LinkedIn’s Relationships @Work study found that 46 percent of workers feel that their friends at the office contribute to their happiness, both at work and at home. Millennials were the most likely to report positive impacts from their office friendships.
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Gen Y workers said that their work relationships benefited them in the following ways:
- Happiness: 57 percent
- Motivation: 50 percent
- Productivity: 39 percent
For contrast, 45 percent of workers aged 55 – 65 said their work friendships “have no bearing on their work performance.” However, in PayScale’s Generations at Work data package, baby boomers were most annoyed by their co-workers and bosses; for millennials, the chief complaint was about salary.
Perhaps that’s one reason why the youngest working generation is more likely to discuss salary with their colleagues.
“We’re also seeing a shift in how personal these relationships get: 67 percent of millennials are likely to share personal details including salary, relationships, and family issues with co-workers, compared to only about one third of baby boomers,” writes Catherine Fisher, Director of Corporate Communications at LinkedIn. “I come from the generation where it is taboo to talk about salary, but knowing that this is changing, I won’t be so taken aback if a fellow co-worker starts dishing details on their personal life to me!”
Forging close relationships with co-workers has benefits, regardless of your generation. Fisher notes that she got her job at LinkedIn via her connections. Her boss and two other teammates are former colleagues from previous employers.
Maybe it’s time for the other 54 percent of us to take a second look at the value of the office BFF.
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