Co-worker, collaborator or even comrade, there’s a host of ways you can describe your workplace friendship. At Wellhead Electrical Supplies, we’re proud to promote a workplace culture centred around partnership, knowledge transfer and professionalism. Behind the doors of our facility based in Aberdeen, our team has not only developed an impressive skill set but lifelong bonds with their peers.
Promoting workplace friendship has several benefits, including increased job satisfaction, boosted productivity, and lower turnover. But it isn’t always plain sailing. Workplace comradery can sometimes result in unwanted outcomes such as restricted room for constructive criticism and risk of favouritism.
We’ve been inspired by the business community and their reaction to International Friendship Day on the 30th of July. With debates about the impact of working from home and its effect on company culture taking centre stage, we explore how we’ve found a balance between colleagues and comrades at Wellhead Electrical Solutions.
Friendship in the workplace
When we look back at our careers, it’s unlikely we’ll remember the day-to-day bustle of emails or meetings. We often reminisce about the people we’ve met along the way. We spend a large proportion of our lives at work, and naturally, we build strong bonds with those we call our workmates. Friendship in the workplace is essential for team cohesion and overall fulfilment. After all, we’re all human. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Wildgoose, 57% of respondents said friendship in the workplace makes work more enjoyable. With working from home becoming commonplace globally, how can we maintain and build genuine connections with our workmates? How will this impact job satisfaction? At Wellhead Electrical Supplies, we’ve cultivated a culture of togetherness which, in turn, has resulted in a collaborative working environment. With a ‘we’re in this together’ attitude, our team works towards a common goal, and this shared vision is only ever magnified by workplace friendship.
Why promote friendship in the workplace?
Productivity, job satisfaction, improved mental well-being and enhanced collaboration are just a few benefits of workplace friendship. Interestingly, according to a 2018 Gallup poll, friendship at work doesn’t only leave you feeling warm and fuzzy – it has a genuinely positive impact on overall business operations. The Gallup study found that safety incidents decreased by 36% and profits increased by 12% when 60% of employees in an organisation have a ‘work best friend’. Why might this be? Happy employees = happy customers. A LinkedIn study has found that 46% of professionals believe having work friends enhances their overall happiness, and the proof is certainly in the pudding. Our team has reaped the benefits of cultivating workplace friendships. Even the simplest gestures such as comradery over lunch breaks or out-of-work get-togethers have positively impacted our working environment. After all, it’s much easier to remain passionate about the task when surrounded by like-minded individuals with whom you have a genuine connection.
What about when friendship results in frustration?
It’s not all collaboration, productivity and happiness when it comes to friendship in the workplace. In fact, there’s a fine line between the benefits and drawbacks. It’s important to find a balance between the inevitable banter and the challenges that can arise when we cross the line from colleague to a friend. When workplace friendships go amiss, the negative impact can be detrimental. Favouritism, exclusivity, lack of work-life balance and blurred boundaries are all risks associated with friendship in the workplace.
Wellhead Electrical Supplies is proud to have developed a workforce that’s both professional and in tune with one another. While we certainly bang the drum for friendship in the workplace, we believe a balanced view and approach are necessary to prevent adverse outcomes associated with favouritism and constricted room for feedback. If you want to learn more about our dynamic team, click here or visit our LinkedIn page for further insights.
