New report shows meetings as the only point of interaction between employees craving workplace connections
Watercoolers in workplaces have long served as an informal social hub where employees can meet and hold casual conversations with their colleagues during short breaks.
But the era of "watercooler conversations" may be over, as meetings emerge as the main touchpoint of employee interaction in the workplace, according to a new report from Kahoot!
Its latest research, which surveyed 4,000 office workers, found that meetings are the only places where 50% of employees have interaction with some of their colleagues.
"Meetings have become the watercooler in many organisations today," Sean D'Arcy, chief solutions officer at Kahoot!, told HRD.
It comes despite the availability of many digital communication tools at work, according to D'Arcy.
"In fact, more than half of employees admit to messaging coworkers while in the same room, instead of walking over to talk to them face-to-face," he added.
The good news, according to D'Arcy, is that meetings can still be designed to facilitate the spontaneous and informal connections that coworkers share in the workplace.
"Supported by digital tools, any team member can host a meeting that is interactive by default, with activities such as brainstorms, polls, Q&As, knowledge challenges, and other icebreakers," he said.
Doing so can also deliver productivity benefits, as 64% of employees said in the report that meetings are more effective when colleagues take time to connect before jumping straight into business.
"Building active participation into meetings not only guarantees a baseline of team communication; it can also spark conversations that help employees feel more comfortable connecting informally outside of meetings," D'Arcy added.
Competing connection desires
The findings come as Kahoot! discovers that employees are stuck between two competing desires when it comes to connecting with colleagues.
More than half of the report's respondents (56%) wish they had closer connections with coworkers, as 39% report feeling lonely at work.
At the same time, 60% of employees also said that they want to keep a personal distance from coworkers to maintain work-life boundaries.
Gen Z employees emerged as the cohort most challenged by the conflict, where 50% feel disconnected at work but 68% still wish they were closer friends with their colleagues.
Among Gen Z respondents, 88% said they suppress some aspect of who they are in the professional settings, such as their personality or sense or humour (45%).
Fostering closer connections at work
In fostering closer connections that respect personal boundaries, D'Arcy said strengthening team connections should be part of regular work routines.
"For example, delivering training via live gamified learning sessions can build teamwork alongside other new skills and knowledge. This can begin with onboarding training to help new employees connect with the team from day one," he told HRD.
"In meetings throughout the week, leaders can also use formats that encourage interactivity. This creates regular social touchpoints within the meetings that are already on the schedule, making it easy even for busy teams to increase team communication."
These measures can help foster a culture of connection in the workplace over time, according to D'Arcy.
"The companies that are most successful in fostering connected and cohesive teams don't treat it as an isolated initiative. Instead, they weave it throughout the organisation's flow of work," he said.
"Connections among colleagues are not simply a 'nice to have.' They lay the foundation for an engaged, collaborative, and high-performing workforce."
