Vermont, New Hampshire, and Minnesota Have Best Coworkers

As more employees head back to the office and some consider a job transfer, CapRelo, a global employee relocation and assignment management firm serving private and public sector clients, recently commissioned a survey about what makes a great coworker. The top trait of a great coworker is being collaborative.

“We were curious about the connection between colleagues—especially as more are going back into the workplace and juggling a hybrid work environment,” explained Barry Morris, CEO, CapRelo. “Not surprisingly, we learned that working together with coworkers is very important. The results underscore the importance of work culture, and for those embarking upon a relocation for work, understanding how coworkers interact helps integrate into a productive environment faster.”

According to the survey, these traits define a great coworker: collaborative (35.9%), honest (22.1%), adaptable (14.6%), and communicative (10.3%). They identified the worse coworker behaviors as passive-aggressive (33.7%), excuse making (18.4%), entitled (15%), gossipy (14.6%), and control freak (14.4%). These bad traits contribute to 72% of Americans feeling worried that work will not get completed if they are away from the office.

While “fun” was not among the most important traits mentioned, it can still be an important part of work for many Americans, especially younger ones. Every generation agreed that it was more important for a coworker to be good at their job than fun. However, nearly 45% of Gen Z respondents think a coworker being fun to work with is more important than being good at their job, compared to just 16% of Baby Boomers.

The survey ranked states based on their number of best coworkers. Based on survey responses, the national average was 3.79 out of 5. Those on the West Coast and in the Northeast tend to have higher coworker ratings than those in the South and Midwest. Among the states, Vermont is tops, garnering an average rating of 4.05 out of 5, making it the state with the nation’s best coworkers. Minnesota and New Hampshire tied for second.

Coworkers are important parts of people’s lives. In fact, the survey revealed that 65% of Americans talk to their coworkers outside of work, 68% keep in touch with coworkers from previous roles, and 20% said they would apply to a job just to work with an old coworker again. Coworker relationships are so important that 45% of those surveyed feel comfortable venting to their coworkers about personal issues and 19% feel close enough to their coworkers to tell them things they would not even tell their family.

For the study, CapRelo surveyed 2,000 people from every state and asked them to rank their coworkers on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being poor and 5 being great). To gain additional insights into what makes a great coworker, the survey queried Americans about the best traits of a coworker; how much they trust their coworkers; and how working from home affected coworker relationships.

CapRelo is a full-service corporate relocation company that manages worldwide relocations and assignments for major companies. As a trusted, agile, and proactive relocation services partner, CapRelo focuses on strengthening global mobility programs, containing costs, and serving clients and their employees. www.caprelo.com.

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