As the number of ‘quits’ continues to rise during The Great Resignation, employers are asking how they can keep their valuable talent on board. In this guest post, John Marquez of Optimist shares how lack of workplace connection is one of the reasons employees might consider leaving — and options employers can consider to help retain their top talent.
In the past few years, the workplace environment has changed 360-degrees. Now, what we refer to as the ‘modern workplace’ can get extremely lonely and disconnected for employees. Some of this loneliness can be due to the different work modes, including hybrid, fully remote, and in-person. As a result, employees can find themselves seeking to make meaningful connections or bond with their colleagues. In fact, according to a recent survey, 60% of employees are considering leaving their current roles due to a lack of workplace connection. In such cases, if the company’s management doesn’t help improve this, you could lose valuable resources and see an increase in your attrition rate. With more companies investing in employee wellness, it’s crucial to take strides in that direction if you’re looking to hire the best resources. Here are some ways to help your employees feel more connected and, therefore, more invested in your company long-term.
Communication is Still the Key
Companies must maintain two-way communication: the flow of information from top to bottom, followed by feedback from the bottom to the top. For example, leaders and managers should maintain a continuous flow of dialogue when assigning work. You should make sure employees have a clear understanding of the assigned task, follow up afterward, give feedback upon job completion, and be open to discussions to maintain an effective work environment. This can counteract any lack of workplace connection, increase employee engagement, and eliminate confusion and misunderstandings.
It’s especially important for remote workers and employers to use all of the communication platforms at their disposal, including video conference platforms and instant messaging tools. Employers can also encourage remote workers to interact with each other socially online, perhaps with virtual gatherings like coffee breaks or trivia events.
Group projects and team meetings are techniques for engaging peer communication that can help combat the challenges that come with miscommunication. When employees are open to voicing their opinions and brainstorming ideas together, they feel valued and work more productively. It also results in a healthy work environment.
Make Employees Part of the Community by Being Transparent
With social media and the internet, we have become accustomed to speedy, transparent, and open communication. In such a scenario, it is critical to keep your team informed about the company’s status, whether it is a difficult period or a moment of great achievement. Furthermore, maintaining transparency between the company and its employees builds trust, leading to a feeling of belonging, a key component of talent engagement.
Business Process Automation can Do Wonders
Automating business processes is generally related to increased productivity and saved costs. However, another main benefit of workflow automation is enhanced employee satisfaction. Satisfaction increases because employees have a chance to work on more challenging and interesting tasks instead of spending time on mundane tasks. Furthermore, with better implementation of automation in your business practices, employees will feel like their best work is supported and won’t have to spend more time on menial tasks.
Training can Bridge Many Gaps
In today’s fast-paced world, employees must stay up to date on the latest technology, tools, and methods that they may use to make their jobs easier and more productive. The majority of employees will relish the opportunity to learn if they like to work in an environment that is both fresh and engaging, instead of one that is monotonous.
They will be motivated and eager to demonstrate their new abilities, resulting in improved output. In addition, by investing in training, employees will feel the company cares about them and their work, enabling them to form a sense of trust and connection.
Moreover, training employees can increase their motivation while also serving the company’s bottom line. For example, when dealing with consumers, well-trained personnel have a higher confidence level. As a result, they might deliver better service, resulting in happier and more committed customers. Also, why hire new people when you could just train and promote your current employees?
Appreciate, Praise, Incentivize, Repeat
Employees need praise for their efforts. Monetary incentives, benefits such as flexible work, or just a simple thank you or applause could boost their confidence and make them feel happy. When workers are recognized and rewarded, they feel appreciated and valued at work. A comfortable and appreciated employee will work more efficiently and produce faster and better results than an unrecognized employee will. And hopefully they won’t feel the lack of workplace connection that employees who are not appreciated might feel. Incentives also increase company morale and build successful cultures.
Promote a Healthier Lifestyle
Introducing wellness programs or incentives that promote health is an excellent way to engage employees. Being healthier affects the overall productivity of employees; they work better and are more efficient.
Organizations can increase retention by helping their employees become healthier and more productive. Moreover, another benefit is that healthier and happier employees do not take as many sick or personal days. But, it’s important to promote not just physical but mental health awareness.
A few ways to promote healthier lifestyles would be to:
- Encourage walk and talk meetings
- Organize events that involve physical activity
- Gym membership incentives
- Organizing health campaigns, not just for employees but also contributing to social events in the community
- Have counselors available for employees who feel the need for counseling
Engage with the Community
Another great way to reduce the lack of workplace connection that some employees might feel is to encourage them to participate in, and give them time off for, community service to show them that the community matters. Sponsor community activities and work to benefit the community as a whole. Allow employees to choose their community activities and learn about their hobbies and interests outside of the workplace. Nothing helps people connect better than doing things together!
Lack of Workplace Connection can be Improved!
As companies shift between different types of work schedules and arrangements, employees can sometimes have a hard time maintaining connections with the company and their teammates. Therefore, it takes a concerted effort to implement programs that increase your employees’ connections. Still, the work is worth it to limit attrition and increase chemistry through the company, leading to better performance and a stronger bottom line.
What tips do you have for connecting virtual teams and encouraging engagement? Share with us! Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube to share your thoughts. We’d love to hear from you!
Author Bio
John is a coffee-loving digital marketing professional at Optimist. He spends most of his time testing different strategies and in his spare time, argues his findings with his dog, Zeus. You can follow him @J_PMarquez.
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