{"id":84324,"date":"2025-05-01T09:03:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T13:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/isarta.com\/news\/?p=84324"},"modified":"2025-05-06T16:07:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T20:07:44","slug":"five-years-later-what-has-become-of-workplace-friendships-in-the-post-pandemic-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/isarta.com\/news\/five-years-later-what-has-become-of-workplace-friendships-in-the-post-pandemic-era\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Years Later: What Has Become of Workplace Friendships in the Post-Pandemic Era?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Five years ago, the world was upended by a global pandemic and strict public health measures. One of its lasting legacies has been hybrid work\u2014and with it, a radically transformed relationship to the workplace. So, what has become of friendships at work? Is it still possible to build lasting bonds with colleagues? Here\u2019s what we know.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start with some stats. According to a recent KPMG survey<\/a>, the vast majority of workers recognize the importance of workplace friendships: 78% see them as a factor in workplace well-being, 83% say they increase engagement, and 81% believe they boost job satisfaction. Gallup\u2019s research<\/a> adds that workplace friendships also contribute to employee retention\u2014a finding echoed by 85% of employers surveyed by Harris Poll<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, one might ask whether the widespread adoption of hybrid work hasn\u2019t made it harder to form close workplace relationships. In 2022, a Gallup survey<\/a> showed that only 20% of U.S. workers reported having a \u201cbest friend\u201d at work. A 2023 survey was more optimistic: 1 in 2 workers said they had a workplace best friend. Gen Z appeared to be the least isolated, with 63% saying they had such a friendship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinking Differently, Seizing New Opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myl\u00e8ne Jean St-Gelais, an HR advisor, is quick to admit that she\u2019s lost touch with some colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cNow that we can choose to work remotely or in a hybrid model, I only see the same people. Some just don\u2019t come into the office anymore. You have to adapt and think differently.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For Am\u00e9lie Lamarre-Lalonde, a language editor, remote work has created new opportunities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cIn my previous job, I met my best friend because<\/em> we were able to work fully remotely. I wouldn\u2019t have met her otherwise, since we don\u2019t live in the same area.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

That virtual friendship has since crossed into real life, with occasional in-person meetups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quantity Doesn’t Equal Quality<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karine Rahmani, digital marketing consultant and Isarta trainer, agrees that remote work has actually strengthened<\/em> her friendships. In an interview, she reminded us that physical proximity doesn’t always lead to meaningful or lasting relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWith remote work, you don\u2019t have to pretend to like people you\u2019re forced to be around five days a week. I think the friendships are more genuine because they require more curiosity and intentionality than when you see someone every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s always placed a high value on workplace friendships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cRemote work helped me deepen the friendships that truly mattered,\u201d she said, enthusiastic about the possibilities offered by hybrid work. \u201cWe\u2019ve never had so many ways to stay connected. I started my last role fully remote and came out of it with some beautiful friendships\u2014because we also made the effort to meet up in person.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Five years ago, the world was upended by a global pandemic. One of its lasting legacies has been hybrid work. So, what has become of friendships at work?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":84330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[17,158],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/isarta.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84324"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/isarta.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/isarta.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isarta.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isarta.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84324"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/isarta.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84324\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84361,"href":"https:\/\/isarta.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84324\/revisions\/84361"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isarta.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/isarta.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isarta.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isarta.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}