Should HR Encourage The Growth of Friendships In The Workplace?
One of the biggest challenges that faces any company is finding good talent and retaining that talent. It can be difficult enough to find the right people to fill your job roles, let alone keep them around long term.
There are countless reasons why people choose to leave one workplace for the next, and while many of those reasons are out of your control, some of them aren’t.
Employees who don’t feel valued in their workplace tend to leave quicker than those who do. The obvious answer here is to make your workers feel more valued and included.
A lot of employers want their company to feel like a ‘family’, and create a bond of trust between everyone.
Why Do People Quit Their Jobs?
Pew Research Center claims?that in 2021, the top 3 reasons employees left their place of work were low pay, no opportunities to move up in the company, and feeling disrespected at work. 63% of people cited low pay as their reason, 63% said no opportunities for advancement, but an impressive 57% said they quit because they felt disrespected in the workplace.
Pay and advancement opportunities aside, one thing that can easily be changed is how respected your employees feel at work. Employees who keep totally to themselves and just watch the clock waiting to go home, are less likely to feel any kind of lasting connection to their jobs.
When people feel heard, seen, and appreciated they tend to develop more loyalty to the place that makes them feel that way.
Where Does Friendship Come Into It?
Friendships and trust in the workplace is a game changer. When you have employees who not only work well together but are on friendly terms with each other, the quality of work is going to be better.
Employees who are comfortable bouncing ideas off each other, asking for help when they need it, as well as just making everyone feel happy and acknowledged is key to a smoothly running operation.
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HR Dive says?employees who have a strong feeling of social capital, or the network of people who are working together in a particular environment, are 1.5 times more likely to feel like they belong and 1.5 times more likely to feel engaged while at work.
People like belonging to a group and feeling that they’re a critical part of what makes the group successful. Coming to a workplace that not only treats them well, but actually is a place where they know they have friends who also happen to be colleagues, can really influence how motivated someone feels to do their best.
So, What Can Employers Do To Encourage Friendship Growth?
When a new employee gets hired, try pairing them up with one of your more seasoned employees and let them show them the ropes. Choosing an employee who’s friendly and outgoing is a good way to make your new employee already feel more comfortable and accepted.
Holding events, lunches, or meetings is another way to get your employees to mingle, as well as have some of the people in management seem a little less scary as they also get a chance to mingle with everyone.
The very best way to encourage friendship is by being as friendly as possible yourself. HR, management, and the like should try to treat all employees with the same level of respect, and set a good example of what your company stands for.
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