When To Make Friends At Work

As an adult, it’s significantly more difficult to form connections to others. No longer do small schoolroom classes form tight-knit groups of friends. Though university life may provide a similar space, its sheer size and diversity in courses can make it hard to find those with similar interests. Therefore, the only place adults can truly form new friendships is in the workplace.

Most coworkers will at the very least have similar backgrounds, getting increasingly more specific in specialized teams. Many employers even emphasize or encourage team-bonding, which can strengthen relationships. Hectic environments can even bring people together with their shared disdain. Despite all this, proximity itself is not enough to form a strong bond, and it can be difficult to find someone you can truly trust in the workplace.

At the end of the day, people work for the money. It’s perfectly understandable, of course, everyone should be able to make a living, but it does provide an obstacle if your intentions lie somewhere else. The workforce is a volatile place, with mass layoffs occurring on a nearly daily basis, and it can cause people to solely focus on ensuring they can remain employed until a better offer may come along. Anything said or done by a worker can reduce their chances of a safe environment; which may cause others to feel cautious towards strangers, and for some to leverage sensitive information to their benefit. 

Therefore, it may be helpful to suggest meeting outside office hours to a potential friend. With the understanding that everything you say is off the record, conversation can flow without fear. Discovering compatibility can come easier with this form of interaction, and you can figure out your similarities outside of your shared occupation. Finally, being able to perform hobbies you both enjoy without the stress of work, in a dedicated or simply casual place, will help further your relationship beyond general  workplace camaraderie.