Being at work is no longer seen as a separate life for employees these days. Socialising with your team outside of the office is fast becoming a desirable part of the job, with work being seen to millennials and Generation Z as a key part of who they are and that which is no longer separate from their personal lives.
This shift away from traditional attitudes towards professional environments being a place for all work and no play has meant socialising with your colleagues is now commonplace.
This is an ethos that we embrace here at HR Revolution. Only last week we enjoyed a great team night out together following our AGM. Enjoying a meal and drinks out with each other was a boost for morale and was also an opportunity for us to welcome a new colleague to the team too in an informal and fun atmosphere!
So what are the benefits of colleagues socialising with one another? Put simply team socialising helps to boost team spirit. Employees want to feel motivated by their work and at ease with their colleagues and so a team that feels happy at work leads to a more productive business.
Being part of a friendly, collaborative and supportive company is also going to make it hard for an employee to be tempted to join a competitor, particularly as having an open working culture – not just with regards to their team relationships but towards communication around the goals of the business – helps to give employees a highly-valued sense of purpose (Shapers Survey, 2017).
Let’s not forget though that a team that decides to spend time socialising with each other might strike a feeling of fear in many employers and HR departments. There is always the potential for colleagues to become too relaxed around one another leading to a lack of focus and ultimately a dip in business productivity. However it’s important for companies to remember that people are at the core of their business and if employees feel comfortable enough with each other to hang out outside of work then this is likely to improve retention levels for the business.
Ultimately if your company is equipped with robust business processes and a comprehensive HR support system for the team, then the benefits of friendly working relationships will always outweigh the negatives.
On a professional level socialising within the team can be confidence boosting for junior employees. Mentoring is a fantastic way to bring out the potential in a person and the informal mentoring that can come from having an informal, friendly conversation with a more senior team member shouldn’t be overlooked. Similarly, whilst it’s a delicate balance to strike, managers shouldn’t be too wary of socialising with their teams as the change from a work dynamic can demonstrate their support for an open and supportive company culture.
From introducing successful on-boarding programmes that really help to make a new starter feel welcome, to developing team structures that work for your business, we take the pressure off and build solid, workable HR strategies for business owners to help their businesses grow.
Get in touch with us on 0203 538 5311 or email hello@hrrevolution.co.uk
