How social should your work environment be?

Today, many organisations go out of their way to encourage and promote social connections in the workplace. This might seem counter-intuitive, surely more sociable work environments would mean less productive employees? But in reality, the reverse is true.

Studies have shown that highly engaged teams show up to 21% more profitability and that organisations with good levels of employee engagement are better prepared to weather periods of uncertainty such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

So, how social should your workplace be?

Why social engagement is essential in the workplace

Increased employee engagement

Most of us spend more time at work than we do at home throughout our working lives, so it’s vital that working environments are welcoming and supportive.

A workplace that encourages social connections and creates a positive company culture will benefit from improved employee retention and loyalty and even increased productivity and motivation from team members.

Improved efficiency and collaboration

A well-connected team is well-prepared to work together on big or small projects. In times of conflict, clear lines of communication and general good feeling between employees make difficult situations easier to manage and projects are much easier to progress when there is improved alignment between team members and departments.

Better employee wellbeing

Employee wellbeing was once viewed as an additional benefit but now it’s seen as a core part of a company’s strategy.

By building employee wellbeing into the core of an organisation’s activities with initiatives such as flexible and hybrid working, generous leave policies and access to health and wellbeing services, companies can reduce presenteeism, absenteeism and the risk of employee burnout.

Social engagement is an important aspect of improving employee well-being as providing a supportive and well-connected working environment makes it easier for employees to raise concerns with managers and facilitates healthier working practices.

How to encourage socialisation in the workplace

Sold on the benefits of a social and supportive working environment? Here are some tips to help you make it happen.

Regular 1:1 with managers

A key element of a socially engaged workplace is open lines of communication. Employees need to feel that they can share their questions and concerns with each other and with senior leadership to feel adequately supported in their roles.

Those who are responsible for managing a team of people should carve out regular time for check-ins with each employee to get a sense of how they are feeling, find out if they are needing extra support with anything, and help to build a strong working relationship with them.

Asking for feedback and acting on it

Similarly, ensuring that employees feel heard and seen is an integral part of showing them they are valued and appreciated.

During 1:1s or as part of a regular customer satisfaction survey, give team members the space to voice their opinions and ask them for their feedback on working practices and/or anything else that might be bothering them.

Take this a step further by acting on the concerns shared and letting employees know that you care about their opinions and are willing to make changes based on them. This will help to foster a positive and supportive working environment for everyone.

A policy of transparency

Transparency in the workplace may not always be comfortable. It means sharing the good, the bad, the ugly, and how you feel about it all.

For a policy of transparency to work as desired, it needs to be implemented from the top down. Senior leadership and management need to speak openly about failures, successes and concerns to encourage team members to do the same.

This approach helps employees to feel psychologically safe at work, in turn creating a better connected and more open-minded working environment.

Creating opportunities for connections across departments

Finally, social engagement in the workplace is dependent on well-connected departments and employees.

Aim to create opportunities for connections across departments through tools such as inter-departmental working groups and moments of social connection.

Apps such as Donut.com can be used to facilitate introductions between employees and encourage social connection in hybrid or remote workplaces.

Otherwise, good old-fashioned social events such as workplace barbeques, Friday drinks or coffee mornings are all great ways to foster social connections between team members. Just be mindful of employees’ personal commitments such as childcare or any cultural objections to alcohol when organising an event like this to make sure it’s inclusive and accessible to all team members.

Are there any downsides to social workplaces?

In short, no.

Employers may be worried that increased sociability in the workplace might lead to more time spent chatting and less time working, but the truth is that a well-connected, well-supported, and psychologically safe working environment is conducive to productivity and profitability.

The answer to the question: ‘How social should your work environment be?’ is ‘as social as possible!’.