Monitoring of personal social media data by employers to rise, PwC predicts
Personal data from Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites will be monitored more by employers over the next decade, PwC suggests, with the aim to improve employee wellbeing.
The future of work: A journey to 2022 report of 10,000 workers worldwide and 500 human resources (HR) professionals suggests that monitoring workers’ social media and personal data will become commonplace as employers strive to understand what motivates their workforce and why people might move jobs.
Anthony Bruce, HR workforce analytics leader at PwC, said: “Just as advertisers and retailers are using data from customers’ online and social media activity to tailor their shopping experience, organisations could soon start using workers’ personal data - with their permission - to measure and anticipate performance and retention issues.
“This sort of data profiling could also extend to real-time monitoring of employees’ health, with proactive health guidance to help reduce sick leave.
“Key to the success of organisations being able to use employee data will be developing measurable benefits for those who hand over their data and building trust through clear rules about how data is acquired, used and shared.”
According to the research, by 2022, employers could routinely monitor workers’ Facebook and Twitter postings to ensure that company policies are focused on reducing staff turnover and reinforcing engagement with business objectives.
It was found that a third (36 per cent) of Generation Y (those aged between 18 and 32) would be happy to share personal data with employers.