Why work friends could be the response to work burning

“I went to the office all day, but I didn’t see anyone.”

“I’m sorry I was late, I was at the back meetings.”

“I was so busy today that I barely had time to eat lunch.”

These are phrases that I recently heard from my colleagues -or the ones I probably said. Lately, it seems that we have focused our workflows on maximizing productivity – and constant involvement – without considering whether we really connect. The “meeting of fatigue” has become an ordinary part of our lexicon, and professionals report increased feelings of burning, loneliness and isolation.

When considering a potential antidote to these problems, an obvious – but powerful opportunity – has grown on the surface: working friends. According to a recent KPMG survey78%of professionals believe that work friends provide positive benefits for mental health, and most believe that these relationships help them feel more employed (83%), satisfied with this job (81%) and connected to jobs (80%).

Work friendship is a potentially underestimated tool for combating many problems that have occurred in our post-Covid work, with apparently less opportunities for spontaneous and informal interactions that have often led to an authentic connection. However, cultivating friendship in this new era of work requires a new look at how we spend our time.

Below are three important factors to consider when trying to favor friendship today.

Reprioritis the connection – and fun – at work

The flexibility around the place where people work, the time dedicated without fulfillment and other policies that help employees manage their time and reduce burns have become more and more frequent. I also saw a transforming change in how companies prioritize the welfare of the employees.

As the emphasis is more and more about the teacher-life balance to the integration of professional life, it will be essential to examine our current workflows and make time for friendship. It is certain that employers can no longer see work friends as a natural by -product to enter the office (only 16% see it as an effective way to make work friends).

This includes the management of a mentality and a change of behavior in which employees are encouraged to connect in periodic moments that make sense for individual teams: the idea together during lunch, celebrating the end of a big project or winning the customer or simply to meet during the holidays. In fact, 41% of professionals met their friend at a social work event, and 40% believe that companies should facilitate work friends through extracurricular activities, such as jobs and happy hours.

Similar to how many employers have implemented dedicated time blocks every week for upside down thinking, they should also consider time for company connection breaks. Whether it is a volunteering, employment with employee resources groups, or recognition of teams or employees, employers and employees can reconfigure work flows to intentionally support the development of work friends – and to build a stronger culture in this process.

Use AI tools to create new opportunities to build relationships

The new tools made it possible for employees to work from anywhere, but the human element – the feeling of community and connection – has endeavored to keep up. As a result, work friends suffer, with 58% saying that a digital channels are a major barrier to friendship.

But technologies such as artificial and generative intelligence can be part of the solution. Many companies and leaders are already encouraging the safe and responsible use of AI and Genai to increase productivity and create value for their organizations. Professionals can identify certain areas of their workflows and daily activities that can be managed by AI and Genai to release time.

This new time can be used by employees for not only more strategic work, but also for building relationships that it is mentor, coach or simply caught up with colleagues. Most professionals (45%) have identified the planning time to connect with the team members on work-related and non-municipal topics as the most effective way to establish and raise work friends.

Encourage managers to find space and lead the change

In this new era of work, managers do not simply supervise projects-help employees to navigate, communicate new business strategies, determine innovation, support employees’ well-being and allow a positive culture. Managers can impact especially in hybrid environments, where, according to our survey data, they have even stronger relationships with their advisers.

As managers continue to grow in their influence, they can also help lead new initiatives before an organization. When trying to withdraw work flows to give priority to the connection, managers can proactive to create space and encourage them to use this time in other ways. For example, managers can examine how a permanent meeting cadence could be reconstituted for virtual trivia or a regular assembly in person.

Also, managers can help change the way teams work for example, programming pre-project planning sessions or “post-mortem” discussions to do brainstorm, celebrate successes and reflect on potential areas. These efforts facilitate the connection while inspiring new thinking, collaboration and growth.

Finally, managers can help the initiatives adapted to different groups of employees, recognizing that the challenges for involvement and connection in the diverse and multigenerational workforce are varied and there is no unique approach. Managers can help eliminate the gap working with their team to ensure that they have built -in time in their programs in a way that works for them.

In the constantly evolving work landscape, one thing remains constant: the value of work friends. A winning winning for all involved, employees benefit from the personal and professional benefits that these relationships offer, while companies build a more involved, more satisfied and connected workforce for long-term success.