While romcoms and holidays like Valentine’s Day celebrate the beauty of romantic relationships, it’s important to realize that all relationships have value in people’s lives — including those in the workplace. Strong personal relationships among coworkers and management foster effective communication, collaboration, and trust.
Research from Gallup indicates that having a best friend at work can advance business objectives through:
- Increased productivity
- Fewer safety incidents
- Increased innovation
- Increased customer engagement
- Improved employee morale
In fact, 44% of employees who report having a friend at their workplace agree that their organization is a great place to work.
HR professionals can help employees build these relationships through team-building activities, employee resource groups, and opportunities for casual interaction, open communication, and peer-to-peer recognition. Discover the keys to helping employees build supportive relationships while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
The Link Between Positive Work Relationships and Business Success
When employees have strong and positive relationships with their coworkers, they want to show up daily to spend time with them. Workplace cultures like these create a sense of belonging and purpose, motivating employees to stay engaged as they strive toward a common goal.
Employees who trust and support each other work more efficiently and effectively together. They communicate better, which fosters increased productivity and performance.
Finally, employees with positive relationships at work feel valued for who they are, not just for the skills they bring to the table. This can make them less likely to leave the company, as they know that this type of workplace is not easy to find.
How HR Can Encourage Team Building, Open Communication, and Inclusivity
If you’re an HR professional looking to build a positive company culture that nurtures strong relationships, focus on these elements:
- Welcoming Onboarding Processes: Set up team lunches and facilitate time for team introductions, happy hours, and other forms of casual interaction
- Team-Building Events: Set up team-building excursions or hire a facilitator to organize activities that foster camaraderie
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Help employees build new connections by encouraging projects that require different departments to work together
- Employee Resource Groups: Create spaces for those with shared identities and experiences to share perspectives, build community, and find support
- Mentorship Programs: Pair more experienced employees with new hires to foster cross-generational understanding and promote collaborative skill-building
- Peer-to-Peer Recognition: Build platforms for employees to publicly acknowledge and appreciate each other’s hard work and contributions
These actions support employee relationship-building throughout the organization, which can lead to better business outcomes.
Addressing the Challenges and Pitfalls of Personal Workplace Relationships
Although personal workplace relationships contribute to a positive company culture, they aren’t without their challenges. HR professionals can ensure the workplace remains supportive and inclusive for all employees by following these tips.
How to Set Fraternization Policies
There’s no foolproof way to prevent workplace friendships from developing into romantic relationships. That’s why it’s important to have clear policies around expected behaviors at work. A good fraternization policy defines what the company deems acceptable in romantic relationships and outlines behavioral expectations.
Consider prohibiting fraternization between employees and their direct supervisors or members of senior management. These types of relationships can sometimes harm productivity, lead to harassment or discrimination claims, or raise questions about the power differential.
What to Do When Friendships Go South
Friendships in any setting come with the risk of fallout. You must be transparent with employees about your expectations in terms of maintaining professionalism in the face of personal conflict.
Consider offering employees training on conflict resolution skills to help them develop the ability to communicate and collaborate well even when they disagree.
How to Maintain Respectful Boundaries With Leaders
There is nothing wrong with leaders building friendly relationships with employees. However, leaders should refrain from granting preferential treatment based on these relationships. Ensure that all policies are enforced uniformly and that poor behavior isn’t allowed to continue just because a leader is friends with a particular employee.
If supervisors find that employees react negatively to constructive feedback or expect preferential treatment, it may be time for a conversation. In that conversation, supervisors should clarify the working relationship and set firm boundaries for what behavior is and is not acceptable.
Strong Relationships Are the Foundation of a Positive Company Culture
Your employees are the foundation of your organization. Building a positive company culture means ensuring they feel empowered and supported at the workplace. Fortunately, the work you do to foster strong relationships can help you accomplish that goal.
Are you concerned about compliance issues as you create programs that nurture a positive workplace culture and strong relationships? VirgilHR can help. Our platform offers guidance on legal requirements to ensure your programs and principles are aligned.
Schedule a demo today to see how VirgilHR can support you in building a culture that moves your organization toward success.
Sources:
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/397058/increasing-importance-best-friend-work.aspx https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/enforcement-guidance-harassment-workplace#:~:text=Because%20a%20%E2%80%9Csupervisor%E2%80%99s,mistaken.%5B165%5D
