5 Things Smart People Who Don’t Want To Lose Their Job Do When Their Boss Starts Following Them On Social Media
Social media and work can be a minefield. Here's how to handle it.
fizkes | Shutterstock Social media and the workplace tend to not mix very well, as we've surely all either witnessed or experienced. Our outside-of-work selves don't necessarily align very well with the company brand, after all!
But being social media friends with colleagues is one thing. What about when you get a follow notification and it turns out it's your boss? An expert says there are some key steps to take to keep this delicate situation from blowing up in your face.
5 things to do when your boss starts following you on social media:
Nowadays, it's common to want employees to "bring their whole selves to work," and a good boss will want to know and honor who you actually are. But social media is nevertheless a minefield where the workplace is involved, so an online friendship with bosslady has to be handled delicately.
“Social media blurs the line between personal and professional lives in ways we're still learning to navigate,” says Richard Edwards, Founder and CEO of Vibra Media, a U.K.-based digital PR agency. “The key is maintaining boundaries while avoiding unnecessary workplace tension.” How? By following these five best practices.
1. Review your privacy settings first
Before even accepting your boss's follow request, let alone posting anything, do an audit of what your boss will actually be able to see. Check your privacy settings on all platforms and get a sense of what is visible to a new follower, and make any necessary changes, like hiding certain posts. “Your first move should always be damage control,” Edwards says.
2. Don't feel obligated to follow back
Accepting a follow request doesn't mean you need to reciprocate, and maintaining boundaries here is especially important when it's your boss. A boss or higher-up in the company may also just be following you to keep current with company news or team dynamics, and not because they're actually trying to forge a friendship. “Following your manager back can feel like an invasion of their privacy too,” notes Edwards. “Keep the digital relationship one-directional if that feels more appropriate.”
3. Avoid posting passive-aggressive work rants
13_Phunkod | Shutterstock
This should hopefully go without saying, but those cryptic posts about "certain people" might feel like a much-needed way to blow off steam, but your boss is probably going to be able to see through them. “Venting online about work frustrations is a career killer,” warns Edwards. “Managers remember these posts, and they shape how they view your professionalism and attitude.”
They're also red flags for office drama, and most bosses will move swiftly to cut that off at the source, which will appear to be you, the guy or gal posting passive-aggressive missives on Instagram!
4. Consider muting or restricting access
Most platforms allow you to limit what specific followers can see without blocking them entirely, and these are the features you should leverage when it comes to your boss. It will both keep you from wading into any dangerous waters and protect your privacy and boundaries. “Platform restriction tools are your best friend here,” Edwards advises. “You can accept the follow request while controlling exactly what they see.”
5. Create separate personal and professional accounts
This isn't necessarily for everyone, but if your personal life is controversial, say you're very involved in political causes, or if you want to maintain your privacy boundaries, separate accounts may be the best solution. “Two accounts might seem like extra work, but it's the cleanest solution for maintaining authentic personal expression,” Edwards suggests. “Your professional account becomes a career asset, while your personal one stays private.”
Social media connections to bosses and managers can change office dynamics.
The bottom line is that blurring these boundaries can have very real implications in the workplace: They can create a real connection with your boss or management, but they can also make you feel like your privacy is invaded or you're being surveilled.
“There's an inherent power imbalance when your boss has access to your personal content,” Edwards says. “Employees often start curating their entire online presence around what their manager might think, which can feel suffocating.”
So it's often the case that declining the follow request is the best course of action. "Digital footprints have become unofficial extensions of our professional personas, whether we like it or not," Edwards says. Keeping control over that footprint should be top of mind when making these decisions.
“You can tactfully decline by explaining that you prefer to keep personal and professional social media separate,” suggests Edwards. “Most reasonable managers will understand and respect that boundary.” And if they don't? Well, you've got bigger problems than social media ones!
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.
