18% of Your Coworkers Don’t Want to be Friends with You

You know that coworker who’s all business — never comes holiday parties, never discusses last night’s reality TV shows at the water cooler, and never gives you a peek into his or her private life? Or perhaps you are that worker — a recent Monster poll asked, “How important to you is developing friendships with your coworkers?” And a solid 8% said, “Don’t bother me; I’m working!” (Friendlier folks were by far in the majority.)

• Very: Friendships make work a lot more pleasant. 30%
• Somewhat: It’s nice to have friends at work, but I don’t force it. 44%
• A little: I don’t usually socialize with coworkers. 10%
• Not at all: Don’t bother me, I’m working! 8%

(1,334 total survey respondents)

Of course, it’s smart to keep things relatively professional at the office or the job site — but a recent Harvard Business Review article pointed to research that says, in part, that “being agreeable can often bring more promotions and bigger salaries.” This is in part because, the report says, “likeable employees may bring more business to a company because they have better rapport with customers.”

For more on how to be “friends at work,” check out these Advice articles on Monster.com:

> Workplace Friendships: Asset or Liability?

> 10 Ways to Lose Friends and Alienate Coworkers

> When a Friend Becomes Your Boss (or Vice Versa)

> Networking Secret: Make Business Relationships Personal

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