Workplace friendships: Why they're so important
From The HR Hub by WRKdefined Podcast Network
May 5, 2026 · 28 min
About this episode
This episode discusses the importance of workplace friendships and how to foster connections in modern work environments.
Workplace friendships are pretty important: they are a primary driver of employee engagement and retention. And, of course, just a nice workplace where people actually want to be. In this episode, Ryan Jenkins explains how modern technology is leading us us to prioritize convenience over connection, inadvertently increasing professional isolation. Which we can't ignore because it undermines organizational performance. We explore the "Team Connection Model" and discuss how HR leaders can move beyond ho-hum team building toward meaningful team BINDing. You will learn about the role of synchronization in team health, why Gallup has refused to remove the "Best Friend at Work" survey question , and practical ways to foster connection in remote or hybrid environments. It's not at all impossible and, now, it's more important than ever. 00:00 The decline of workplace connection 01:32 Choosing convenience over connection 03:50 The lake village vs ocean community - the setup matters 06:56 Why Gallup asks about best friends 09:09 Communication vs true connection 11:21 Scaling connection with technology 16:13 The three psychological 'nutrients' 20:06 Team building vs team binding 21:48 The…
People in this episode
Guest: Ryan Jenkins
Topics covered
- workplace friendships
- employee engagement
- professional isolation
- team building
- remote work
- organizational performance
Keywords
- workplace connection
- employee retention
- Team Connection Model
- synchronization
- hybrid environments
- communication
- team health
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Gallup, WRKdefined Podcast Network
Products: Connectable
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