Why Employers Should Be Encouraging Male Connection in Their Workplaces

We spend about a third of our lives at work, and so it’s therefore not shocking to discover that 75% of workers say they have formed lifelong friendships with their co-workers.

As humans, we naturally seek out connection. Socialising brings with it a wealth of benefits for our health and wellbeing, including better mental health and the promotion of a sense of safety, belonging, and security. But it doesn’t stop there – a study from Gallup also found that having close friendships at work results in improved productivity, retention, and employee satisfaction.

So it’s clear to see that there is a myriad of benefits for employers and employees alike when it comes to the fostering of social connections in the workplace…and yet, when you start to dig a little deeper, you begin to see that the types of employees who are reaping these benefits the most tend to be women.

There has always been this assumption that women will have a close-knit group of pals who they see and talk to on a regular basis. Whereas in contrast, male friendships tend to be less committal, and are usually bound by a shared activity or something transactional (like a sport). Interestingly, there is some psychology behind this stereotype – the intimate, face-to-face relationships between women have a lot to do with the fact that when women are stressed, they release the hormone oxytocin, which is believed to be the reason why women tend to be more maternal and nurturing. As a result of this, female friendships are based on emotional intimacy and connection, unlike male friendships.

However, as we have seen from the above research, the fostering and maintaining of close friendships can do wonders for your mental health. And this is likely why men tend to suffer with worse mental health, and why suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50. A lot of men lack that social security blanket that close friends can offer, and don’t have a space where they can share the more intimate and emotional details of their life. And this stems largely from outdated ideas around masculinity and manhood, and that to share or express your feelings is ‘girly’.

Yet in actuality, it’s healthy! It’s healthy sociologically, psychologically, and even scientifically. One study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that women with early-stage breast cancer were four times more likely to die from it if they didn’t have very many female friends. Conversely, women with early-stage breast cancer with a large group of female friends had a higher survival rate.

Social connection plays a vital role in our lives, and can even be the thing that ends up saving it. That’s why, for employers, it’s so important for them to be encouraging this culture of connection at work – especially amongst their male employees.

A great way of doing this is by starting up a Men’s Network or Group for male employees. This can be scheduled on a regular basis, and will be specifically designed to encourage men to talk about topics that are considered more ‘taboo’ – such as their mental and physical health. Creating that space to do this highlights that there is space for it – and I guarantee you will be surprised to see just how many male employees benefit from having such a space.  

If you would like to discuss how we can help create strategies to foster connection in your workplace, please get in touch with me at therese@orgshakers.com