11 Incredible Reasons Why Having Friends At Work Is Important

There are many people who work better as a team and then some that like to work on their shutterstock_216569365own. However, most people will work better when they are around people they like, it automatically creates a positive working environment. Jeff Fermin said, “I think there’s a humongous benefit from having friends at work. It can alleviate some of the stress that comes from working a lot of hours and makes those high pressure situations easier to deal with.” I couldn’t agree with him more. Those of us that work 40+ hours a week spend more time in the office than we do at home.

Fermin shares statistics he found which proves that having friends at work is not just a great thing to have, but it can make everyone work better:

  1. 70% of employees say friends at work is the most crucial element to a happy working life.
  2. 58% of men would refuse a higher paying job if it meant not getting along with coworkers. 74% of women said the same
  3. 25% increase in morale and productivity for simple things like larger lunch tables
  4. 50% of employees with a best friend at work reported that they feel a strong connection with their company
  5. 1 out of 3 adults has met at least one of their closest friends at work
  6. You are 1.4x more likely to receive praise in the last seven days
  7. You benefit from 137% more personal development support
  8. 35% higher commitment to quality
  9. 1.3x more likely to receive feedback about their progress in the last six month
  10. More than 27% high perceived consideration of their opinions at work
  11. 1.2x more likely to say that they have the opportunity to do what they do best every day

How does your company encourage these types of friendships?

Source: http://www.business2community.com/infographics/11-incredible-reasons-friends-work-important-infographic-01011311#k0PJjV2iwm34GQ3B.99