Benefits of work friendships
Humans are social creatures and wired to connect. Because of this there are great benefits from having friendships at work. They can increase a sense of belonging and purpose. We all want to feel like a valued and accepted member of a team and physically connecting with each other is critical. Given that we can spend around 40 hours a week at work, this social interaction promotes good mental health. We are more likely to feel more engaged in the role and this leads to greater job satisfaction.
How does it do that – by sharing and talking about work-related challenges, we increase productivity, problem solving with someone to bounce ideas with and there is encouragement to get through a day. We relieve stress and pressure with laughter and light release. We are more likely to encourage each other to go for lunch or take a break which is good for your mental health and general well-being.
Productivity
Something else that is really important to harness is peer accountability. This means that teams are more likely to pull together, help each other out and close teams are more productive. Close-knit team members are more likely to problem-solve and creativity can flow when they share a physical space. These can be ‘kitchen’ or ‘photocopier’ conversations where they are more likely to innovate and share best ideas.
General well being
When team members get to know each other, they can bring out the best in each other, encourage each other’s strengths and often support any weaknesses. When friends at work see each other every day, they are likely to get to know what causes stress and be there to support. It is hard to hide any challenges from a true friend, which means they are less likely to struggle alone, and in fact feel alone with any problems – whether this is inside work, or a more personal matter.
In 2018, Gallup published research that illustrated that “Those who [have a best friend at work] are seven times as likely to be engaged in their jobs”.
Retention of staff can often be strong when there are good bonds between team members.
