No, not literally — just on Facebook. Don’t take it personally, though; it’s not that they don’t like you. It’s just that according to a survey from OfficeTeam, it seems they’re mostly just concerned about crossing the line between personal and professional.
When asked, "How comfortable would you feel about being 'friended' by the following individuals on Facebook?” nearly half of executives polled said they are uncomfortable being friended by the employees they manage (48%) or their bosses (47%).
"The line between personal and professional has grown increasingly blurred as more people use social networking websites for business purposes," says Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. "Although not everyone is comfortable using sites like Facebook to connect with professional contacts, it's wise to be prepared for these types of requests."
But for execs and other employees willing to make a go of it on Facebook, Hosking advises making sure you’re in compliance with your employer's social networking policy (if there is one), familiarizing yourself with the site’s privacy settings and creating different friend lists to control how — and with whom — information is shared. "Individuals should classify their professional contacts into a 'work' list and limit what personal details this group can view," he suggests.
