It’s hard to say whether Jim and Pam would have fallen in love over Zoom, but there’s no question the quirks of Dunder Mifflin’s office brought them closer together.
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Future generations may watch “The Office” and marvel not only at Michael Scott’s timeless stupidity, but at the concept of “work friends.”
The office…
… is the second most common place to make friends, behind only “the neighborhood,” according to research from The Wall Street Journal.
But, with only 34% of knowledge workers in the US working in-office full time, that’s likely to change. A couple recent findings highlight why this is bad news for corporations:
- Data suggests workers with a “best friend” at work are more likely to stay at their job.
- Hybrid workers with a “best friend” at work dropped from 22% in 2019 to 17% in June.
Now corporations are taking it upon themselves to forge these relationships, scheduling in-person retreats, on-site training sessions, and virtual coffee chats.
But do workers even care?
A recent survey found US workers consider relationships with co-workers to be one of the least important factors of job satisfaction. Work-life balance and compensation ranked highest.
- Gen Z values work friendships the most, with 16% of 18-25 year olds saying it’s the most important factor to job satisfaction
While it’s unclear how the Dunder Mifflin crew would have fared in a remote work environment, “The Office” cast did reunite for a Zoom wedding in 2020.