The Pro's & Cons of using IMs in the Workplace

The Pro's of using IMs

Picture retrieved from:

Guerrilla Online. (2009). 

Instant Messengers in Guerrilla Marketing. 

Retrieved February 4, 2015, 

from guerrilla online: 

http://www.guerrillaonline.com/cs/

Instant-messengers-in-Guerrilla-marketing-37.htm

Allows for real-time communication

When companies implement an instant messaging service as a form of communication between their employees they are ultimately improving their level of efficiency. IMs allow quick conversations that enable employees to seek out assistance in a timely manner. This also helps to eliminate certain language barriers that may be caused by strong accents. Since becoming part of the workplace, IM has improved customer service levels drastically and enables representatives ability to access information significantly easier. There is no delay in response when seeking assistance from another department or representative as everything is done in real time. With these applications you can also see when your message has been sent, if it has been received, and also if the receiver is typing a message back. With this real time communication, it is also easy to get clarification instantly if there should be any miscommunication or misunderstanding.

Connect Instantly with Team Members, Regardless of Location

Group IM conversations are quickly phasing out the need to get stuck in lengthy conference calls. A main benefit of IM in the workplace is that all conversations are automatically documented and can be referenced at a later date, unlike a phone call. Information can be more readily shared using this method of communication as it allows team members to share their knowledge while collaborating their different ideas. 

Companies are constantly expanding and are even implementing employees who will work from home to save on expenses. IM assists these types of business' with remote trouble shooting and provides immediate assistance to these employees.

Saves on Company Expenses

When companies use IM, they are saving on many different types of expenses which ultimately improves their overall revenue. Due to the ability of being able to communicate remotely, they are conducting their meetings, presentations and conferences online which saves them money on phone calls and travel expenses. IM also take up less space in a server than emails do, therefore companies are able to save space and money while communicating more effectively. The ability for employees to work out of their houses is extremely beneficial to a company as work spaces can often be pricey to lease or buy. Instant messaging assures the company that they can continue to be effective and consistent when selling their products/ services regardless of the fact they cannot be face-to-face with their employees.

The Con's of Using IMs

Employees use IMs for Personal Use

The problem associated with IM has arisen where employees are not properly utilizing the IM system and are instead using it for personal reasons. This causes IMs to be harmful to the company opposed to benefiting it the way they were originally intended to. When employees spend time messaging with each other to have personal conversations, they become distracted from their work which lowers the efficiency and effectiveness of the overall business. There is also the potential issue of inappropriate behaviour and conversations being had through this system which leads to issues that could endanger the job of an employee or the legal standing of a company. Although the company may monitor these conversations, they may be likely to miss certain messages depending on the size of the company and the number of employees using the service.

Picture retrieved from:
http://kb.kerio.com/product/kerio-connect/instant-messaging/
configuring-instant-messaging-in-kerio-connect-1403.html

Instant Messaging Poses Security Threats in the Workplace

When working with customer identification it is possible for the information to be intercepted by hackers. The hackers will most likely use this intercepted data to commit identity theft or other means of criminal activity which can lead back to the company from which it was intercepted. Confidential company information can also be exchanged through this line of communication which greatly increases the probability of an information leak. The information could be leaked to another company or even another part of the business before it was intended to be officially stated. There are many security risks to consider when working with IMs that could actually harm both the company as well as its clients.

The Cause of Many Potential Legal Issues

Although all information being exchanged is automatically documented, this could be problematic for a company depending on the information that is being sent. These documented conversations could be used in a court case to prove the exchange of customer or company information that does not comply with the law or Business Standards Act. There is the potential for discriminatory or prejudice conversations to take place between employees which could lead to a law suit for the company as well. It is extremely important to remember to remain professional whenever using IM, especially in the work place in order to ensure that these issues do not arise.

Questions to think about:

• Do you think that instant messaging would be considered more beneficial to a company or more detrimental ?
• Does it make sense to replace conference calling with instant messaging groups?
• Should the threat posed by the potential legal and security issues of the company prevent the implementation of IM all together?

Bibliography

Frost, S. (2015, January). The Cons of Using IMs in the Workplace. Retrieved February 4, 2015, from Small Business by Demand Media: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/cons-using-ims-workplace-11858.html

Guerrilla Online. (2009). Instant Messengers in Guerrilla Marketing. Retrieved February 4, 2015, from guerrilla online: http://www.guerrillaonline.com/cs/Instant-messengers-in-Guerrilla-marketing-37.htm

Lucakova, V. (2015, January 5). Configuring Instant Messaging in Kerio Connect. Retrieved February 4, 2015, from Kerio Knowledge base: http://kb.kerio.com/product/kerio-connect/instant-messaging/configuring-instant-messaging-in-kerio-connect-1403.html

NFIB. (2010, September 29). The Benefits of Instant Messaging for your Business. Retrieved February 4, 2015, from NFIB: http://www.nfib.com/article/the-benefits-of-instant-messaging-for-your-business-54733/

Scott, S. (2015, January). The Pros of Using IM in the Workplace. Retrieved February 4, 2015, from Small Business by Demand Media: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/pros-using-im-workplace-10534.html