Got Friends?

A good workplace experience may depend on them

Want to love going to work everyday? Then you better start looking for a work buddy. According to a Gallup Management Journal study, negative relationships in the workplace often affect employee satisfaction and productivity.

Some Background Information
When conducting this study, Gallup first classified employees into three major categories: engaged, non-engaged, and actively disengaged. Gallup defines engaged employees as "people who work with passion and feel a profound connection to their company. They drive innovation and move the organization forward." Non-engaged employees "are essentially ''checked out.'' They''re sleepwalking through their workday, putting time-but not energy or passion-into their work." Meanwhile, actively disengaged employees "aren''t just unhappy at work; they''re busy acting out their unhappiness. Every day these workers undermine what their engaged co-workers accomplish."

According to Gallup, 29 percent of employees are engaged, 54 percent are not engaged and 17 percent are actively disengaged. Now here''s a number you shouldn''t forget-82 percent of engaged employees felt that their companies encouraged close friendships at work. And 51 percent of employees who say that their companies encourage close friendships at work also report being extremely satisfied with their companies.

Friendship Matters
Perhaps it''s time for companies and employees to re-evaluate what is important at work. Many people have adopted the attitude that work is work and their personal life is something altogether different. However, the truth is employees do not stop being human when they step foot into the workplace. Simply put, people enjoy their friendships. Smart healthcare organizations will take this knowledge and run with it. In turn, they will help build a loyal work force- who is happy to come in and get the job done.