The Important of Social Interaction in the Home Working Space

I had a chat with a candidate this week who told me they’d not met their team for TWO YEARS. Yes, they were all remote workers but that just feels too long… doesn’t it? 

We all know that working from home can be a fantastically productive way to do your job to the best of your ability. No commuting stress (or costs!), comfortable clothes, skipping the office small talk and distractions.. not to mention no getting collared on the brew run and having to make tea for everyone!

 But fast forward a few years from the pandemic where working from home was pretty much the norm, many people do miss the hum of office life. In fact, for us, most requests for the perfect working arrangement these days is the majority from home but with 1-2 days a week in the office for a change of scenery and some socialisation.

Here’s the thing. Even with all the additions of super effective technology tools like Slack and Teams, social interaction still matters. And personally, I think in the travel industry, it’s key – at the end of the day relationships and communication are at the heart of everything we do!

Isolation Nation- Why we can’t afford to let social interaction completely slide.

Does your productivity thrive when working in solitude? That’s something only you know. Some people get distracted by office interruptions very easily and prefer to just get their heads down at home and focus. But, potentially after weeks on end of responding to team messages with emoji’s or asking your dog if he remembers the entries for reissuing a ticket… even the most introverted among us may feel the need for that proper human contact.

Research (and common sense) shows that human connection fuels motivation, boosts creativity, and even improves mental health. When you feel part of something bigger, you naturally bring more energy and ideas to your work. And let’s face it, ideas rarely spark from staring at your own reflection on a muted and faceless video call.

The beauty of the modern workplace is flexibility. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make social interaction part of the mix.

Here’s a few examples from clients of ours as to how they manage to keep their staff happy, engaged and feeling part of the team, even when working remotely:

Virtual coffee breaks: Scheduling in 15-minute catch-ups with no real agenda other than a good chat- it’s not a performance review, just a “how’s things?”  It makes all the difference when some of the communication you have with your team isn’t only about their work.

Team days or travel meetups: If teams are scattered across the UK as so many are, then meet ups are essential. Whether that’s weekly, monthly, quarterly or bi-annually, they are important to keep up that connection between people. (and ps- have them in different locations so it’s not the same people always having to do the travelling!)

Celebrate wins with everyone: Management don’t keep things under wraps. And whether it’s a big win like landing a new client or a small victory like surviving a difficult Tuesday, they shout about it. One of our clients sends a WhatsApp to their team every Friday thanking them all for their hard work – how nice is that? Positivity is contagious and helps staff feel like part of something special.

At Urbanberry, we see and hear it every single day. The happiest, most successful professionals are the ones who have strong networks around them. Working from home is wonderful, but it shouldn’t mean working alone.

So, if you do one thing today, drop a message to one of your homeworking colleagues! Plan that coffee catch up, (or even just switch your camera on for the next Teams call -yes, we can all handle the messy bun and hoodie combo). Because staying social isn’t just good for morale and mental health, it’s good for business too.

Urbanberry Recruitment connects people who love what they do with companies who look after them. If you’re in the Business Travel or Travel Technology sectors and would like to chat about your next role or your next hire, please get in touch!

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