The study, executed by Millward Brown, found that 71% of senior executives use social media for business at least once a week compared to 49% of those in junior roles. The research suggest that social media in business is not only popular with younger generations.
Businesses experiencing high growth were found to be more likely using social tools to propel their success. Over 70% of senior executives said that using social in the workplace boosted productivity, ability to quickly find information and people, and bring together ideas from a geographically dispersed team.
"It is interesting that the findings show that senior managers are making greatest use of social tools," said Mamta Saha, Psychologist and Director of Think Spa. "With this being the case, we may well start to see a filter-down effect, with the more ambitious junior staff recognising their potential as a networking opportunity to interact and impress their senior managers. The tipping point for mass adoption within an organisation may come when those who are not on the network start to feel they are missing out."
Senior executives reported that social media helped them reduce the volume and length of emails, raise company profile, build professional relationships, and create communities.
"Having the ability to find the people and information you want faster, speeds up the decision-making process, allowing businesses to be more agile and competitive," said Thomas Davies, Head of Google Enterprise in the UK. "As more organisations expand overseas for growth, this, and the ability to pool knowledge from disparate teams, will mean that social tools have a dramatic effect on the way ideas are brought to fruition and business challenges are overcome."
As more professionals as well as business customers are increasingly opting to interact through social means, 45% of senior managers surveyed say they believe businesses who do not embrace social media will not survive.
"Senior managers are recognising that social tools allow people to transcend business silos and connect and share in a way that just wasn’t possible before," said Davies.
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