Remote and hybrid working have brought many benefits to the work/life balance of the modern office employee – but loneliness has come along for the ride. According to the Harvard Business Review, significant numbers of workers are now experiencing isolation and loneliness-related burnout. Almost half of all workers struggle to set boundaries when working from home. This obviously has a huge impact on the ability of the business to be successful but, more importantly, is causing significant long-term stress to employees. This is despite the always-on connectivity that technology provides – prompting a rethink of exactly how tech can empower, rather than harm, employee mental health.
Creating true engagement – simplicity
Getting in at the ground level and finding simple ways to regularly engage with employees is the first and most important point. Useful guidance can be seen in how best to treat employees who have been injured at work. There is a significant mind-body connection when it comes to injury, and there have been studies that show keeping in touch with injured employees is crucial to their ongoing recovery and indeed long-term workplace happiness. With that in mind, consider how even short breaks in connection can have a huge impact. Raconteur magazine recommends, for that reason, regular video calls – instead of email. According to a study cited by the magazine, a single call can have the same effectiveness as 34 emails.
Taking focus off work
Technology is a crucial part of communication, but improper use can make it impersonal. According to Forbes, a study of over 2,000 employees and managers found that almost half of the employee’s day is spent using business IT to communicate, and that slightly under half feel lonely as a result. Making the unavoidable better is possible through having off-work conversations. Use the power of technological connections to build up these conversations, to take a real interest in the lives of employees, and to make them feel like they are an entity not just inside of work, but outside of it, too.
The Metaverse beckons.
The Metaverse is now seeing huge amounts of development and is being floated by companies as a potential new communication tool. An entirely digital world, it promises to help with digital connections by providing a virtual self through which to interact with colleagues and have a constant source of interaction. This is different to the always-on of tech as it demands a level of interaction past simple message typing. It provides the impetus for employers and employees to connect on a deeper level, and provides that in a format that is less intrusive, and more gentle, than the need to attend office in-person.
Such a forum may be the perfect way to replicate office relationships online, and combat loneliness. Technology has been a wonderful tool to help promote business, but it has had an undeniable detrimental impact on personal relationships. Recapturing that is key.
