Company Culture, High Trust Behaviour, Employee Recognition, Employee Pride, Employee Trust
Article Highlights
- Workplace Loneliness Impacts Business: Employee loneliness affects productivity, retention, and overall performance.
- Factors Driving Loneliness at Work: Remote work, job roles, and lack of informal interactions contribute to workplace isolation.
- 6 Proven Strategies to Reduce Loneliness: Measure loneliness, encourage social activities, prioritize relationships, and engage leaders..
- Ignoring Loneliness Is Costly: Loneliness increases healthcare costs and turnover, requiring urgent attention from leaders.
Recent studies indicate that the culture within a workplace significantly influences employees' feelings of loneliness and how these emotions affect business performance.
According to Gallup, one in five employees worldwide feels lonely at work. In your organization, you might not even know who those individuals are.
“One of the things that people are getting wrong is they think it’s rare to be lonely at work,” says Constance Noonan Hadley, associate professor at Boston University Questrom School of Business and founder of the Institute for Life at Work. “People don’t talk openly about their loneliness due to stigma, and they also don’t show up in a way that signals to others, ‘I’m lonely.’”
Employees often feel pressure to fit in at work. They may hide their true feelings because of clear workplace norms.
Hadley's new research shows that loneliness is common in workplaces. This study was done with Sarah Wright at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. It also shows that companies can help by changing jobs and environments.
Every company should work to solve this problem. “There’s lots of building evidence about just how damaging it can be for the bottom line of the company,” Hadley says.
“It shouldn’t be assumed that if you’re in the office you’re not lonely, and if you’re working remotely, you are lonely. It’s much more complicated than that.”
Loneliness comes with real business costs. Leaders in different fields, especially in healthcare and management, should get ready for rising healthcare costs. This is because more people are realizing how loneliness affects both physical and mental health. Research has consistently shown that loneliness is not merely a social issue; it is a significant public health concern that can lead to a range of adverse health outcomes.
Loneliness has been associated with a variety of chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and weakened immune function. Individuals who experience prolonged periods of loneliness may also be at a higher risk for mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. These conditions can exacerbate physical health problems, creating a cycle that leads to increased healthcare utilization and costs.
Moreover, studies have indicated that loneliness can contribute to early mortality. Social isolation can harm health as much as smoking or obesity. This shows that leaders must address this problem in their organizations and communities. As the population gets older, more people live alone or feel disconnected. This has a big impact on healthcare systems.
Leaders should consider implementing strategies to foster social connections among employees and community members. This could include promoting team-building activities, creating support networks, and encouraging open communication. By focusing on mental health and social connections, organizations can improve people's lives. This can also lower healthcare costs linked to loneliness.
In summary, the link between loneliness and health outcomes is a critical consideration for leaders. By recognizing and addressing the social factors that affect health, they can help reduce costs for healthcare systems. This also improves the overall well-being of their communities. “Medical research shows high rates of illness and early mortality associated with loneliness, everything from cancer to dementia,” Hadley says. “If you’re an employer paying healthcare costs, then you’re going to be spending more to cover all the medical bills.”
Loneliness also affects productivity, performance, and employee turnover. Great Place to Work® research highlights how meaningful connections with colleagues improve employee well-being, retention, and agility.
What is Loneliness in the Workplace?
The study of workplace loneliness is new. It is not as old as studies on general loneliness, like those about older adults.
Hadley and Wright's latest research looked at 1,000 knowledge workers. These workers were grouped by their levels of loneliness: low, moderate, or high. Their aim was to identify personal and job-related factors that contributed to loneliness.
Which employees are most likely to be lonely?
“Some have said this is a young person’s problem, they grew up on social media or they’re just new in their career and they’re working remotely, so of course they don’t feel connected. That’s not what we’re seeing in our data.”
While personality traits like introversion increased the likelihood that employees were lonely, there are high numbers of lonely employees for every personality type.
Hadley and Wright’s research found that role level and work style both had an impact on loneliness. More junior employees were more likely to say they were lonely and fully remote workers were also more likely to be lonely.
Age was not a factor, Hadley says. “Some have said this is a young person’s problem, they grew up on social media or they’re just new in their career and they’re working remotely, so of course they don’t feel connected. That’s not what we’re seeing in our data.”
Gender also didn’t make a difference, but there was evidence than non-white employees were a bit lonelier than white employees.
