What is the importance of human connection at work, whether that is connecting with colleagues, managers, or the organisation itself?
Over the last few months, we have heard a lot about the impact of the pandemic, and how the rise of flexible and hybrid working has changed how connected we feel to our teams, our work, and our organisations as a whole.
Steve Atkinson, Vice President and Senior Manager for EMEA at Enboarder, tells James Marsh in our latest podcast about their recently conducted research. He takes us through a case study to reveal the importance of fostering human connections, which drive engagement and productivity.
What do we mean when we talk of ‘human connection’?
Human connections are becoming a greater priority for business and HR leaders, as they understand what an advantage a connected and engaged workforce can be, outlines Steve.
Enboarder’s recent research surveyed 1,000 workers about their connections in the workplace, how their employers facilitate those, and what notable outcomes happen as a result.
When they asked the respondents who felt most connected to their work, many of their answers centred around their co-workers.
“NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF RESPONDENTS SAID THAT CO-WORKERS HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON MAKING THEM FEEL CONNECTED. ALSO, 25 PERCENT ATTRIBUTED THOSE FEELINGS TO THEIR MANAGER, AND 10 PERCENT TO COMPANY LEADERSHIP.”
– Steve Atkinson
Interestingly, the top three drivers of connectedness in the workplace include connections with other humans. This comes out on top, ranking even higher than things like mission, purpose and values.
Outside of this research, there are obvious benefits of developing friendships within work, Steve argues. Whilst friendships are not necessary to feel comfortable at work, they go a long way to make individuals feel as though they belong.
Do deeper personal connections have organisational benefits?
Yes, Steve says! There are several case studies, including a notable one by Professor Dan Cable that correlates retention and productivity with how valued and accepted employees feel within their organisation.
Essentially, when employees feel like they belong within the workplace, they ultimately stay longer in the role and are more productive.
“FINALLY, HUMAN CONNECTIONS CREATE POSITIVE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCES. AND, IT IS THOSE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCES THAT REALLY BENEFIT THE INDIVIDUAL THROUGHOUT THEIR ENTIRE JOURNEY WITHIN AN ORGANISATION.”
– Steve Atkinson
The best companies around the world today understand this principle. As a result, we are starting to see more commonplace employee-experience-related job titles which, 10 years ago, barely existed!
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Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
