Education professionals rely on colleagues for personal and professional support

New research shows that encouraging staff friendships is beneficial for employers

Friendships are important to our overall happiness and the companions we make at work are a big part of this, says new research which reveals that the majority (81.7%) of education professionals consider their colleagues to be their friends.
The research by CV-Library survey of 1,200 professionals exploring how much UK workers value their friendships in the workplace and whether they rely on their colleagues for support. The findings reveal that a staggering 90% of education professionals believe it’s important to get on with your co-workers, with the research outlining several benefits of doing so:

1. They support me through bad times – 60.7%
2. They help me with my workload – 58.9%
3. They make me laugh – 55.4%
4. They listen to my problems – 51.8%
5. They make work more fun – 50%

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library comments on the findings: “It’s great to see that education professionals value their co-workers, with many considering them to be their good friends. We spend a lot of time at work, and as such, a friendly working environment is important. As an employer, it’s vital that you create a good company culture and this should sit at the top of your priority list. Doing so is beneficial for both your staff and your business and can have a number of positive effects on your workplace; from increasing productivity to ensuring staff work well as a team.”
What’s more, education professionals were asked to explain why they believe work friendships are so important, with 40.7% stating that getting on with your colleagues helps you to work better as a team. Others believe that these friendships are vital as you spend every day together (37.3%).
Interestingly, the study also found that the majority (91%) of education professionals believe their work relationships have had a positive impact on their personal life, with 58.3% claiming that they have distracted them from their problems or helped them through problems (33.3%).
“It’s important to create a positive working environment and encourage staff to get along. While it’s understandable that you don’t want your employees gossiping all day, positive relationships are important for improved teamwork and cooperation around the office. What’s more, your employees can help one and another through difficult times. In this case, try to strike a balance; you can arrange social events after hours for staff to get to know one another and blow off some steam outside of work. After all, when employees spend every day together, it’s essential that there’s no negativity or bad feelings – these could impact productivity and morale,” Biggins continued.
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