Why It’s Good to Make Friends at Work

Three reasons why it’s a good idea to turn colleagues into friends.

One of the greatest things about coffee is how it can bring people together. Think about how many times in your working day, a great conversation, a productive meeting or even a new friendship starts with the words, “Let’s get a coffee?”

72.4% of UK workers are reportedly falling victim to the ‘always-on’ work culture which means that many people are now finding that they’re spending more time than ever working, than at home with their friends and families. Due to increasingly hectic office schedules, it’s even more important to feel a sense of belonging on both sides of the work/life balance. One thing we see firsthand at FreshGround is that office coffee culture is increasingly helping people to forge friendships and better connect people in the workplace.

We look at how making friends at work can actually make people more productive, better engaged and happier.

1. Increased productivity

Having friendships where people care and trust each other at work strengthens teams. This leads to people being more productive and more motivated to do well. Friendships at work also help to improve communication which is key to increasing productivity.

2. Better engagement

An engaged workforce is going to be more loyal to the business. In turn, people will want to stay in their jobs longer increasing staff retention. According to a recent study from Gallup, those that are cited to have a best friend at work are more than twice as likely to be engaged in their work, than those who don’t forge close friendships. This study successfully proved a concrete link between having friends at work and how engaged people are in their jobs.

3. Happiness

A study from LinkedIn found that 46% of work professionals worldwide believe that work friends are important to their overall happiness*.In another study, 70% of people said that friends at work are the most crucial element to a happy working life.

Encouraging work friendships should be part of a wider employee engagement strategy that values and invests in its employees. So take a look at your office and breakout areas, and ask yourself what you can do to help forge stronger connections in your team.

You might consider investing in a bean-to-cup coffee machine since more and more people value high-quality coffee experiences at work. In fact, the average British person drinks around 676 cups of coffee a year so make sure the ones you’re having at work are great ones.

Get in touch

For more information on our office coffee machines or water dispensers, please contact our team on 020 7553 7900 or email hello@freshground.co.uk.