Nearly eight in 10 (78%) workers judge social connection at work to be important, according to research findings published yesterday (26 February) by leadership development organisation Call of the Wild.
After polling 2,000 office-based employees, researchers also found that 65% prefer face-to-face conversations with leaders.
Advising HR professionals on how to foster social connections at work, Barbara Matthews, chief people officer for HR technology firm Remote, suggested promoting enhanced collaboration among colleagues, ensuring clear communication, and encouraging activities that allow for face time.
Speaking to HR magazine, Matthews said: “Establishing clear communication guidelines and encouraging the use of video for conversations promotes face time and builds connections among employees, which is vital. HR teams can also set up virtual team-building activities, prioritise collaboration and organise regular online catch-ups to give colleagues a chance to meet in a more casual way.”
But organising team-building activities will prove pointless at enhancing social connections if the right environment hasn’t been prepared beforehand, argued Alex Voakes, CEO of consultancy Peak PEO. Voakes told HR magazine: “The typical HR gimmicks that people think can manufacture belonging – team away-days, open-plan setups, collaboration tools – will be completely ineffective without the groundwork of creating a team with the mindset to be able to bond.
“The real work for HR teams isn’t in formulating elaborate plans to tick the connection box, it’s in building a culture where individuals feel trusted and valued,” Voakes continued. “When this happens, bonding will happen naturally.”
Explaining why social connection at work matters, and why HR professionals should help promote it, Andy Brough, senior culture coach for the cultural intelligence consultancy Country Navigator, told HR magazine: “Social connection unquestionably drives productivity. Teams that trust each other communicate more openly, resolve problems faster, and deliver better results.
“But the quality of connection matters far more than its frequency,” Brough noted, agreeing with Voakes’ view that effective preparation is key: “A poorly designed virtual quiz or a one-size-fits-all away-day can do more harm than good if it excludes the very people it’s meant to bring together.”
Mark Soanes, director of Call of the Wild, the organisation that commissioned this research, agreed with both Brough and Voakes, telling HR magazine: “People do their best work when they feel comfortable speaking up, asking questions and sharing ideas. That all starts with psychological safety, not pizza nights.
“When the environment feels safe for people to express themselves, innovate and thrive, connection grows. And when connection grows, productivity follows,” said Soanes.
Though social connection is highly valued, roughly 39% of workers favour some form of hybrid working, analysis of Call of the Wild’s poll results revealed, and just 29% of workers prefer being office-based full-time.
Elaborating on these research findings, Soanes said: “For hybrid and remote employees, connection is less about proximity and more about intentional leadership behaviour. HR can support leaders, managers and the wider team to check in properly, communicate openly, include remote voices in conversations, and build simple, regular rhythms that help people feel part of the team, especially from a distance.”
Offering practical advice, Soanes continued: “Small things make the biggest difference: clear expectations, fair treatment, and leaders who make time to listen. When people feel safe and respected, connection happens, whether they’re sitting next to each other or on a screen.”
Matthews noted that for remote teams, connections must be intentional, facilitated and encouraged. “But it takes time, effort, and perseverance to build natural connections,” said Matthews, advising that HR leaders have a clear plan and vision on the culture and environment that the organisation wants to create, first.
Speaking to HR magazine, Nate Thomas, managing director of remote working platform Flown, advised HR leaders to dedicate one hour a week, every week, to a “mandatory meeting that involves no work whatsoever”. Thomas continued: “Work out how your teams like to wind down or depressurise.”
“Maybe hire a breath worker for a relaxation session, or someone in the team could run a quiz, or [the team could play] a multiplayer online game and battle it out. Even allowing 15 minutes for colleagues to share weekend stories can be the difference between a disconnected team and a connected one,” according to Thomas.
Voakes suggested: “The best way to build connection is by building a culture where people actually want to show up for each other. That’s the bit HR can influence. Everything else follows.”
Essentially, “cultural intelligence is crucial for creating meaningful employee connections, and HR plays a pivotal role in fostering it”, said Brough, who explained that the organisations that are best at fostering social connection are those that invest in cultural intelligence training for their leaders, helping them move beyond assumptions to create “environments where every employee, regardless of background or location, feels they truly belong”.
Representatives of Call of the Wild commissioned OnePoll to survey 2,000 office-based employees from 12 to 19 December 2025.