Orlando, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — August 1st is National Friendship Day and there’s no better time to celebrate the power of connection at work. A survey from Nectar found that nearly 77 percent of employees have a close friend on the job and those friendships come with big benefits.
From lunchroom laughs to deadline support, workplace friendships do more than break up the day.
83 percent of workers feel work friendships help them feel more engaged. When you feel connected, you feel involved and that leads to results.
“When we do that, we’re more productive at work, but we’re also healthier humans,” said John Crossman, CEO of Crossman Career Builders.
Having friends at work can also boost your drive to get things done. A survey showed that having a friend at work can boost productivity, for employees and companies, by as much as 67 percent. And companies with strong workplace relationships see 12 percent higher profit and higher customer satisfaction.
“If you feel that sense of relationship at work, like, man, I want to do a good job not only for myself, but I just care about this person next to me. That’s really important,” explained Crossman.
It’s not just about physical well-being, mental health matters too.
“Everybody wants to sometimes just be listened to. That’s really important and other times people want, you know, solutions,” said Crossman.
Loneliness, burnout, stress — friendships can be a powerful antidote.
“That practical side and it’s the human side of like, I just need to get this out,” said Crossman.
So how do you start building friendships at work?
Seek out the common things. If you see something on their desk. Talk about it. Bring in coffee or baked goods for breakfast to share with your team and always remember their names. It’s the little things that create big connections. Surveys show employees who have strong social ties at work are also less likely to leave within the first year.
But if you do leave your job, don’t lose touch. Research from LinkedIn shows that 70 percent of people land jobs through connections. That office friend could one day become your greatest career ally.
Contributors to this news report include: Cliff Tumetel, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor.
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Sources:
https://nectarhr.com/blog/workplace-connection-statistics
https://kpmg.com/us/en/media/news/kpmg-survey-workplace-friendships.html
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-make-friends-at-work
