Looking back on the week, how many of you answered our Wordless Wednesday survey on social media in the workplace?

Oh come on, you mean to tell me you didn’t take one 15 minute mental break to check a blog, update your status on Facebook, or log onto Twitter?

According to research conducted by SilkRoad Technology for the year 2012, six out of ten employees are active on social media throughout the work day.

To those of you who answered 60% in Wednesday’s post, you know both yourself and your coworkers all too well.

I’m sure this statistic doesn’t delight many employers, but what should be recognized is that the majority of this activity is in fact FOR WORK – whether it be sharing a TeamBonding Facebook page post on your timeline, re-tweeting a trending #TeamBonding tweet,  or catching up on OfficeVibe’s latest blog post on actively motivating employees.

OK. Let’s take a closer look at this. Activity comparable to that mentioned above about Facebook and Twitter is word-of-mouth marketing for your company, and definitely valuable. It’s also proven that employees are more productive when they can experience mental breaks from tedious projects, especially when working with numbers. In regards to the OfficeVibe blog, using that mental break to research better ways to stay productive deserves a gold star for the day, if you ask me.

There’s a big difference between engaging in social media for work, and engaging in social media for personal use. I’m pretty sure updating your Facebook status – “Totes going shopping today after work! Obvi getting a wicked RedSox jersey for the playoffs” – does not fit in the productive work-related social media category.

Sorry, ladies, but pinning to your secret wedding board on Pinterest doesn’t fit either. And gentleman, that photo you posted on Instagram of the foot-long hoagie you killed at lunch today – nice try.

A new workplace-friendly social media tool recently adopted by the TeamBonding staff, OfficeVibe is a form of social media that is used among staff to not only improve workplace motivation and productivity, but to also encourage individuals to achieve personal goals related to wellness, generosity, or improving the environment. Goals range from small to large, and participants receive points based on the difficulty of a task and weekly challenges.

OfficeVibe has been present in our office a little over seven weeks, and we can already identify its impact on our culture…

“We don’t exactly lack this in our work lives, but I was surprised to see the level of silly that OfficeVibe encourages. It’s normal for TeamBonding, but speaking from past experiences, it’s definitely not normal everywhere, so it was nice to see that being recommended.

Something OV has gotten me thinking about again is learning a language, and taking another online course. I have always tossed around the idea of learning a second language, and OV gave me some great suggestions for learning that aren’t cost and time prohibitive.”

“OfficeVibe has been helpful in many ways, from adding an air of friendly competition to the office, to forcing us to consciously think about how to improve the workday. I can see a difference in the overall attitude of the office – it’s now routine to say “good morning” and it’s helping others to recognize their coworker’s good deeds.

The best thing however that I have taken away from using OfficeVibe was the discovery of Kiva, a website designed for everyday people to make “micro loans” to entrepreneurs and students in third world countries. The money goes to help with supplies for a new business or continuing education. I didn’t know what a micro loan was prior to this challenge, and it’s amazing to know that your average Joe can really make a difference in someone’s life with just a small amount of money!”

“OfficeVibe has made me slow down, stop and take a moment to enjoy the little things my work day at TeamBonding brings. Work shouldn’t be just about “going through the motions.” It should be about enjoying what you do and the people you work with. It’s a fun way to break up the day with a little friendly competition thrown into the mix. I would love to use the application long term.  It reminds me to smile, laugh and most importantly have fun at work! I don’t think people realize work doesn’t have to be something you just go to everyday, it can be fun, and that’s perfectly acceptable! I have to say I “high-five” more than I ever have before! Peace, Love OfficeVibe and HighFive!”

As you can see from the feedback of our staff, OfficeVibe is a great way to promote healthy coworker relationships, and to encourage employees to tackle personal endeavors.

Happy people very often make happy employees, and it’s a great feeling to know you have a positive relationship with your coworkers – especially when they stop to ask if you need help on that report due before the end of the day, or if they ask how the French lessons are going, or how the training for the marathon is coming along.

If 60% of your staff is active on social media throughout the workday, you may consider yourself lucky to have that much more of a productive staff.

Social media and productivity – who would have thought?

What do YOU think? Is social media a part of your office culture? Do you use OfficeVibe? Leave a comment, we’d love to hear from you!