To Add or Not to Add Your Boss on Social Media? That Is the Question

June 6, 2013

Social media is the easiest and most convenient way to stay connected to friends, family, acquaintances, but should it be the way you connect with your boss? There are a few things to consider before deciding whether or not to “friend” your boss online, so let’s take a look at the pros and cons.

Pros:

Establishes trust – In order for you and your boss to be buddy-buddy on your social networks, there needs to be a level of trust before you accept her friend request. Remember, whatever you now post or share will be accessible to your superior and, potentially, your employer. Mixing personal with professional can become very sticky, if not managed correctly. However, being transparent with your boss can also be a huge positive, because it allows you an opportunity to establish trust with her by conducting yourself in a professional manner on- and offline. Your boss probably doesn’t want to be added to your networks with the intent of becoming best friends with you, but rather is looking to see if you are who you say you are.

Keeps you honest – Sharing your life outside of the professional setting with your employers can be a plus, if you aren’t offensive, embarrassing, or inappropriate when posting to your social networks. Actually, in welcoming your boss into your circle of online friends, you are essentially telling him that you don’t mind if he sees the real you, because you have nothing to hide.

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Keeps your boss honest – Likewise, you will be able to see what type of person your boss is outside of the workplace without having to actually hang out in person. This can be very beneficial if you discover that you and your boss have some common interests to bond over. On the other hand, should your boss be a dud, then you will know that your time at the office is strictly business and maybe refrain from trying to make small talk.

Cons:

Fully exposed – If you feel the bossman is trying to connect online in order to keep tabs on you, then it’s probably not the best idea to follow through with the request. It is very possible that a careless post on social media could get you fired, like the employees in this post.

Friends chime in, too – Your boss will be able to see your friends’ comments as well. So, for example, if there is a friend who tends to post inappropriate content on your profile, then it would be best not to risk the chance of your manager coming across the unprofessional material.

Restricting – Above all else, allowing your boss to have access to your online life will be restrictive, as you’ll always have to worry that something incriminating will be posted without your knowing it.

An individual’s social media networks are meant to be personal, unless otherwise designated. However, employers are accustomed to perusing their employees’ profiles, so it’s best to keep personal life private both online and offline. Should you feel comfortable enough to add colleagues to your networks, try and use the online relationship to benefit your everyday work relationship with your superior rather than make it more awkward. The last thing you want is to add your boss and regret it, for whatever reason, because then you will be stuck with figuring out how to back-peddle out of the situation, which can be far more awkward than having ignored the friend request in the first place.

Tell Us What You Think

Are you friends with your boss on social networks? If not, would you accept or decline your boss’ friend request? Tell us your thoughts on Twitter or in the comments section below.

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