People Are More Likely To Quit Their Jobs Once This Happens, According To New Study
Who knew quitting was contagious?
Twinsterphoto | Shutterstock It seems that when you start a new job, the people you onboard with have more of an impact on your future at that company than many people even realize. While some of us tend to preach the importance of not becoming close friends with your co-workers, or having an active barrier between blending your professional life with your personal one, research indicates that the line is blurrier than most people realize.
In a recent study, researchers were able to examine relationships between employees and the probability of an individual quitting their job because of their work friends. The findings proved that we tend to make future decisions about our jobs based on the choices that our work friends make.
People are more likely to quit their jobs if their co-workers start looking for new opportunities.
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The study published in the Journal of General Management found that employees with close relationships with their co-workers tend to follow their lead when it comes to job-hunting behaviors. The study tracked 656 graduate trainees at a global IT services organization, following them from their initial training through their first two years of employment.
Researchers were able to examine co-worker relationships at 6 months and 12 months, measuring how loyal colleagues were to their job and those seeking employment elsewhere after 18 months. They then tracked who actually left the company by the 24-month mark. By the end of the study period, 27% of participants had voluntarily quit.
Data found that when colleagues who started work at the same time began looking for a new job, their fellow trainees would follow suit.
Researchers found that co-workers who trained together or started working for a company around the same time held much more social significance for newcomers than typical co-workers. Their influence seemed to override a newcomer's allegiance and commitment to a company. This influence was found to be even stronger if those co-workers were friendly.
Employees with strong connections were much more likely to be influenced by their peers’ job satisfaction, including searching for new opportunities. On the other hand, the research also suggested that when colleagues were happy at a company, it was contagious, too. Basically, if your work besties hate their jobs and are looking elsewhere, you are more likely to start looking. If your work besties are happy with the company, you're more likely to stay put.
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Compared to other generations, Gen Z is more likely to prioritize friendships with co-workers.
A Glassdoor survey found that more than half, 51%, of all workers and 63% of Gen Z workers said they have a best friend at their job. Those polled admitted that they derive important mental health benefits from having a work bestie, including both support and enjoyment in the workplace, as well as stress relief.
"Workplace friendships will never be the same as friendships outside the workplace, and it’s important to keep in mind that you may need to continue working with work friends even after a friendship sours," Glassdoor chief economist Aaron Terrazas told CNBC. Considering how many young people treat their work friendships as they would friendships outside of the workplace, it's not surprising that if one of their work besties were to leave and find another job, they would quickly follow suit.
It really puts into perspective the idea that people shouldn't become friends with those they work with, but truthfully, it can be a bit hard to follow this mantra with how much time we all spend in the workplace. Work can be quite a dreary and monotonous routine, so having people there to even commiserate with can help the time go by faster and make you just a bit more excited to show up every day.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
