To Increase Employee Engagement, Build Strong Workplace Relationships

Positive professional relationships are a leading factor in an employee’s satisfaction at an organization. In fact, an employee’s relationship with their direct supervisor is the top indicator of job satisfaction and a key element of overall personal well-being, according to McKinsey & Co. And, as anyone who has stayed at an unsatisfying job because of their coworkers can confirm, peer relationships matter too. Connections of all kinds increase engagement, collaboration, and productivity.

Strong relationships are as crucial to employee engagement as they are to long-term health and happiness. Strategic advisers Fred Jewell and Tracy Reznik argue that various factors contribute to engagement, however none are as influential as robust interpersonal connections, an assertion supported by social psychology research. According to Harvard Business Review, leaders who prioritize relationships with their colleagues simply perform better. They have employees who are more productive, more loyal, and more enthusiastic. They also experience tangible business benefits, such as higher client satisfaction, a better bottom line, and boosted shareholder returns.

The profound influence of relationship-building on employee engagement can be attributed to two main factors: happiness and connection to others. A study by Julia K. Boehm and Sonja Lyubomirsky indicates that personal happiness is a significant predictor of workplace success, and positive relationships are a key component of this happiness. Additional research found that motivation at work is largely driven by feelings of connection to others, along with having autonomy and freedom.