Hybrid workers are as likely to have close work friendships as on-site workers

Workers in hybrid work environments are just as likely to have real friends at work as those who see their colleagues at work every day. Seventy percent of each of these employee groups have close work friends, according to research published by Provo-based experience management platform Qualtrics.

People who have strong enough work friendships that they would remain friends if they weren’t coworkers are less likely to leave their jobs, according to the report. The study found that just 23 percent of workers with close friends at work are planning to leave within the next six months, compared to 29 percent of those who don’t have close work friends. And 35 percent of employees said that the people they work with are part of their decision to stay — second only to being happy with their current responsibilities.

The new research sheds light on one of the biggest questions about post-pandemic work-life: whether workers would form social connections without the water cooler friendships that have been a hallmark of office life. The research indicates that intentional efforts by leaders of remote and hybrid environments are paying off, and work remains a source of friendships. Just over half (51 percent) of workers say their workplace offers ways to find and connect with colleagues with similar interests, but this is more common among remote and hybrid workers, with 65 percent saying this is available. For on-site workers it’s nearly reversed, with 63 percent saying their workplace does not have such offerings.

“The relationships we form at work play a very real role in our lives, whether it’s commiserating over a tough challenge or celebrating a team win,” said Dr. Benjamin Granger, chief workplace psychologist at Qualtrics. “Even as the way we work changes, the impact of having these social connections is clear. Fostering an environment that encourages and enables people to get to know one another makes for happier employees and can lessen turnover.”

The survey found that among generations, Gen Z employees, 18-24 years old, are least likely to have friends they would stay in touch with (55 percent have such friends), while workers between 45 and 54 years old are most likely to have these enduring friendships (72 percent do).

More than half of remote and hybrid employees socialize with their coworkers both while at work as well as outside of work, the report said. Workers in hybrid environments are more likely to socialize outside the workplace, know what is going on in their coworkers’ lives and be comfortable sharing information about their own lives than those who see their coworkers in person every day.

Remote workers are significantly more likely to have daily check-ins with their team (25 percent), while on-site workers are significantly more likely to say they never have live meetings with their team (22 percent).

While remote work opens up opportunities for employees to be located across multiple time zones, it can also mean irregular working hours. Thirty-five percent of employees have at least one recurring meeting scheduled outside of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This jumps to as high as 60 percent of workers with colleagues spread across five time zones.

The Qualtrics study was fielded in August and respondents were selected from a randomized panel and considered eligible if they live in the United States, are at least 18 years of age and working full-time. The total number of respondents was more than 1,000.