Why Work Friends Matter (More Than You Think)

If you’ve ever said “I’m here to work, not make friends,” this video might change your mind. Because having a best friend at work isn’t just nice—it’s a performance advantage, a safety net, and an innovation engine. Do you want 12% higher profitability or 24% higher quality? Then you want a best friend at work.

And if you'd rather watch a video, you can watch it here.

About Me

My name is Reuben and I’m a Gallup certified CliftonStrengths coach with more than two decades of experience helping unlock individuals and companies to their maximum potential.

I’m really excited because this morning I was part of an exclusive group to be the first to hear about Gallup’s updated research on “best friends at work.” 

If you’re in talent or leadership development you might already be familiar with Q12, Gallup’s measurement of employee engagement. But if you’re not, having a best friend at work has research data tying it to real business outcomes. 

But what does having a “best friend at work” actually mean? How does it boost results, and how to build it—without crossing boundaries. We’ll also look at why your strengths change how you connect, so you can create partnerships that make both you and your team better.

Who Should Care

Before we dive in, let me explain the two groups of people this article is for. The first group is if you’re in talent or leadership development or you’re in a leadership or management role. Helping the people on your team develop work friends, especially best friends, is a performance advantage and will help you accomplish many of the other “hard” things your bosses are pressing you for. 

The second group is individual contributors. You might not have anyone reporting to you but you have a great deal of control over not only your individual performance but your individual happiness. You might already know that focusing on your strengths makes it 3x more likely for you to report having an excellent quality of life. Stay tuned to find out why having a best friend at work is also important for your quality of life. 

Why Work Friends Matter

Work is a social experience. When people have a best friend at work, they’re far more engaged and show measurable gains: higher quality, higher profitability, and fewer safety incidents. That’s not fluff—that’s data.

The Big Stat

Employees with a best friend at work are seven times more likely to be engaged. Doubling the number of people with a best friend on a team links to 24% higher quality, 12% higher profitability, and 26% fewer safety incidents.

What “Best Friend at Work” Really Means

It boils down to trust—active, loyal, honest, keep-your-confidence trust. But it shows up in different ways:

• Personal connection—sharing life, celebrating milestones, staying friends even when roles change.

• Shared experience—someone who “gets” your day-to-day and helps you handle stress.

• Mutual investment—hands-on help, hard feedback, and pushing each other to grow.

The headline: there isn’t one “right” template for a work friendship—there are many.

Boundaries Matter

Closeness shouldn’t become gossip or co-rumination. Healthy vulnerability has limits. Great leaders make space for openness while reinforcing respectful boundaries.

Not Everyone Wants One—and That’s Okay

About one in ten people prefer to keep personal and professional separate. Among those who don’t have a best friend at work, nearly half actually want one. Choice and fit matter.

Your Strengths Shape Your Style of Connection

There’s no single strength that “makes” better relationships. Different talents just value different paths:

• Executing themes often bond through reliability and getting great work done together.

• Influencing themes thrive on idea-sharing and tackling challenges out loud.

• Relationship Building themes center on trust, support, and emotional safety.

• Strategic Thinking themes connect through thoughtful dialogue and problem-solving.

Same destination—different roads. Use your natural style; don’t copy someone else’s.

What Great Work Friends Do (In Practice)

Across talent profiles, the best ones: stand up for you, make work more fun, give honest advice, connect you to people and resources, listen to candid opinions, look out for your wellbeing, and support you when you’re struggling.

Quick Playbook: How to Build Powerful Partnerships

Start with trust: keep confidences, follow through, be consistent.

Share experience: debrief tough moments, celebrate wins, compare notes on what’s working.

Trade value: offer help on deadlines, ask for feedback, swap intros to people who can unblock each other.

Set boundaries: vent to solve, not to spiral; choose the right time, place, and depth.

Lean into strengths: pair with complementary talents to see blind spots and spark better ideas.

Work friends aren’t a perk—they’re a performance multiplier. Build them with trust, shared experience, real support, and your natural strengths. Your employee engagement will rise. Your team gets better. And work feels a lot more human.

Download the quick reference sheet to see all 34 Gallup CliftonStrength talent themes and how to build connections at work with each of them. 

Quick Reference Sheet

• Work Friends: How to Build Connections

Contact me for a complimentary consultation if you want to a Gallup-certified coach to lead your next workshop. 

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