Feeling a bit lonely at work? You’re not alone!

Just a few years ago, employees were accustomed to lots of together time—from formal meetings and events to more informal communication, with a cubicle mate, a colleague passing in the hallway, or in the lunchroom. But those days of water cooler conversations are now a thing of the past at many organizations—and that may be making it harder than ever to connect with your co-workers.

Even if an organization hasn’t gone fully remote, chances are the work environment has shifted in the last few years—hybrid schedules, flexible start or end times, and more are all turning the traditional workplace on its head. Zoom and Teams meetings are common, and in-person company town halls are rare. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less important for workers to feel connected to one another. Knowing you have support or even just a friendly face to talk to at work can have tremendous benefits—making you feel more motivated, encouraged, engaged, and productive, leading to an overall more positive employee experience.

How to make those connections? Here are a few ideas:

Network

Especially if your company is remote or hybrid, you may not have as many opportunities to take part in organizational events as you did previously—so get proactive! Join employee resource groups that may hold in-person and virtual events where you can get to know colleagues with similar experiences. And don’t ignore that invite to the company-wide town hall meeting, which can be a great opportunity to put faces to names, ask questions and get to know your fellow employees and leadership on a deeper level.

Recognize Accomplishments

We all love to feel appreciated—and showing your co-workers that they are is an excellent way to make connections! Here at Integrity Staffing Solutions, we practice something called “cubing,” where our employees are encouraged to compliment colleagues in a way that ties an accomplishment back to one of our core values—showing workers how their wins are collectively reflective of our broader mission.

Reach Out to The New Kid On The Block

Joining an organization can be daunting, especially when you don’t know anyone. So, when your team adds a new employee, go out of your way to welcome them—you just might make a lasting connection!

Pick Up the Phone

These days, so much of our communication with colleagues is done through email and messaging, but every now and then it can be beneficial to make a phone call or schedule a quick video chat. Those means of conversation give colleagues much more opportunity to share small talk and learn about their commonalities than digital communication.

Be Human

Above all, when looking to strengthen your connections with your co-workers, lean into what drives the other strong relationships in your life—chances are, it’s all about being human! Let yourself be vulnerable with co-workers (get that dog or baby on the Zoom screen!), ask about their lives outside of work and be generous with details about your own.