Talking about personal things at work might not be as taboo with Millennials as it was with the generations before them, according to a study by LinkedIn.
Sixty-seven percent of Millennials admitted that they sometimes share personal information with colleagues, like family problems, relationship details and salary information. Twenty-eight percent of Millennials have sent a text to a supervisor after work that wasn’t work-related.
Though Millennials set the bar pretty high, they aren’t the only ones who value work friendships. Out of the 11,500 employed professionals who were surveyed, 46% said that their work friends improve their happiness.
Work friendships were especially important to respondents between ages 18-24. Fifty-seven percent of respondents in that age bracket said that their work friends make them happy, 50% said friends make them feel more motivated and 39% said their friends helped keep them feeling productive.
Generations were split when it came to whether or not work friendships are a good career move. One-third of Millennial respondents think that it can help their careers to be social at work, but only 5% of baby boomers thought so.
Though work friendships tended to skew younger in the study, 51% of respondents said that they are still in touch with colleagues who they don’t work with anymore.
Some respondents (18%) said that having work friendships increased their competitiveness in the workplace.
LinkedIn’s blog pointed out some good takeaways from the study. For example, since the study shows that Millennials value workplace connections, offices can use this knowledge to increase engagement.
They suggest trying new ways to initiate conversations with Millennial employees, like taking walking meetings or simply asking about their interests.
Public acknowledgement was another suggestion. Taking the time to let employees know they did a good job is a great morale booster, the blog post said.
Please Leave A Comment
Related posts:
Opinion: Millennials are Right about Work Friendships
Are Millennials Too Trusting About the Safety of Their Personal Data?
Millennial Females Bring in the Most Referral Traffic through Social Media
Study: More than Half of American Investors Use Professional Advice for Personal Finance
Most American Employees Are Still Not Engaged at Work