5 reasons to encourage friendships in the workplace

April 28, 2023 2:00 PM

Few things can add joy to a day like the company of a good friend. This is not just true for people's personal lives, but within their professional setting as well.

Yet forming those relationships is harder today, as employees adjust to different locations, schedules and demands. This is impacting their mental health and wellness: more than 80% of employees have felt or feel lonely at work, and nearly half feel lonelier today than they did prior to the pandemic, according to a recent EY Belonging Barometer 2.0 study. Of these, 90% said they would not tell their manager if they were struggling.

However, when friendships exist within a workforce, both employees and employers find that these factors decrease. Nearly 71% of people working in management or human resources said friendships in the workplace had a positive effect on their workers, according to a survey by Paychex. The study found that workplace friendships have an impact on employees' happiness, work ethic, and job satisfaction.

Workplace environments can determine best practices for helping employees communicate and bond. Technology platforms, mentorship programs, and ERGs are especially effective at encouraging regular, in-depth communication and connection.

Management can also model the behavior they hope to see by acknowledging the value of their individual employees and teams, encouraging teamwork and collaboration, and setting up resources that employees can use to keep in touch on a regular basis.

Here are some of the ways friendships among co-workers can benefit a business, and how to help foster these relationships within a workforce:

Improve employee mental health and wellness

Research has found that friends prevent isolation and loneliness, increase a sense of belonging and purpose, boost happiness and reduce stress, according to the Mayo Clinic. Creating ways for employees to interact, such as in-office common rooms and in-person or virtual meetups among co-workers and teams can help foster socialization and increase workers' sense of companionship and belonging.

Boost morale and trust

By creating opportunities for teamwork and engagement through things such as employee events and mentorship programs, employees build comfort and camaraderie that feeds into their professional success. For example, workers with four or more friends at work feel extremely comfortable asking for work-related help or advice, versus those with two friends, who do not feel at all comfortable doing so, according to Paychex's survey.

Increase productivity and engagement

According to a survey by Wildgoose, 57% of people say having a best friend in the workplace makes work more enjoyable, 22% feel more productive with friends, and 21% say friendship makes them more creative. Data also shows that those who have friends within the workplace are better at engaging with customers and produce an overall higher quality of work.

Increase retention

Employees who have a friend at work are less likely to search for other jobs. Work friendships provide a sense of work-life balance that allows employees to enjoy a social life in their workplace, according to research from Gallup. Establishing an onboarding buddy program is a great way to promote relationships quickly, and data shows new hires have a 36% increase in satisfaction at the completion of a 90-day onboarding buddy experience.

Increase overall employee satisfaction

Keeping employees happy is a crucial part of building a lasting, loyal workforce. Part of this is creating an environment where they feel appreciated, trusted, and supported. People with close work friends are more confident and composed in finding solutions to their problems because they have friends supporting them, according to both the Gallup and Wildgoose surveys. Research also shows that employee satisfaction skyrockets nearly 50% when a worker develops a close relationship on the job.