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May 5, 2026
A work bestie isn’t just someone you swap thoughts and memes with. It’s a powerful emotional bond that can make you up to seven times more productive and significantly boost your job satisfaction, research shows.
Unless you work from home, chances are you’ve made at least one real friend at work during your career. It probably started with a joke about a toxic colleague, and then, almost without noticing, the relationship spilled over from the office into real life. Your work bestie became a source of support. This story isn’t rare—psychologists say it’s expected. Friendships at work develop naturally, but not randomly: you and your work bestie are connected by shared values, similar ways of thinking and experiencing the world, and simply spending enough time together.
For a long time, it was believed that close relationships within teams could harm the workplace atmosphere. Companies were even inclined to discourage them, assuming such friendships would reduce team efficiency. But recent research has challenged these assumptions. According to a study by Gallup, at least one-third of employees have formed friendships at work—and their performance is up to seven times higher than those who don’t have a work bestie.
The research also found that employees with a work bestie tend to:
be more productive and focused
collaborate better and share information more easily with colleagues
take initiative more readily within teams and projects
stay with their company longer
Best of all? Friendships at work make us feel more satisfied. As many as 83% of employees today prioritize a positive office atmosphere over salary when deciding whether to accept a new job.
Efficiency and job satisfaction aren’t the only benefits a work bestie brings. Studies show that close workplace relationships reduce stress and feelings of isolation, increase a sense of belonging, and can even help prevent burnout.
Where does this power come from? According to employees, these friendships are built on trust and understanding—the same qualities we look for in friendships outside of work. That’s why workplace friendships carry similar emotional weight and can have a meaningful impact on our well-being.
It’s hard to imagine that such a deep and empowering relationship could have drawbacks, but research suggests that negative effects do exist. People who are close at work may form closed circles, which can leave new employees feeling excluded. Instead of being welcomed and supported, they can sometimes become outsiders—overlooked and marginalized.
Some studies also suggest that strong workplace friendships can create tension when personal and professional boundaries collide, or when an objective evaluation of a colleague’s work is required.
A work bestie isn’t a trivial concept—it’s a powerful psychological resource. Research shows these relationships form naturally (through proximity and similarity), can be incredibly strong, and have a measurable impact: they boost motivation, support mental health, and increase employee retention.
Yes, they come with risks—like closed circles and informal influence—but for now, research suggests the benefits far outweigh the downsides.
Photo: Pexels.com
