Member-only story
We probably need to have more frank discussions about feeling isolated at work.
Let’s frame this up to start. Seems that would be helpful. In the past five years, especially in North America, here’s what we’ve seen:
- Increases in reported loneliness
- Increased social isolation
- Greater feelings of nervousness around connection with others
Meanwhile, globally we’ve seen the “I am engaged with my job and co-workers” figure fall to 15%. So 85 out of 100 people working don’t feel that way.
Think about this: for most people, much of their time in the middle 30–40 years of their life is spent in some connection with work. We have evidence that friends at work is a more powerful motivation than salary, and so is receiving gratitude from others at work.
The other wrinkle here: remote work is on the rise, as is automation. That means more people will be out of a job, and/or away from a base HQ with other co-workers, than ever before.
Do you see how feeling isolated at work is on the rise — and quickly? We should probably cover off on this for a second.
HBR tackles feeling isolated at work
In fact, it’s their new cover story. There are a lot of good segments to this…
