Lone dangers
Is loneliness a problem in the workplace?While many people spend a large part of their waking hours at work, there are those who find it difficult to connect and engage with colleagues and more than 40% do not have a single close friend in the workplace, according to a survey of 5,000 people by relationship charity Relate. Should company management be taking an interest in whether their employees are experiencing loneliness in the workplace? And, if so, what could they do to combat the issue?
There are compelling reasons for organisations to act, and not just for the personal good of staff. Research shows that loneliness at work can affect people’s productivity. A 2011 study by professors from California State University and the Wharton School of Business¹ found that “greater employee loneliness led to poorer tasks, team roles, and relational performance”. The study findings also revealed that co-workers can recognise this loneliness in another employee and can see it hindering team member effectiveness.
It stands to reason that if one person is unproductive due to loneliness and feelings of isolation, their lack of activity could impact on others around them, especially if they are working as part of a team. And of course there is also a risk that one person’s poor mood could have a knock-on effect on the morale of others.
So management should not treat workplace loneliness as a private problem that needs to be individually resolved by employees who experience the emotion. It should very much be viewed in a wider context as an organisational issue that needs to be addressed for the employee’s sake, that of the other people who work with them, and the overall good of the business.
The impact of isolation
Of course the primary reason for employment is for people to perform the tasks and duties related to their job in return for payment. But employers cannot totally ignore the fact that there is a social context to work: employees will more than likely form relationships in the workplace – and it is better for the organisation if they are positive and affirming.
Even if individuals are not working as part of a team, it is likely there will be other people around them. And when individuals are not connecting positively with the people they spend so many hours a day with, they experience feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Relationships matter at work because they help employees feel connected to the organisation, making them more motivated and productive. To put it another way, the quality of people’s social associations in the workplace can have an influence on their emotional wellbeing, and this in turn can influence their engagement and performance levels.
Moreover, it is important for employees not to feel isolated from their peers and managers. After all, it is much easier to share feedback, ask for advice or discuss work problems with someone if you feel connected and have cultivated a relationship with that person.
The importance of good workplace relationships is highlighted in The Progress Principle, a study published by the Harvard Business Review. The authors, Amabile and Kramer, studied nearly 12,000 daily diary entries from over 200 professionals to understand how everyday events at work can impact employee engagement and creative productivity.
The study identified the positive impact on workplace motivation and engagement of ‘nourishers’ – everyday acts of interpersonal support, such as respect and recognition, encouragement, emotional comfort, and opportunities for affiliation. These findings illustrate the benefits of employees feeling connected with colleagues and being supportive of each other.
Interestingly, it turns out newer generations are more likely to recognise the importance of workplace relationships than older workers. A LinkedIn study of 11,500 fulltime professionals reveals 50% of millennials (those born in between the 1980s and early 2000s) say that having workplace friendships helps them feel more motivated, while 39% said they make them more productive. 57% said having friends at work made them happier. And one in three millennials believe that socialising with work colleagues will help advance their career.
By contrast 45% of workers aged 55-65 in the LinkedIn study said that ‘friendships with colleagues had no bearing on their work performance’.
The growth of new working patterns
However, while younger people seem to place greater value on workplace relationships, recent trends in flexible working and homeworking could exacerbate problems of loneliness and isolation. The number of people working from home is increasing in the UK, with Office of National Statistics data showing that there were 4.2 million homeworkers in the UK in March 2014 (13.9% of the working population).
In the US, 24% of employed people report working from home at least some hours each week, according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics. Others adopt flexible working hours to fit around other commitments, meaning they may not be in the office at the same time as many co-workers.
Those who work predominantly from home are likely to suffer the most with loneliness and isolation as they cannot benefit from the face to face support and comradeship of co-workers.
Solving the problem of loneliness at work
The American Psychological Association suggests “loneliness can decrease productivity, squelch creativity, negatively affect colleagues and ultimately hurt the organization’s bottom line”. It provides practical advice to company leadership on how to combat isolation in work environments.
The recommendations include the suggestion that leaders spend more time walking through the workplace as a way of making themselves more visible and accessible so as to ensure that employees can come to them if they have problems or are feeling isolated. Leaders also need to devote time to listening to employees, using a mix of one-to-one talks for more reserved employees and conversations at company social functions for more outgoing workers.
It is important for HR departments to monitor the potential feelings of loneliness and isolation among employees by including relevant questions when they collect employee feedback and research. Sometimes it is easier for employees to reveal problems such as this in anonymous engagement surveys.
More than anything, it is essential to foster an open culture in which employees are given opportunities to connect and bond with each other. Practical steps can include introducing buddying schemes for new recruits to ensure they are well integrated right from the point they come into the organisation. Supporting formal and informal social events are also ways to help bring staff closer together and engender feelings of solidarity.
Perhaps more companies should follow the example of the new generation of successful businesses that are geared towards creating a culture of togetherness and inclusivity which should work against feelings of isolation. Google, for example, prides itself on having offices and cafes “designed to encourage interactions between Googlers within and across teams and to spark conversation about work as well as play”.
If individual employees are feeling lonely or isolated in the workplace, it can potentially impact effectiveness and productivity within the wider team, in addition to diminishing the motivation and efficiency of the affected individual and having a potential negative impact on team morale. So it is up to management to create an environment in which these feelings cannot emerge and to monitor their workforce for any warning signs.
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