'Workplace childhood friends' redefine loyalty

Young employees find motivation, strength in first-job camaraderie

In China's increasingly high-pressure labor market, a new sociological term is gaining traction among Gen Z and millennial professionals: "first-job colleagues", or more colloquially, "workplace childhood friends".

The term describes a specific bond between entry-level hires who enter a company at the same time. Unlike the strategic networking of senior management, these relationships are characterized by "trauma bonding" through initial professional failures and the steep learning curve of transitioning from academia to the workforce.