benefits of Web 2.0 technologies.

Those who block Web 2.0 sites are missing out on the use of social networking to foster staff and client relationships which is becoming a growing trend among some tech-savvy companies. On one level, sites like LinkedIn and Viadeo provide a platform for business contacts to connect, but on another, such sites allow HR professionals another avenue to identify and recruit talent. Some HR managers will feel more comfortable with staff using business-focused social networking sites, but if used intelligently and securely, Facebook and MySpace can also prove to be valuable networking and recruiting tools.

Perhaps the problem behind this confusion with Web 2.0 technology lies with determining who has responsibility for creating and monitoring an organisation's Internet policy. IT has traditionally played a key role in helping HR professionals understand and detect breaches in policy, but as technology has become more intrinsic in our working lives, the lines of responsibility between IT and HR have become increasingly blurred. IT managers' responsibilities in keeping increasingly complex technology infrastructures running smoothly has increased pressures on their time, and there is a growing trend within most organisations for employees and departments to become more self-sufficient (e.g. employees managing their own spam quarantine mailbox). The onus on HR professionals to become more technology aware, and take greater responsibility in managing IT issues related to employee behaviour is becoming increasingly important. Yet the research found that the majority of HRs who are taking on IT management responsibilities are not exploiting Web 2.0 technologies for their business benefits, but instead are choosing to ban them.

There are, nevertheless, some HR professionals who are embracing Web 2.0 and seeing the benefits of social networking in their organisations. Cisco uses a company-wide Facebook group as a way to foster connections between employees, whether it be between different departments, offices or global locations. However, not all organisations are the same and need the flexibility to choose which elements of social networking are right for them and how they want employees to use them. For instance, a media firm may be happy to give employees access to Facebook and MySpace throughout their working day because they need such sites to network with contacts. Yet an investment bank or solicitors may prefer staff to only have access to social networking sites outside of work hours.

Intelligent content security technology can provide organisations with this flexibility to enable them to enjoy the benefits of Web 2.0 without the worry. Such security measures can also place restrictions on what can or cannot be posted on social networking sites, and can alert those in charge of monitoring policy compliance to anyone trying to breach the policy.

While it is vital that organisations have an Internet policy, it is also important that before setting one up, those involved are personally aware of the sites they wish to give or deny access to. Without this level of knowledge it is impossible to judge how users operate on these sites and how they can be misused or exploited for business benefit. Formulation of Internet policy should be a joint exercise between HR and IT, but then so should identification of potential breaches.

Technology can play a role here by removing the burden from IT managers with automatic flagging of potential breaches directly to HR to determine whether or not disciplinary action should be taken. IT will always have a unique position to spot breaches, but the responsibility should not solely rest with them. If the current imbalance remains there is a chance that serious breaches may go unnoticed, leaving organisations vulnerable to consequences such as data loss, damage to reputation and even legal action.

The partnership between HR and IT, and their respective responsibilities in safeguarding their organisations is becoming ever more important. With the continued filtering of Web 2.0 technologies into our working lives come the expectations of a new generation of workers to be allowed access. As Web 2.0 technologies continue to evolve so too must the role of the HR professional. However organisations have a responsibility to ensure their HR staff receive the necessary training and education to understand the importance of embracing Internet developments to drive business benefits, and to help incorporate these learnings into company policy.

Web 2.0 is here to stay and its inherent collaborative and inclusive nature means it will continue to change and evolve to appeal to an increasing number of users. The key to effectively managing how workers use Web 2.0 is equipping those instituting policies with a sufficient level of knowledge to make informed and sensible decisions concerning its usage, thus striking a balance which allows staff and their employers to fully embrace the benefits of Web 2.0 in a secure and effective business environment.