Finding a lunch partner when you start a new job sounds like a challenge, but when you discover how to create friends at work, the next issue is how to turn your coworker into a true friend. And whether you simply truly like them or are in a new city in need of a new social group, it can wind up being up to you to steer your relationship in the direction you want.
“Being able to make friends with fellow co-workers in the workplace is the gold standard everyone should hope to achieve,” says Steve Wang, a human resources expert. “Having a friend at work not only makes the job more enjoyable and fun, it can also boosts productivity levels and increases employee retention rates,” he continues.
According to Jenn DeWall, a millennial life and career coach, there are three key reasons why a work friend can turn out to be a really wonderful real-life friend.
You have something in common, you get to know them well enough to truly comprehend who they are, and you can use the friendship to make work more fun. Hence, putting your effort into developing work friendships is undoubtedly a smart idea, even though you have to strike a balance between professionalism and the capacity to remain composed if the friendship falls apart.
Here are 8 ways to transition a work friendship into a real-life one according to Bustle.
- Take baby steps
- Support them inside the office
- Use social media
- Start with office lunch
- Actually ask them to be your friend
- Find common interests
- Include other people
- Take the risk
Also see: What to do if you love your job, but not your boss
