I once accepted a job because of a piece of cake. 

It happened long ago when I was waiting in the reception area of a Wall Street firm, waiting for an interview. I was very nervous. But then the sound of laughter and voices singing “Happy Birthday” wafted through the wall of an adjacent conference room. After a few minutes, a man came out, and without even knowing me or why I was there, took one look at me and said, “Hello! Would you like a piece of birthday cake?” 

At the time, I was choosing among several job offers. That one moment put me at ease in that work environment and swayed the decision for me. The cake and the little party represented something important to me: a pleasant and collegial culture. I quickly became good friends with a number of my co-workers. Our relationships both inside and outside the office contributed greatly to my job satisfaction.

Today, work relationships are as important as ever, but the environment has changed. A recent SHRM article noted: “While workplaces traditionally served as hotbeds for new connections, a global shift to remote, hybrid and distributed work have presented a challenge in finding meaningful relationships.”

Meaningful relationships are what most workers today want, but have trouble finding. A HubSpot 2023 Hybrid Work Report revealed that, when given a choice, more than half of the respondents said having great relationships with their colleagues was more of a priority than even a 10% increase in salary. Yet, in that same survey, a whopping 66% reported a lack of connections with their co-workers. This statistic has serious consequences; the SHRM survey indicated employees who have lower levels of connection with their co-workers have a stronger intention to quit.

How can you create meaningful and authentic connections at work? Given the new work arrangements many organizations have adopted, it is critical to be intentional about facilitating opportunities for team members to interact. Leaders must work to create a safe and supportive environment. We must also invest in tools and technology to make connections easier and smoother for all employees – no matter where they are or how they work. 

As the HubSpot report summarized: “Prioritizing connection is key to driving growth, engagement, and creating a company that employees truly love.”

I turned to local leaders and asked them why it is important for employees to feel connected and what they are doing to be intentional about workplace connections.

Mike McCoy, CEO, NCMIC: 

NCMIC has long had a reputation as an organization with a great culture. We believe that culture – which enhances job satisfaction – is in a significant way driven by being together and interacting with one another in both formal and informal settings. That’s why three years ago we established a hybrid office schedule. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are our collaboration days. We are all in the office together. Mondays and Fridays, our people are free to work remotely. We are convinced that the process of being together during collaboration days allows us to work effectively together during our remote days. And, we continue to receive compliments from our people, especially new employees, about the benefit of our schedule versus 100% remote or 100% in-office. 

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Sonia Parras, senior attorney, Law Offices of Sonia Parras PLLC:

Our mission firmly rests on the foundation of our team, dedicated to providing compassionate and successful legal representation in the complex immigration legal arena. We prioritize nurturing and empowering each team member, both individually and collectively, to excel in their roles.

To achieve this, we invest time, money and resources into fostering connections. Incorporating enjoyable activities, such as a “fun committee” composed of the newest members organizing monthly events, enhances the sense of belonging. Weekly staff meetings provide space to share positive experiences and propose improvements to office policies, encouraging individual contributions.

When our team operates cohesively and feels connected, they become more engaged, loyal and innovative. The convergence of diverse perspectives fosters creativity, leading to innovative solutions and opportunities for growth and development. By prioritizing team cohesion and individual empowerment, we ensure our continued success in delivering exceptional legal services.

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Tiffany Tauscheck, president and CEO, Greater Des Moines Partnership:

We are in the business of connecting, convening and collaborating, so there is great value in face-to-face meetings and conversations. The DSM Workforce Trends and Occupancy Study underscores, through data, the importance of in-person interactions. We are in the office full time to create those connections, and provide flexibility for occasional remote work. Our work culture places emphasis on building strong relationships to cultivate opportunities for collaboration and mentoring, as this contributes to belonging and professional development opportunities. Some ways we do this include: 

• Investing in career development and promoting from within when possible. 
• Utilizing a Team Engagement Committee for team-building activities. 
• Recognizing each other for demonstrating core values. 
• Hosting team training to understand each other’s strengths better.  

The team is the heart of all we do and the more we can lift one another up and celebrate our collective wins for the region, the better, and let’s have some fun while we’re at it.  

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Daniel Van Sant, director of disability policy, the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement:

I think it’s important for employees to feel connected to maintain a level of respect and trust with each other. When you respect each other as people, not just as colleagues, you are more likely to give each other grace and feel comfortable when dealing with stressful work or conflicts. Here at the Harkin Institute, we are intentional about making our staff meetings hybrid, as well as staff lunches or coffee conversations. Too often, remote or hybrid workers miss out on the friendly conversations about weekend plans or the latest reality TV shows. We do our best to make sure our remote workers feel included in the social aspect of our jobs, which helps maintain that level of trust and respect. That way when there is a conflict, we have that relationship to fall back on and understand where each person is coming from.

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Deidre N. Williams, vice president, organizational effectiveness, EMC Insurance Cos.:

 The necessity to build strong connections among team members should be a primary strategic imperative for any thriving workplace. These connections serve as the catalyst for high collaboration, trust, engagement and inclusivity — the bedrock of a positive organizational culture. Team member connections matter a great deal because they help to promote an environment where innovation and creativity flourish, and team members are more prone to share openly as they feel that their voices are being heard and valued. As we continue to thrive with our flexible work arrangements, we’ve been intentional and thoughtful in increasing our team member connections by expanding our learning collaboration and knowledge sharing, providing flexible workstations that accommodate remote and on-site teams, and increasing opportunities for all-team member events — to name a few. From my experience, ensuring strong connections aren’t just threads; but instead, they’re powerful tools that help to weave the fabric of success.  

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Daniel Zinnel, president and CEO, Proteus, Inc.:

Over this last year, we’ve transitioned our temporary hybrid work policy to a permanent one at Proteus Inc. To keep our team across three states connected, we’ve developed several strategies to create meaningful relationships. Connections among colleagues are critical to create a sense of belonging and improve employee retention. Monthly, we host virtual all-staff meetings where we go over organizational updates, check in on progress toward goals, and provide breakout rooms with an activity to allow team members to connect with one another. We also use Teams as a platform for employees to connect with each other through video calls, chats, sharing updates and working on projects in an efficient and effective manner. In addition to the virtual offerings, we also have in-person quarterly meetings with departments and leadership teams and have an in-person, all-staff retreat for the entire organization. Nothing replaces the face-to-face opportunities to build connections, but virtual offerings can help fill in the gaps and provide all team members with meaningful engagement.