How Friendships at Work Fuel Success

#Written by our Founder and CEO, our Celebrations Pulse Sunday Letters aim to engage with our community. From sharing stories to welcoming your ideas, we want to help you to express, connect, and celebrate the important people in your life.

The average American spends a significant portion of their life at work, clocking in about 90,000 hours over the course of a career – the equivalent of 10 very full years! Most people do it, of course, to earn a paycheck. But workplaces are also social spaces where we connect with other people.

In fact, we’re more likely to make friends at work than through any other means, including school, our neighborhoods, places of worship, or even through the networks of existing friends, according to the Survey Center on American Life.

Work is good for relationships, and having friends at work is good for business. Data from Gallup indicates that having a “best friend” at work is closely associated with increased profitability, enhanced safety, and higher employee retention.

I believe one of the biggest challenges for companies is creating an environment where people not only want to come to work, but also stay long enough to develop beneficial relationships. So, what’s the secret to longevity in the workplace? It all comes back to creating an environment where friendships can flourish.

A visit to Medford

I got a taste of the role of friendship in workplace longevity when I spoke with co-workers during a recent visit to the headquarters of Harry & David in Medford, Oregon. The company, which 1-800-Flowers.com acquired in 2014, is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year!

More than 260 current employees have been with Harry & David for 20 years or more. To put that in perspective, the average length of time employees spend with one company, per a 2022 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is just over 4 years. When I spoke with them during my visit, they told me about the importance of career growth opportunities and a strong company culture. But, above all, they spoke about friendships.

Lana Hyde is a case in point. She started at Harry & David 40 years ago and worked her way up to her current job in manufacturing planning. Back when she first started, the company was primarily a mail-order business. As the company changed, so did Lana’s responsibilities. She explains:

“I dealt with the physical mail orders that would come in from the post office. And we would have people that would handle each order by hand, so you knew who placed the order, who the recipient was, and whether they wanted a greeting card added. Those days are long gone since people no longer send in paper orders with a check!”

Lana attributes her longevity not just to career advancement opportunities:

“It's just a great place to work. It's like family, and you get to meet a lot of people who become friends. And I'm proud to work here.”

A family affair

The word “family” came up quite often in my conversations. It reminded me of how both Harry & David and 1-800-Flowers.com got their starts as family businesses. (The brothers Harry and David Holmes founded their namesake company after taking over their father’s orchard.)

Many of the employees spoke of how their co-workers were like extended family. But for more than a few, the co-workers were actual family!

Julie Tuter, a senior merchandise manager who has been with the company for 26 years, met her husband on the Medford campus.

“Meeting my husband, of course, is one of the reasons that I love Harry & David so much. And over the years, I’ve also met my best friends with many still here. We formed really strong relationships – they are family now.”

Julie also explained that living in Medford helps bring everyone together. The city of 90,000 is nestled in the heart of the picturesque Rogue Valley. Surrounded by the Cascade and Siskiyou mountain ranges, Medford is a vibrant community known for its lush greenery, rolling vineyards, and orchards that burst with pear blossoms in the spring.

“I think what's unique is you have a group of people that grew up here in and around Medford, and because of that, and because Rogue Valley is small, you really get to know everyone you work with. And as a result, you all become family.”

Community bonds

Dianne Strong-Summerhays, a senior director of customer experience who has been with Harry & David for 22 years, takes community involvement a step further. She’s a member of two bands, both comprised of Harry & David teammates.

I asked Dianne how people respond when she’s performing and mentions that everyone is from Harry & David. The response from the audience is always positive thanks to Medford’s relatively small size, she explains.

“There’s definitely a connection. They either worked here, or they know somebody that works here, or their parents worked here, or they work here now. The attitude people have toward Harry & David is how everyone feels connected to the company since we are such a vital part of the community.”

During my career, I’ve seen the benefits of having friends in the workplace, whether they’re colleagues, business partners, or clients. But the longest-serving employees take it to a whole new level. The stories I heard in Medford highlight the fact that when employees feel valued and connect, they thrive along with the business. It’s an important lesson for bosses and business leaders alike: The secret to a successful life and business lies in people and the relationships they build. All the best,

Jim