Eight in 10 Canadian employers actively encourage people to cultivate friendships at work
Most employers recognize the value that friendships bring to the workplace โ and many are actively working to foster these connections, according to a report by Express Employment Professionals.
More than 9 in 10 companies (94%) say there are several benefits to employees forming friendships in the workplace.
In fact, 85% believe employees are more likely to stay with a company if they have friends in the workplace, with more than one-third (35%) strongly agreeing.
Other benefits โ according to employers โ include:
On the other hand, job seekers agree that workplace friendships are important and a key part of employee retention.
More than three-quarters of job seekers (78%) say they would be more likely to stay with a company if they have friendships in the workplace.
And around two-thirds (64%) have stayed at a job longer than intended because of their friendships at work while one-third (32%) have left a job because they were not able to form friendships at work.
There are differing perspectives on workplace friendships.
โSome argue that ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. A supportive, friendly environment fosters trust, better teamwork, and ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐. Studies have shown that employees with close workplace friendships are ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐๐ผ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏ๐,โ says Siidarth Bhattacharya, former senior HR business partner at Comcast, via LinkedIn.
โOn the other hand, some believe that ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ โ not everyone wants to build personal relationships in a professional setting.โ
However, even job seekers who feel that workplace interactions should be kept strictly professional (64%) point to several benefits they experience by forming friendships in the workplace, according to Express, including:
This is crucial, especially as 51% of Canadian and US workers feel less fulfilled at work now compared to 5 years ago, while 47% feel more disconnected from their colleagues now compared to 5 years ago, according to a previous Ricoh report.
Companies appear overwhelmingly confident in their employeesโ ability to form friendships in the workplace, with a strong majority (77%) believing it is easy for employees to do so and a third (30%) saying it is very easy, according to Expressโ two surveys: one among 505 Canadian hiring decision-makers conducted Nov. 11 to 26, 2024 and another among 505 adults ages 18 and older conducted Nov. 21 to Dec. 6, 2024.
More than three-quarters of companies (82%) say they actively encourage employees to develop friendships in a variety of ways:
"In today's dynamic work environment, fostering genuine friendships among employees is not just a nice-to-have, but a strategic imperative,โ says Bill Stoller, Express Employment International CEO. โThese connections enhance morale, boost productivity and significantly improve retention rates. By creating a culture where friendships can flourish, companies are investing in their most valuable asset: their people."
Employers are hitting the mark in some of the ways job seekers believe their companies can foster friendships. Job seekers are open to different methods for companies to encourage friendship building in the workplace, including:
For employers, being proactive in fostering friendship among workers is important, as not everyone makes friends easily, says Joe Hart, President and CEO of Dale Carnegie, a professional development platform.
โSupporting these workers means investing in personal development. Whether theyโre learning Communication and People Skills or How to Win Friends in Business, personal development can help people come out of their shells and make more coworker friends.
โHaving friends at work is critical to success and engagement. Nurture your own friendships and encourage others to make friends at work. When you do, your company will benefit.โ
