About 2 in 5 employees admit to feeling disconnected at work, with 50% adding that meetings offer the only opportunity to make connections. This isn’t just a temporary problem that can be done away with by a simple lunch out or a meeting urging employees to make friends. Instead, the disconnect hints at more chronic issues within the workplace, one that stems straight from the company culture.
A new study by Kahoot! took a closer look at what it calls the “silent resignation” of company culture, and its evaluation revealed some worrying workplace trends. Surveying 4,000 workers across the US and UK, the team found some critical gaps in the workplace that cannot be filled by idle chatter. Over 56% of respondents admitted to wanting closer connections with their colleagues, with 51% of Gen Z in particular expressing a sense of workplace disconnect, despite their desire to bond with colleagues.
The disconnect is apparent both between workers themselves and their link with management, which often determines their connection to the company. About 35% of employees report getting less than an hour of one-on-one time with their managers every week. Not all of the issues boil down to time, either. According to Kahoot!, clear and effective communication is the most requested improvement employees want to see in their managers, indicating that there is a need to address the growing disconnect in company culture from multiple angles.
Employees report feeling disconnected at work, and this isn’t a problem that can be resolved passively. Building company culture is an active responsibility. (Image: Freepik)
Checking In: Employees Are Feeling Disconnected at Work, and It’s Time to Acknowledge It
Employee disengagement doesn’t always look like absenteeism and tardiness. In most cases, disengaged employees know well enough to hide their dissatisfaction where possible, but the pervasive sense of dread and dissatisfaction eventually shows up in their work in one form or another. Slow submissions, unenthusiastic participation, lack of initiative, error-laden work, and a variety of other problems float up to the surface, and over time, employees care less and less about disguising them. The most concerning consequence often isn’t in the work they produce, but in their attitude towards the workplace and how they feel about their experience there.
An employer could offer great benefits and comfortable ergonomic seating to enjoy said benefits while at work, but employees who don’t have anyone to share that enthusiasm with will ultimately turn inwards and cease to actively participate in the things that make the workplace great. The arrival of AI technology has many workers turning to their devices instead of their desk mates, reassured by the fact that they will never be judged by this unfeeling entity. This isn’t a solution and should most certainly ring alarm bells for employers worldwide.
Communication and Connection Are Non-Negotiable in the Workplace
This disconnect in the workplace emerges from both active and passive decisions made at work. Organizations that don’t actively make an effort towards improving their communication standards will find their employees feeling disconnected at work, even without any sudden changes that increase the pressure on the workforce or create more inconveniences that get in the way. As the data from Kahoot! suggests, this starts right from how managers and leaders interact with employees, and trickles down into how employees relate to each other.
Most organizations have employees sit through an overwhelming number of meetings daily, where they are obligated to talk to each other. These interactions contribute towards engagement to a degree, but they aren’t the ultimate standards of good communication, especially when the communication is centered solely on immediate tasks they need to get to at the end of the call. Improving the quality of discussion during these meetings can help some disengaged employees lock into their jobs again, but the brief small talk and banter hardly qualify as enthusiastic communication.
Give Managers the Keys to Company Culture, but Build Engagement Outside of Their Responsibilities as Well
Managers have the power to steer the company culture in the direction they desire, but they cannot solely be responsible for it. Empowering them with training on communication and the authority to work closely with workers is a good first step towards improving matters within the workplace. By increasing the frequency and quality of communication with employees, managers can guide how employees behave within their teams as well.
At the same time, it isn’t fair to overburden them with the responsibility of fixing this problem of loneliness and disconnection themselves, particularly at a time when their teams and responsibilities are expanding. It is just as essential to look at workplace connection as an independent goal and build milestones around it. This can look like:
- Improvements to shared communal spaces where employees can take breaks together
- Resolving complaints employees have against the existing culture and improving psychological safety
- Reducing the reliance on digital communication and increasing opportunities for face-to-face discussions
- Celebrating milestones together, acknowledging the achievements of the employees and the organization as a whole
- Devising opportunities for workers to brainstorm together, not to resolve an immediate problem, but solely to think creatively about unique scenarios and future goals
- Organizing group activities and events where employees can network with colleagues or other industry experts
- Reviving the focus on company retreats and events where employees can actively bond
- Addressing administrative shortcomings so workers spend less time on redundant work and more on the tasks that matter
- Mentorships and reverse mentorship opportunities that give employees an anchor within the workplace
We have all felt disconnected at work at one point or another, and rushed to question why we’re there at all. When this turns into a constant, inescapable feeling, the desire to quit is hard to shut out. Building connections at work, not just to the company goals, but to the company and its people, is something that cannot be left to a later date: it requires active attention and an investment of time today.
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