With a little effort, you can easily find ways to connect with new people and expand your social life without being a social butterfly. Below are just a few of the reasons to consider strengthening your work friendships. “Some people either do not believe or desire to build the same kind of emotional relationship through technology as they [would] face-to-face,” she says.
- Although it’s not essential to go to every meeting, it’s ideal to show your face every now and again.
- Suggestions include joining local coffee shops or real-life events related to your interests, as well as participating in virtual coffee chats or happy hours with your co-workers.
- So, whether it’s your first day on the job or you’ve been there for a while, here’s how to make friends at work (and avoid sinking into a friendless rut).
- It’s that easy to avoid loneliness and make friends when you work from home.
- You can’t have workplace interaction the way people have in a healthy office when you are working from home.
Meena has worked as an editor and newsroom leader for several major media companies and coaches women journalists through the Digital Women Leaders media coaching program. Just because you’re in the market for new friends doesn’t mean your colleagues are, Duffy says. Next, reach out to your broader department and to other colleagues you find yourself collaborating with on projects. Being the new person in the office is a license to get to know people.
Assume you’re starting from scratch
Instead, follow up in small ways — asking questions based on something you discussed or sending something that reminded you of what they said (work-related or not!). Just like networking externally, networking internally requires action on your end to keep the relationship going. While introductions are a great way to get some background on someone you’re working with, they https://remotemode.net/ can often be awkward — especially over Zoom! The best way to build social capital at your company is to be specific with these introductions. Prepare questions you’d like to ask them about their role and work, and take notes. This will keep the conversation flowing and give you valuable information about what role they play in the company, and how it relates to yours.
Many companies have affiliate groups for people of color, women, or LGBTQ employees. They may have clubs for particular interests (like volunteering) or work-related committees that focus on specific projects or initiatives within the organization. Let’s say you heard a coworker Megan mention in the all-staff meeting that she was late because she was putting her kindergarten son on the school bus for the first time. After the meeting, send her a message telling her you know exactly how that feels – you just dropped your three-year-old off at her first day of daycare. Dee Ann Pizzica, engineering manager at Atlassian customer BRD has worked mostly remotely since 2009. She always starts her weekly staff meetings with a different icebreaker question.
Make an effort to meet your coworkers in person when you can.
Even if you don’t make lifelong friends, you’re at least giving yourself the chance to be active and happy through work-life balance. If you don’t have any kids or aren’t planning to, the same idea works for your pets. 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.
- Everything requires consistency, and so do social interaction sessions.
- But the shift to remote work environments means that you may have to get even more creative—and be more persistent—about planning social activities with coworkers.
- For the most part, tryouts are not a thing that exists with community run recreational activities.
- It is that simple sharing of experiences, sharing of knowledge that happens organically and through osmosis, when we interact with people in the workplace,” she says.
With the current state of the world, many people are struggling with social skills and isolation. Making friends at work can help combat these issues and make going into the office a lot more enjoyable. Making friends as a remote worker doesn’t have to be difficult.
How to Cowork Remotely With Friends—or Strangers
That’s why The Wall Street Journal recommends joining forces with other colleagues to make friends at work. This could involve setting up a virtual coffee date or how to make friends when you work from home happy hour or simply talking more in a Slack channel. Interestingly, this need for human interaction has not changed even in the era of remote work.
Show a little bit about who you are with your Zoom background or pet photos. Ask follow-up questions when others are sharing, and try to connect what they’re saying to your own experiences. Be an active listener, and avoid being on your phone or doing other things on your computer during meetings. By being yourself and showing interest in others, you can keep being patient and wait for connections to follow. Small interactions can build up over time, and make it easier to reach out to the coworker you’ve discussed Succession with when you want to ask a question about their team’s work. He first put together virtual social events, like online happy hours and scavenger hunts, and, starting in late March, added in-person meetups at safe outdoor venues in the Seattle metro area.