40% of workers admit they will never add a new colleague on social media

Do you add your co-workers on social media?

According to new research 40% of British workers admitted they would never add a new colleague on social media.

The study, conducted by the independent tech retailer, surveyed 1,000 Brits about their social media etiquette at work, including how long they would wait before adding a new co-worker on social media.

Of the five main social media platforms, Brits were the most reluctant to add colleagues on Snapchat, with over half (51%) admitting they never would, closely followed by Twitter (43%).

At the other end of the scale, Brits are most willing to add new co-workers on Facebook, with less than a quarter (24%) choosing never to send a friend request to their colleagues.  

Men are significantly more reluctant to connect with colleagues on social media than women. Notably, male workers are considerably more reluctant to connect online with people from their office. Nearly half (48%) of male workers will never add a new member of staff on any form of social media, compared to just over a third (35%) of women. Instagram is where the genders differ most, with women being 16% more likely to follow a new colleague than men.  

Interestingly, despite social media being such a popular tool (both in and out of work) over a quarter (27%) of Brits do not think it is acceptable to spend any of their office hours using social media. Employees in Sheffield and Norwich are the least accepting of colleagues using social media during office hours.

The survey also showed more than 80% of British employers check candidates’ social media accounts before interviews.

Two in five (40%) British workers will never add colleagues on social media, according to new research by Ebuyer.

Lee Weymouth, commercial director at Ebuyer, commented: “The reach and draw of social media is now greater than ever. With social media being such a powerful tool in helping us connect with new people, it is interesting to see such a high proportion of people reluctant to do so with co-workers. This could be for privacy reasons or an attempt to keep their work and personal lives separate."