A 13th-century Italian priest and philosopher named Thomas Equinas, once wrote “There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.”. Has there ever been truer words?

Outside of family, friends are the ones we go to for support, connection, and companionship. When things go wrong, friends are the ones that are there for you—or in some cases, it’s when we find out who the real friends are…ba-dum-TSH!

We make friends throughout our lives. Sometimes friends come and go or, if we’re lucky, we find one or two lifelong friends. We meet friends through everything from having shared interests, school, or mutual friends but what about the workplace? Well, as it turns out, work friendships are one of the most important types of friendships you can have.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American works 8.09 hours per day or about 40 hours per week and the average person is awake 112 hours per week. We’re not trying to scare you but that means over a third of our conscious lives are spent at work—why are we feeling nauseated?

While we could pivot here and make this article about taking your vacation days, we’re not. Instead, we’re going to tell you why forming work friendships should be a priority.

We all know that when it comes to being social, everyone is not equal, but we all need interaction. Humans need to be around other people whether that be in a small group or being the life of the party.

Without interaction though, especially for longer periods, our mental state can experience negative consequences, as well as our physical health. In the workplace, it can mean a disconnect from the work we do and a constant feeling that we are just a guest and not a part of the work family.

We know there is someone reading this right now thinking “Well, I get all the interaction I need outside of work, so I don’t need to be anyone’s friend at work.”. Listen. We get it and we aren’t telling you to become a Chatty Cathy at work, but we do recommend finding someone you relate with at work and have a connection with. It quite literally can be the reason you find joy in your work.

The evidence is in the pudding…err we mean research. A Harvard Business Review article, “To Be Happier at Work, Invest More in Your Relationships”, explains that our connection to the work we do is as much about who we get to do it with as it is about what we do.

While some of the cited research on purpose and well-being is from the early 2000s, the power of relationships has withstood the test of time and, we would argue, is even more important in today’s workplace post-COVID-19.

Nearly all industries have experienced unprecedented turnover in the last few years, especially in the remote-working employee population. This begs the question of whether we are building connections with the people we work with or just searching for meaning in the work we do. We promise to stop underlining and italicizing, but these are important distinctions to make people!

When we have someone that we can share our work experiences with (no, we are not talking about the venting we do to our loved ones after work), it really becomes a form of support and comfort knowing you aren’t experiencing it alone.

How different would work look if you had someone you could get lunch with or jump on a quick call with to debrief after a long meeting? It might just be the recipe for keeping you sane.

Alright, if we haven’t shocked the system enough, we are about to drive it home here because we aren’t just talking about having someone to talk about work with, we’re talking about letting someone in and truly being known and understood. Still with us? Good. Work friendships don’t have to remain surface-level—let someone know who you are.

Of course, we aren’t suggesting you overshare or cross the lines of professionalism with your work friend, but it’s more than okay to talk about your life outside of work.

Work Events

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations decided to move away from work events—opportunities for connection—outside of regular working hours. Many have not gone back to these types of events even after the pandemic, yet workplace culture, belonging and inclusion continue to be among the most common themes in employee feedback surveys.

We caught up with our friend Mariah Ulich, an HR Consultant who works with businesses on increasing engagement and employee well-being programs, to hear some of her best practices for providing opportunities for connection.

Mariah shared, “I see it all the time. Organizations are struggling to see the value in engagement events outside of work. Mariah continued, “I try to help them understand that they don’t need to go back to the budget-breaking, extravagant Holiday parties of old and, instead, they can encourage employee-led gatherings and involvement at community events.”.

She further explained, “I try to focus on the positive impacts associated with cultivating the environment for employees to connect without the stress of work in the background. It’s an opportunity for employees to feel like they can be themselves in front of their coworkers.” Mariah said.

Mariah recommends events outside of work because sometimes events during work hours feel too much like networking, which turns many employees off.

Whether it’s after-work-get-togethers at a local brewery or representing the company at a local community event, we gain a different perspective about the people we work with when we see them in a setting outside of the workplace. When we see our work peers out in the real world, so to speak, it tends to increase our connection and sense of belonging.

The Power of Random Encounters

How many random encounters do you have at work each day? We’re guessing it’s more than you can even think of. They’re often so routine that they don’t stand out, but they can have a powerful effect on us.

It could be a quick chat with the barista at the coffee cart or running into an acquaintance in the cafeteria—these encounters cannot be discounted.

Work friendships are important but so are the interactions with the people we don’t see every day. Interactions that include the smile you give as you walk past someone—even the dreaded, awkward long hallway encounter (seriously, when do we make eye contact and say hi?).

These types of interactions provide spontaneous conversations and increase all those biochemicals that give us a sense of well-being.

We won’t even get into all the benefits of friendship in the workplace for an organization and there are many. We’re talking to you, the employee who is trying to find meaning in the work you do but still feeling disconnected. If you can find meaning in your relationships at work, the work itself will come with it.

According to the aforementioned Harvard Business Review article, in a study that included 160 employees across multiple industries and positions, those who considered their work mundane were just as likely to feel satisfied with their jobs as those with fun or inspiring jobs if they invested in their relationships at work.

In remote work, the investment in relationships might feel less organic and require a more proactive approach to connecting with your peers but it is an essential step toward a sense of belonging and well-being.

The next time you’re feeling disconnected from the work that you do, just remember that developing a new work friendship might just be the missing puzzle piece you are looking for to re-engage and flourish.  

Want to know how you can implement a program that fosters friendships in the workplace? Check out our latest HR Trend on building friendships at work for new hires through The Buddy System.