With the new normal after the COVID-19 completely changing the work culture across the world, a report has revealed that one-third of employees interviewed across the world feel disconnected from their leaders as interactions between employees and employers plunged amid the pandemic.
One in every three employees feels disconnected from the leader, furthering feelings of isolation and loneliness, according to a report by OC Tanner's the '2022 Global Culture Report'.
The report further found that 61 percent of employees said the workplace is where they form most of their new friendships and that their social group at work inspires them to do their best work. Around 45 percent of employees said the number of individuals they regularly interact with at work has decreased significantly over the past year, and 57 percent said they engage in fewer social activities, it stated.
When employees feel less connected to their workplace, culture and purpose, the likelihood of great work falls about 90 percent, the probability of burnout increases drastically and the odds that employees will leave within three years surges, the report noted. Therefore, organisations need to maintain strong connections among team members to ensure the best possible employee experience, which will result in less likelihood of fragmentation and will help minimise the risk to the company, the report noted.
"The former concept of workplace 'normalcy' left the building in March 2020, and it's not coming back. A new landscape of work and business has emerged from the pandemic, and helping employees feel connected to purpose, accomplishment, and one anotherno matter where or when they workis more important than ever," OC Tanner Institute Vice-President Gary Beckstrand said.
The '2022 Global Culture Report' by O C Tanner, the global leader in employee recognition and workplace culture, is based on data gathered from over 38,000 employees, leaders, HR practitioners, and executives from 21 countries worldwide, including from over 5,500 respondents in India.
Meanwhile, the report found that one in every three employees do not feel connected to their leaders, which leads to diminishing cultural and business outcomes. Currently, 62 percent of leaders communicate what success looks like and 52 percent make others aware of their employees' success, said the report adding that only 57 percent of employees feel appreciated by their leaders.
"Whether intentional or not, when leaders don't make an effort to connect to employees, employees perceive the leader doesn't care about them and doesn't want to help them feel included in the organisation," it said. In organisations where diversity is high, recognition is an important way to showcase how everyone can work and succeed together and it allows every employee to develop leadership skills, and the company benefits from improved cultural and business outcomes and a strong pipeline of leaders as a result, it added.
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