Survey finds in-person work makes for better relationships with colleagues
Feeling stuck in a rut? A bit underappreciated and burned out? This Valentine’s Day, Canadian employees are voicing their main challenges and concerns over their workplace careers and passions.
Data released this week from Robert Half found that the secret to building strong connections and relationships at work could be face-to-face collaboration.
Fostering relationships in remote work
Research found that 65% of Canadian professionals say they have more effective working relationship with colleagues they’ve met in person – with 47% adding they find it easier to innovate and collaborate when they’re in-person, versus just 34% who prefer remote.
Rhea Attar, branch director at Robert Half, tells HRD that cultivating loyalty and passion in hybrid working structures may take more time — but it’s certainly worth it.
“In a hybrid workplace, it’s especially important to find ways to create a safe and inviting space to help entice workers into the office for purposeful in-person team-building days at regular intervals,” she explains.
“Some ways companies are encouraging and facilitating in-person work include ensuring a healthy and safe environment, offering an enhanced workplace setup, and providing unique perks to those coming into the office.”
Happiness boost post-pandemic
With the stress of COVID coupled with economic uncertainty and inflationary concerns, employers could understandably be feeling down. However, that’s simply not the case in Canada. Robert Half’s report found that nearly seven in 10 professionals in Canada reported feeling happy at work, with just over 40% rating their level of motivation higher today compared to a year ago.
Why? Attar thinks it’s down to enhanced comradery with co-workers.
“This boost of engagement is primarily due to good relationships with their colleagues and increased flexibility to decide where and when to work,” she tells HRD. “With that in mind, managers should be aiming to cultivate strong, positive team environments and flexible work structures to help increase passion and retention among their workforces.”
Another key factor in employee engagement and morale is flexibility, “which can sometimes feel like it conflicts with trying to build team culture in person,” says Attar.
Employers should be aiming to provide formal and informal opportunities for employees to connect virtually as well as in the office, and creating an in-person with purpose structure, she says.
“This is where employees have the ability to help determine which key days they should be connecting on site, while maintaining the overall flexibility to work in a way that best suits their needs,” says Attar.
According to the report, other innovative ways to boost engagement and loyalty the Valentine’s Day include reinforcing the value of employees’ work through perks and recognition programs, and offering training and supporting professional development.
