Many execs uncomfortable being friended by bosses, employees on Facebook

Also prefer not to connect with co-workers: Survey

Most senior managers are uncomfortable being friended by their bosses (71 per cent) or employees they supervise (66 per cent) on Facebook, according to a survey by OfficeTeam.

And one-half of those polled prefer not to connect with co-workers on Facebook, found the survey of 342 senior managers at Canadian companies.

"People have different comfort levels when it comes to social media, so it's best not to blanket colleagues with friend requests," said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. "Along with being selective about who you ask to connect with online, you should always post prudently. You don't want to share information that could reflect poorly on you."

"How comfortable would you feel about being friended by the following individuals on Facebook?"

Your boss

Co-workers

People you
manage

Clients

Vendors

Very comfortable

15%

23%

16%

14%

14%

Somewhat comfortable

9%

22%

14%

18%

16%

Not very comfortable

17%

18%

20%

17%

16%

Not comfortable at all

54%

32%

46%

46%

49%

Don't know/no answer

5%

4%

4%

4%

5%

OfficeTeam offered tips to determine if you should connect with co-workers on Facebook:

Follow the leader. Let your boss or those more senior than you make the first move. Proactively sending a friend request could create an awkward situation.

Scope it out. Check out whether colleagues have other employees in their networks before asking them to connect. If their lists are limited to favourite work pals, they may not be eager to friend a wider group of co-workers.

Ask first. When in doubt, ask individuals whether they would be interested in connecting on social media before sending an invite.

Do a self-check. Review your profile and make sure there isn't anything posted that could damage your professional image. You may prefer that colleagues not see your spring break photos, game updates or quiz results.

Don't give in to peer pressure. You aren't obligated to share social media updates with everyone in the office. If you're concerned about slighting people by turning down invites, you can accept friend requests but use privacy settings and lists to control who can view certain content.

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