Protect your company from security breaches: new telephone safety protocols for the new century. (Professionals at Work).(Brief Article)

Issues of workplace privacy, security and safety take on a new emphasis in today's business world. As our society changes and becomes more global, every employee has a new responsibility to protect both their co-workers and their company. Educating your employees on proper telephone protocols is the first line of defense.

Consider this scenario: You're standing at the reception desk of a major corporation. The receptionist is on the phone with a fellow employee. As you patiently wait for the receptionist to finish the call, you hear her tell her coworker the new security code to get into the building after hours. Not only did you hear this information, but so did the three other people seated in the waiting area.

Or suppose a co-worker goes on vacation for a week. The assistant proceeds to tell an unfamiliar caller that the employee is away on personal business until next Tuesday. When your coworker returns home, she finds that her house has been robbed.

If you think neither of these scenarios could ever happen in real life, think again. The above two scenarios actually occurred. Did the receptionists at these companies purposely give out private information that could harm the company or its employees? Of course not. Neither would they intentionally breach company confidentiality. But they innocently did so, and were not even aware of it.

Those in your company who answer the phone are under a constant threat of jeopardizing the privacy, security and/or safety of the organization and its employees. The fact is that today, businesses in every sector face new workplace concerns that were non-existent a mere ten years ago. While we should not become alarmed about this change of events, we should raise our level of consciousness and become more aware of telephone safety issues.

Training Tips for Telephone Guardians

Excellent telephone skills are vital to business success. And as the business world becomes faster and more uncertain, it is paramount that employees learn to be foolproof guardians of telephone communications. Whether it is a receptionist, executive assistant or an office manager, anyone who interacts with callers must be aware of the fine line between building rapport with a caller and guarding employee and company information. In order to enable employees to use proper judgment when speaking with callers, you must train them on the proper telephone screening techniques that promote privacy and safety for the employees and the company.