The Importance of Encouraging Social Connectedness in the Workplace
Blues Perspectives
| 2 min read
Does your place of business encourage friendship at work? If you want more productive and engaged employees, it might be worth thinking about ways to foster a more socially connected environment. Employees with a best friend at work:
- Are seven times more likely to be engaged in their work
- Better engage with customers
- Are less likely to get injured on the job
- Have increased productivity
- Have a stronger bond with the company they work for
- Receive more praise
- Tend to be more committed to quality work
Supportive relationships are an important factor in building resilience. It makes sense, really. The more people someone has in their corner, the more people they’ll have to turn to. And, since we spend a lot of our waking hours working, building relationships with people at work makes sense. This doesn’t mean that every day at the office should be a party, but it does mean adopting a cultural mindset that encourages employees to seek out and build friendships in and outside of work. If you’re an employer or lead a team, a great way to encourage connectedness is through meaningful volunteer projects. Volunteering together off-site and working on a common goal not connected to work can help your employees build lasting relationships, make connections and network and boost morale. Learn more about well-being at work by checking out this Blue Cross® Virtual Well-Being webinar. You’ll also find related resources you can use to help your employees establish new friendships at the office. Employers and Blue Cross members can sign up for future webinars here and check out past sessions and resources. Related:
- Encouraging Employees to Take Vacations
- Members Are Loving Virtual Well-Being Webinars
- Blue Cross Offers Employers Mental Health Support
Photo credit: zoranm
