Facebook Might Actually Make you More Productive at Work

Chances are, at some point, you’ve logged onto Facebook while at work. Especially if you’re a millennial. According to Forbes.com, nearly two-thirds of employees visit non-work-related websites, including online shopping sites like Amazon, each day.

But is that a bad thing for productivity? In an Inc.com article titled How Much Time Do Your Employees Waste at Work Each Day? the topic of social media comes up regarding corporate culture. In the past, corporations would have likely blocked these types of sites. But today, many corporations allow access to social platforms as they have realized employees can serve as brand ambassadors for their own business pages.

Some companies are even going so far as using Facebook to boost productivity. How? The social media goliath recently rolled out its new Facebook at Work platform. It’s used to share ideas and collaborate with coworkers. And no, it’s not just like email. It allows users to join groups related to specific teams and/or projects, as well as get company news and updates. It is available on desktops, as well as mobile devices to encourage timely communication when workers are outside the office.

A recent article featured on the Financial Brand website shares an interesting case study of a global bank that recently implemented Facebook at Work. Beginning in July, thousands of the bank employees started to use the platform. A bank spokesperson said the pilot program has allowed employees “to work much more efficiently together, answer customer questions faster, update other colleagues on their work in a much more engaging way, and source a far wider range of ideas for on-going projects.” The bank is now thinking of ways to use this platform for their customers to interact with the bank beyond their business Facebook page.

Banks aren’t the only ones interested in this platform. Heineken and Century 21 are two others that have adopted Facebook at Work with early success. Because so many millennials are already entrenched in the Facebook platform, there’s no need to teach this generation in how to use Facebook at Work. In the early stages, it appears this new business version might be a great platform to embrace for companies of any size.

The platform is currently in beta (and free). However, Facebook is already working on a plan to monetize and build up a sales and marketing team to sell Facebook at Work in the future. (You knew that was coming.)

So the next time your boss sees you on Facebook, tell him you are researching internal communications platforms. You might get a “like!”