Infographic: How work friendships improve employee engagement

(Editor’s note: This was one of the top viewed stories of 2015. We’re rerunning it as part of a look back at the articles that captivated our readers the most.)

How many times have you felt guilty when your boss caught you chatting away at a co-worker’s cube?

Well, an infographic from Officevibe contends you shouldn’t feel guilty for making friends with and spending time with co-workers during the workday. In fact, it argues that office friendships are directly linked with employee engagement and productivity.

Here are a few supporting statistics:

• Fifty percent of employees who said they have a best friend at work reported feeling a strong connection with their company.

• Seventy-four percent of women and 58 percent of men say they would turn down a higher-paying job if it meant they wouldn’t get along with their co-workers.

• Employees with a best friend at work are 1.4 times more likely than workers without a best friend at work to have received praise in the last seven days.

• Seventy percent of employees believe having friends at work is the most crucial element of a happy work life.

• One-third of adults have met at least one of their closest friends through work.

[RELATED: Find out how internal communications powerhouses JLL Americas, Microsoft and Cleveland Clinic measure their outcomes.]

Want more reasons why work friendships are important? Check out the infographic:

(View a larger image.)

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