Why Leaders Need to Promote Connection and Community at Work

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced all organizations to do more and be more. There's much more pressure on leaders to support their workforces by addressing employees' human needs. Today's leaders need to make greater investments in connecting their employees and forging a community that gives them a sense of belonging. The surge in remote working has given employees greater flexibility at the cost of social isolation. In response, companies have accelerated their adoption and deployment of collaborative technologies to make employees feel more connected from a distance. The technologies that we're using to remain connected have formed the foundation of our work culture. 

Employees are searching for belonging especially during Covid

We all have the human need to belong and that will never change regardless of our working conditions. This year’s events have left employees yearning for belonging more than ever before because they are isolated in their homes. As evidence of this, Gallup registered the largest drop in employee engagement in the past twenty years during the height of Covid and Qualtrics found that three-quarters of employees feel more socially isolated. Employees are seeking belongingness due to the economic, personal, and professional uncertainty they are experiencing. They yearn for a workplace community that provides emotional, social, and mental safety. Now that work and life are so blended, employees need to be in a workplace culture that makes them feel better so they can do better.

Alongside a global pandemic, social and political division has further challenged the communities we rely on, increasing the importance of a safe and inclusive workplace. This is a huge challenge for business leaders with younger generations, women, and African Americans regularly registering a lower sense of belonging than other demographics. With a recent Deloitte study finding that 79 percent of organizations say belonging is important to their success, these disparities need to be overcome. And, that success is measured by a 56 percent increase in job performance, a 50 percent drop in turnover risk, and a 75 percent reduction in sick days. McKinsey's research shows that companies that prioritize belonging during a pandemic "emerge better than before." That's because a more connected workforce creates a better employee experience.

Companies should strive to become communities built on the foundation of trust, shared values, and inclusivity. When leaders promote work communities, they make it easy for employees to connect with one another and when they feel closer, they can be more productive. Communities can counter the fear and anxiety of living and working in uncertain times by giving employees empathy, guidance, and a support system. Strong work relationships anchor employees to their company and give them a sense of purpose because individual performance directly impacts team performance.

Leaders need to build a culture that promotes community engagement

Corporate culture is an enabler of a workplace community. Leaders create the culture while HR helps maintain it. The decisions leaders make have a direct influence on how employees experience their work and the direction of the company. If employees are a company's biggest asset, then culture is the key to keeping the employees engaged, productive, and satisfied at work. But, workplace culture is very hard to build. While it is shaped by leadership, everyone else in the organization has to adopt it and practice it every day. A Bain study found that 70 percent of business leaders say that culture is the greatest source of competitive advantage yet only 10 percent succeed in building a winning culture. There's more pressure today for leaders to be visible, consistent, honest, and connected than ever before.

The new community-driven leader has to think of their organization as a large community that every employee has a membership to. Leaders are in charge of ensuring that information flows freely throughout their organization so that all employees feel assured, safe, and in sync. Every organization needs a place for conversations around work-life, giving each employee a voice so they feel like part of the greater whole. When employees feel informed, they are less stressed and more focused.

Technology can bring diverse workers together to increase connection

During Covid, we've witnessed companies investing more in technology to meet the needs of their dispersed workforce. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot adopted Workplace from Facebook to enhance workplace culture, build community, and improve the employee experience. Soriot's used the platform to connect with his 64,000 employees in a modern way by using live video to engage in real-time. Since the CEO adopted the technology, his leadership team followed, then his employees joined and posted hundreds of live video streams. Workplace from Facebook was also adopted by UK Burger chain Honest Burgers. The company used videos to keep its staff connected during Covid. For instance, CEO Tom Barton hosted a weekly fitness class using the platform to keep employees engaged while encouraging them to participate and reciprocate with their own videos. And it's easier for both Soriot and Barton to get their employees on the platform because they are already using Facebook in their personal lives.

Many leaders, especially at larger and more decentralized companies, can feel detached from their workers and don't have any idea what they are going through. Technology can help bridge this gap while reinforcing a company's purpose and mission. When employees see their leaders employ modern technology to keep them informed and connected, their overall experience improves dramatically.

The future of workplace communities

Work communities have a deeper significance in people’s lives now as they’ve spent more time at work and need others to rely on during challenging times like these. That's why companies will continue to play a vital role in establishing and growing a sense of community at work. The future of workplace communities will be driven by technology and community-driven leaders who speak to their employees freely, honestly, and consistently. These communities will be built on the foundation of company culture, support diversity, and be scalable to meet the needs of the remote workforce. We need community more than ever right now and leaders can take the first step to be champions of it!

___________________________________________

Hire me to speak virtually to your leadership and HR teams about the 2021 Workplace Trends Forecast, customized for your audience and objectives, so they can prepare for the coming year.

Read my bestselling book Back to Human: How Great Leaders Create Connection in the Age of Isolation.

Listen to the 5 Questions Podcast for interviews with world-class humans like Matthew McConaughey, Stacey Abrams, Richard Branson, Andrew Yang, Flea, Alyssa Milano & Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Subscribe to the Promote Yourself Newsletter for more workplace trends, news, research, career advice, interviews, and book recommendations.