As a boss, you make a contract with your employees. You will pay them as long as they do the work you ask them to. So it seems logical to remove any distractions or diversions in order to ensure maximum productivity. And if you subscribe to that theory, then blocking certain websites will improve employee output.
And if you run the IT department, blocking websites is one guard against unwittingly allowing viruses into the system. Plus, also not allowing access to certain sites can prevent network connectivity problems caused by streaming music and video. One example is the case of Procter & Gamble. It discovered its employees were watching 50,000 YouTube videos and listening to 4,000 hours of music on a typical workday, choking its digital pipeline.
So lack of trust in employees, limited bandwidth and worries about cyber security can end result in total block on watching video at work.
The other side of the argument, however, is having access to social media and news websites can increase the creativity of employees, particularly those working in marketing, customer services or recruiting. The videos, in particular, that can be found on those sites, can spark ideas to drive the business forward, learn about best practice and find the most suitable people or services to take the company forward. Most forward-thinking and innovative companies do allow access and balance the increase in creativity against the threat of employees clicking onto malicious links that could bring a threat to the security of the company.
Companies who are cyber security aware will block the obvious illegal and untrustworthy sites, but will invest heavily in appropriate anti-virus software and, just as important, cyber security training right throughout the company.
Forward-thinking businesses are also increasing their budgets to buy more reliable bandwidth, and again, education for employees on how that bandwidth is used is vital.
As for trusting their employees to keep their noses to the grindstone, videos on the Internet via social media can be seen as having access to a virtual creative team. Even videos that are not ‘on topic’ can introduce randomness and new creative ways of thinking. Trust is a difficult issue, however, the results of a little faith might be surprising.
Please contact us if you have any questions about Corporate Video Production.