WorkplaceCulture #CompanyEvents #Socializing #Networking
Have you ever noticed how this sub seems to have some pretty interesting takes on social events and work relationships? 🤔 Like, why is there so much resistance to mingling with coworkers or attending company parties? I recently came across a thread where the responses just seemed so… off.
Here are some common sentiments I’ve noticed:
- "I don’t need work friends, I have other friends."
- "Don’t drink more than 2 beers or risk getting fired."
- "Just show up but leave early."
- "Why would I want to hang out with people I don’t know?"
- "Events outside office hours aren’t worth it because we aren’t paid."
- "No benefit in connecting with people from other departments."
It’s important to strike a balance, right? Not saying you should be the life of the party, but a little socializing can go a long way in networking and building relationships. 👫💼
So, why do you think this mindset is so prevalent here? Is it generational, personal preference, or something else? And what can we do to shift this perspective and encourage more meaningful interactions in the workplace? 🤝
Let’s discuss and find ways to improve our work culture together!
maybe not everyone is a social butterfly like you bro
Maybe because they want to do their job and go hone to their real friends and family? Maybe because they don’t care about being promoted? Good for them if it’s zoomers btw, it means this new generation has balls.
Shhh. The key to this sub is you do the opposite of what people post here to be successful.
… and now you know why some people cannot get a job despite writing thousands of applications.
You can have friends at work without making your whole life about work.
Why get too involved when you can get let go or leave for a better opportunity at any time?
Also work can be like HS sometimes unfortunately, gossipy and cliquey.
I’d personally rather avoid that.
Have been clubbing all night with work friends and it turned out great.l, made life long friends.
Have also had some pretty terrible nights hanging out with co workers after hours and had to end friendships.
So I personally just see work as work.
I think that’s the norm for most, not “being weird about it”
Probably people not looking to climb a ladder and just want to keep a stedy income. Honestly I get both perspectives because I’ve needed to apply both at different stages at my life. I’m older now, so my stance on less alcohol is more due to the inflammation it does in my body. I regularly train (fighting), and I much rather be recovered to keep doing that than keep being the life of the party.
HOWEVER, if weed use was normalized more, I would continue to be the life of the party every time. Unfortunately, in the state I’m in, I have to limit myself to 2 old fashons and sip them slowly with alot of water. When those run out, I go home to avoid more alcohol, not the people. But we can assume it’s a different story if I’m hanging out with coworkers on a state where weed is legal enough for me to go out for a quick smoke break then get back to the party.
People who talk about being human are the biggest slackers and manipulative ime
The “2 beer rule” is well known across multiple industries. Don’t know where it came from, but not an IT thing. And not a horrible idea to promote keeping things professional.
That being said, I’ve been at more than 1 holiday party where the programmers went off into a corner to start programming instead of socializing (parties were in the office).
Agree, basic social skills are many times lacking in the industry. But that’s not surprising given the nature of the job (people who like to work on code all day).
I think people want to protect themselves, simple as that.
It seems very country dépendant as well. I’ve worked in the US and Canada, have found work is very multi cultural, hanging out with your team might not mean the same thing for everyone, to begin with.
Then, work protections are non existent, you have to be very careful.
People commute a long time, and do a lot of remote work.
All of that play a part in not going to parties. I mean, my coworkers in the US would not even take 30 minutes to go have lunch outside taking some sun in.
Very different experience in the center of Paris. Most of my coworkers have no commute or almost no commute.
I won’t get fired for something I said at a party (well, within boundaries of course. Can’t harass someone).
We are mostly from European culture, which is very bar-centric I would say.
I go out with coworkers twice a week. Some are long life friends. It’s a great way to debrief in a non formal way.
It is obviously different when managers come out as well. But you learn a lot about the business in these events.
Going out with coworkers doesn’t mean you have no work life balance. If these are people you have fun with, why consider that fun.. work?
The people at work are not people I would ever be friends with. I can’t be myself around them. It’s taxing enough having to be someone different everyday now I’m being asked to attend social events and be fake there too? No thank you. I did not choose them. I have my own friends outside of work.
>I don’t need to be friends with people at work because I have other friends
In my experience (10 YOE), people who say stuff like this are not the easiest to work with.
I can understand not spending someone’s personal time to mingle with workmates. But for example, during working hours and there’s an event, there will be people who will legitimately sulk instead of *trying* to engage with the people they work with.
When I was younger, I would frequent Friday happy hours after work for several hours. It was a great time.
These days, after a long stressful Friday, I just want to get home to my family.
I do attend our annual party and make the best of it, but I usually leave early.
OP, we just want to do our job and go home. We have lives outside of work.
I am weird about social events because people are weird around me. I just want to talk about video games, anime, and tech but it feels as if the only place I can do so without judgment is online. Furthermore, I belong to the BIPOC community and it’s tougher more than ever to get a job let alone network while keeping one.
Every interaction I have at work with others has to be curated so the other person will feel comfortable and safe around me. I don’t to do that in my social life!
CS is generally for people who would rather interact with computers than other people. How is this surprising?
are there that many company events? I am 50 and have not been at a company that had a christmas party since 2010 and it was a smaller company. Most big corporations dont have these things.
Autism and generally an antisocial field