Friendship and Socialization are two different things though they may sound as the same. Friendship is more personal and informal thing where one seeks care, love, affection and a strong sense of connection. Whereas socialization is not so personal but more to be in a group and is formal.
Normally, in companies when people are hired, they are put into training to learn about the organization, its people, system and processes. All these things start very formally as socialization but with time it may forge friendship with few. Even companies prefer team members to know each other before they start working together. They want a sense of bonding among its workforce to have a productive and better work environment.
What causes friendship in office
Do people go to work for friendship? Of course “no” will be the answer. However, still when they start working, they make many friends in the office. Things start out formally, like meeting and interacting while in training or in team hurdles or outing organized by the company, but within no time they find many of the colleagues have become friends. The causes of office friendship is due to similar stress on the group due to which employees start sharing their work woes and applauds. Initially everyone is careful and formal while speaking but after some time the conversation becomes casual and sometimes personal.
What are the effects of friendship on the employees
Employees are expected to work in office and not to forge friendship. However, a better understanding among its people does help the organization. People are motivated to work better when they are emotionally satisfied and friendship gives such emotional satisfaction to workers. An informal chat with your boss does make you happy. It gives a feeling of joy and motivates you to work better.
At times of hiring, the Human Resource Team considers recommendation from its employees and gives incentives too. We find people asking their friends to join the company. It helps in retaining workforce. When you have lots of friends in office, you would think twice before leaving the group.
The long working hours together in the office brings people close to each other and even choosing themselves as life partners. The workplace, its environment and stress bring them together.
Do friendship forged in office last long
Though, everyone would want the friendship to last forever. Leaving a side a few exceptions wherein there develops a strong friendship. Most of the friendship loses its charm after leaving the organization. New organization means new social groups, new pressures and new colleagues, which may become friends someday. Social networking sites like “Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter” keep them connected. They keep sharing their lives. The friendship, however, fades away with time and distance.
Demerits and Side-effects of office friendship
Office friendship and socialization though sounds good it has its ill effects too on the individuals. At the time of promotion or appraisal, friendships are tested. Promotion of the friend may not be a happy or pleasant moment. It ends up making you compare and ridicule people.
For an organization, too much friendship may result in less attention towards work by its work force. It even sometimes divides the office in many small groups indulging employees in office politics.
As we know, office is a place to work. Most of the time, there is lack of common work-break to share things with your friends as everyone is busy with work responsibilities. At the time of meeting with the client, you cannot end-up chit-chatting with your friends and show a casual and non-professional work environment to the client. Bosses don’t want team members wasting time instead of productive work.
Employees don’t only make friends from same department or team. They tend to make friends from other departments, floors or even building, which results in more non-productive hours of work.
Socialization and friendship at workplace is good when it is part of work and contributes towards improving the quality of work. After college, best friends are found mostly in office. However, till the time, friends are in same office, aim should be less non-productive chit-chat at work. It should be to ease the work-pressure, not to deteriorate the quality of the work.
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