7 Tips on How to Make Friends When You Work from Home

Dog parks and organized dog walks are an ideal way to meet other fur parents, talk about your pets, and maintain a more active lifestyle. If you weren’t sure how to make friends when you work from home, your baby or fur baby might be the answer you were looking for. Although children are a handful and can take up a ton of your time, they’re a great way for you to meet other parents.

It is much easier to reach out and ask a friend for help rather than someone who is just another colleague. You can also bounce ideas off each other and make the workday more pleasant. Next, we took a step back to consider whether friends at work matter.

First, Commit to Being More Social IRL

The key is to put yourself out there and be open to meeting new people. Attend social events, join clubs and organizations, and participate in online communities that focus on your interests. With a little effort, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make friends when you work from home. Send a chat message or email to someone you’re interested in getting to know better, and see if they’re open to grabbing a virtual coffee or having avideo call. You can also look for opportunities to connect with people who share your interests, whether that’s joining a local book club or participating in online discussion forums.

Meet-and-greet video calls are especially helpful if you’re new to a job or to a team. There are plenty of ways to get involved in your local community, whether it’s volunteering for a cause you care about or joining a club or sports team.

How to Get These 11 Renewable Energy Careers [Energy Watch Series]

(Jane, you’re the next target.) But what are the pros of playing it too cool? Probably whatever the work equivalent is to playing alone at recess. Whether you’re onboarded remotely or in-person, BrioHR’s seamless onboarding module helps you manage your first days, weeks, and months in the office, enabling you to make the right first impression. It’s important to note that in-person employees (39%) were also more likely to make most of their friends at work, compared to fully remote employees (22%). Many members of Gen Z have graduated into a remote-heavy workforce, which could explain their lack of work friends.

We found that coworker friendships matter a lot when it comes to creating a happy, energizing and creative work environment. In fact, 95% of respondents said that having a friend at work makes them feel happier. 76% indicated work friends make them more creative, and 74% said they help them be more productive. People tell me that they find me approachable, and I really have no problem making friends. But there are times on the road that I am fine working on my own.

Join a Group, Team, or Class

Attend meetups for remote workers or people who recently moved to your city. Working from homecan be lonely, so take advantage of local coffee shops as your office away from home. Not only will you get out of the house, but you’ll also have a chance to meet new people. Find out if any of your local coffee shops are remote and worker friendly.

If someone asks for travel advice from a place you know well, share your tips. If you have the best recipe for lasagna or blueberry pie, share it, maybe with a photo from the last time you made it. You don’t have to be best friends with how to make friends when you work from home everyone, but ideally you’re generous with your resources and expertise to help those around you succeed and in turn you will be successful as well. This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.

Making friends at work, remotely

Being a storyteller with your funny travel experiences can help a lot to start a conversation. Set up a virtual coffee break, lunch break, or happy hour with them, but don’t ask for an hour, ask for minutes maximum. They’re more likely to say “yes” to a shorter commitment. You could help them imagine what it must be like in your shoes by joking about the challenges of learning about your new organization from afar. When on Zoom, your background—real or virtual—serves as a conversation starter.

• Many companies have affiliate groups for people of color, women, or LGBTQ employees.
• Friendships are also an important element in building a positive company culture that promotes productivity and creativity.
• These spaces are typically set up with desks, access to outlets, and room enough to meet like-minded individuals who are in the same remote boat.
• Some research indicates that loneliness might be as much of health risk as smoking.
• Theorists have inferred that friendships can be forged due to literal closeness.
• The options are entirely dependent upon the friendship you’re choosing to forge, and there’s no one way to go about making a new friend.
• Yes, there are a number of online resources available to help you make connections and build relationships when working remotely.