Does personal talk at work really matter and strengthen employee relationship? Or is it a hindrance to their job performance?

As organization it should be have good communication with your co worker to share that what is the thought each everyone in a positive aspect and share there knowledge and good team work.

I strongly believe in this. A short personal talk would create wonders in terms of work delivery along with zero flaws. Mostly an employee would tend to decrease his/her stress level with just one phone call.

Example would be calling wife and asking about her whereabouts and knowing if she has reached the designated place safely or not.

When I saw your question I remembered a book I read called communicate with confidence. Mostly the writer focused to figure out a main difference between old management school and the modern perspective. An organisation is made from different persons, that means every single action is personal. Employees motivation, actions, reactions and attitudes is directly related to their personal characteristics. An answer to your question will be that personal talk or expression will always exist but a professionalism approach should always persist when personels are sharing private talks. I suggest that personal chatting should never be a tide or a commitment that would affect the purpose of being at work.

Best,

Giovanni.

Like most things, some is good and too much is bad.

Always remember that employees are humans first and employees second.