The Perks of Positive Social Engagement in the Office, and How to Promote it

The world of work has changed a lot in the last few years. Since 2020 turned office life upside down with the pandemic, many offices are now juggling hybrid and remote work or finally coming back into the office full-time.

There are pros and cons to being in the office, of course, but one of the biggest benefits is the social engagement in-person work provides. Even if you are still allowing people to work from home some of the time, it’s important to make the most of the time when people are in the same space.

Read on for some of the specific benefits of social engagement, and how to make more of it happen in your office environment.

Benefits of Social Engagement at Work

We talk about groups of employees as “teams.” However, many office environments mostly involve people working on their own projects with little interaction beyond what’s needed to complete these projects. That can work, but offices with above-average social engagement can also reap the following benefits:

Reduced Stress

When people feel supported and engaged at work, they are less stressed. Stress can ultimately lead to issues like burnout, poor physical health, anxiety, and reduced productivity. By increasing social engagement in the workplace, you can promote a more relaxed and supportive atmosphere that leads to less stress. People are also more likely to perform better cognitively!

Better Health

Employee health is important. Aside from personally wanting everyone in your office to be healthy, there are also business reasons to promote good health among your people. When employee health suffers, you will see more absenteeism and reduced productivity in the office. People are healthier when they have strong social connections, in and out of the office.

Improved Happiness

As an employee, having supportive people you consider to be your friends as coworkers makes a huge, positive difference in your happiness at work. Without strong social engagement at work, these kinds of relationships are impossible — and limit the happiness people feel in the office.

Boosted Bottom Line

When people feel good and are engaged with their work and colleagues, they work better, they’re more creative, and they’re more dedicated. All of these benefits help to improve the bottom line!

Ways to Promote Social Engagement in the Office

Now that we’ve talked about all the ways positive social engagement can improve the work environment, how do you encourage it in a natural way?

It’s important to look at your office culture and practices with a critical eye and see potential areas for improvement. Here are some things to consider trying.

Optimize the Space and Avoid Departmental “Silos”

An open office plan might seem like the best way to promote positive social engagement, but that’s not necessarily true — there are a number of disadvantages to the open plan that can cancel out the benefits. However, having a welcoming area for socializing, such as a break room or lounge, is important.

It’s also important to avoid departmental “silos.” Brainstorm ways for people in different departments to interact and get to know each other!

Create Positive Management Structures

In order to create a positive office environment that encourages interaction and engagement, it’s critical for the management style to reflect those values. Supportive management, with a positive communication style, will help people feel more open to others and ready to communicate.

Provide Perks for Coming Into the Office

If you have a hybrid team, do some people come into the office on days when they aren’t required to be there? If not, it might be time to add some perks for extra office days, like a free lunch. Just be sure that people who choose not to participate aren’t penalized—that’s not in the spirit of positive social engagement!

Create Learning and Team-Building Opportunities

Employee development is a great way to reduce turnover and increase your team’s skills. It’s also a great opportunity for more social engagement. By providing additional group training and learning opportunities or team-building events, you can achieve several different goals at once.

Host Fun Office Events

To create a positive work environment with a strong social component, it’s important for people to get to know each other, beyond what they do in the office. Fun office events are a great way for people to relax, unwind, and learn about each other’s lives!

Creating a Positive Office Environment

The most important way to promote positive social engagement in the workplace is to create a positive and welcoming culture. Most people aren’t excited to come to work every single day, but if you can create an environment where people are largely relaxed and happy, your team will likely be more engaged and collaborative.

Bottom line: promoting positive social engagement will help your business grow and thrive. It’s not easy to create this kind of work environment, but it’s well worth the effort!

Photo Credit

Image by Ronald Carreño from Pixabay

Guest Author Bio
Sarah Daren

With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.