Even though full-time remote workers were at higher risk for loneliness, a return to the office won’t solve the problem. “It shouldn’t be assumed that if you’re in the office you’re not lonely, and if you’re working remotely, you are lonely,” Hadley says. “It’s much more complex than that.”
There are large numbers of employees from all work styles and demographics who report being lonely.
For companies, this requires a similarly universal approach to the issue with remedial programs that connect with every employee.
What companies can do to fight loneliness
"If there’s no slack in the system, you are really asking a lot for people to figure out how to bond when every second of their day is supposed to be productive."
As part of their research, Hadley and Wright have six suggestions for companies to reduce loneliness in their workforce:
- Start with a Baseline of Measurement.
Before taking action, measure how your workforce is feeling. Employee surveys using a validated tool or model are essential. “You have to take care to make sure you use good practices, such as ensuring confidentiality, clarifying what you’re going to do with the data, etc.,” Hadley says. The Work Loneliness Scale developed by Hadley and Wright can help organizations assess loneliness effectively. - Identify the Drivers of Loneliness in Your Workforce.
Every company will have unique factors contributing to loneliness. Leaders should expect workplace culture to play a key role. For example, a lack of downtime for informal interactions, like virtual coffee breaks, can lead to loneliness. “If there’s no slack in the system, you are really asking a lot for people to figure out how to bond when every second of their day is supposed to be productive,” Hadley says. - Make Building Bridges Part of Performance Reviews.
Relationship-building is often undervalued because it’s seen as “non-promotable.” Leaders can change this by including it in performance reviews. Ask questions like, “Did you build bridges and foster relationships this year?” - Invest in a Regular Social Calendar.
Consistent social activities help reduce loneliness. “Organization-sponsored social activities should be part of the rhythm of work,” Hadley says. Lonely employees often work in environments with occasional events, but not at the same scale or frequency as employees who are less lonely. - Offer a Variety of Employee Groups or Programs.
While employee resource groups (ERGs) are valuable for underrepresented groups, companies shouldn’t rely on them alone to foster belonging. ERGs can be a great starting point, but the ultimate goal should be to create broad connections across the organization. - Define Leadership Participation.
Leaders play a crucial role in building community. “Leaders have a responsibility not only to show up at these events and help host them but also to be humble enough to say, ‘Maybe I need more networks, too,’” Hadley says. The best leaders see value in forming new relationships for themselves as well.
Conclusion
By following these steps, companies in Canada can create stronger workplaces. These workplaces will support employees' well-being and lead to better business results.
FAQs
- How can companies effectively measure workplace loneliness without breaching employee trust?
Companies can implement anonymous surveys using validated tools like the Work Loneliness Scale. Clear communication about data usage and ensuring confidentiality are key to fostering trust during the process. - What role does leadership play in reducing workplace loneliness?
Leaders should actively participate in fostering connections by attending team-building events, encouraging open communication, and setting an example of inclusivity. They must also integrate relationship-building metrics into performance reviews to emphasize its importance. - Are remote work policies a significant contributor to loneliness, and how can they be improved?
While remote work can increase loneliness risks, it’s not the sole factor. Companies should focus on creating virtual collaboration opportunities, scheduling regular informal check-ins, and promoting team-building activities to strengthen bonds among remote employees. - What strategies can organizations use to foster inclusivity and reduce loneliness among underrepresented groups?
Beyond Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), organizations should create cross-functional projects, offer mentorship programs, and celebrate diversity to encourage broad and meaningful connections across different demographics. - How can social calendars and informal interactions fit into highly productive work environments?
Embedding social activities into the rhythm of work, such as virtual coffee breaks or themed team meetings, ensures informal interactions without disrupting productivity. Leaders should also allocate time for connection-building as part of employees’ work routines.
Tools & Resources
- Company Culture: Cultivate a workplace that reduces loneliness by fostering a culture of connection, trust, and collaboration. Our resources guide organizations in building environments where meaningful relationships thrive and employees feel supported.
- Employee Engagement: Combat workplace loneliness by actively engaging employees through feedback and collaboration. Explore tools designed to identify employee needs and create initiatives that enhance both connection and motivation.
- Leadership & Development: Equip leaders with strategies to address workplace loneliness by fostering social connections and inclusive team dynamics. Empower managers to create supportive spaces that strengthen employee well-being and organizational cohesion.
- Diversity and Inclusion: Address loneliness by promoting inclusivity and belonging. Our tools and programs enable organizations to create diverse teams where every employee feels valued and connected, reducing isolation and strengthening collaboration.
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