According to a SelectMinds survey “Workplace Connections
& Their Impact on Retention, Recruiting, and Productivity,” 83% of workers rate relationships with co-workers as a critical reason for joining and staying with their employer, and alternatively, one in four people quit a job due to feelings of isolation.
If you haven’t heard of SelectMinds, they offer social networking solutions for corporations. At a hefty price tag.
But I say, why pay for something that you can get for free? Heck, look at us “Three Geeks and Law Blog.” We put it up in 15 minutes. And “zero” down.
I will say, though, that the SelectMinds survey had some interesting stats:
- 87% of the employees surveyed by SelectMinds say they are most productive in their jobs when surrounded by colleagues with whom they have a good relationship/rapport.
- Social networks allow people to gather and evaluate information more quickly: over half (57%) of all workers believe that expanding their professional network will help them do their job more effectively.
- This remains especially true among older workers: employees ages 60 and older are more likely to ask for input from an experienced colleague or friend when trying to answer a work question in a hurry than are their younger counterparts.
- More than three-quarters (77%) of workers age 20 – 29 believe that the social aspects of work are very important to their overall sense of workplace satisfaction, compared with 67% of their older colleagues.
- Nearly half (46%) of the GenYers rate the availability of support/networking programs as a very important factor in their decision to join and/or remain with an employer.
- 83% of workers rate trusted relationships with co-workers and suppliers as a critical reasons for joining and staying with an employer.
- Without these relationships, today’s workforce is ready to walk out the door; approximately one in four (23%) employees reports quitting a job due to feelings of isolation.