Building relationships between employees: A key to employee retention

A central theme behind the headlines

Sometimes, in the stresses of everyday life, we lose sight of basic truths. One of those truths is that we are social beings. From birth through childhood, adolescence and adulthood, we need others to survive and thrive. This is true in the workplace too.

Our daily face-to-face interactions with others have decreased significantly in recent years. For people living in densely populated areas, this may seem absurd at first; we are constantly surrounded by people – on the street, in the subway, or on the highway. But often we don’t really interact or relate to the people next to us. Instead, we tolerate them.

One of the biggest challenges we face in society (and in the workplace) is the lack of contact with others. We may work side by side with colleagues, but do we really know them? And do they know us? Do your colleagues know who you are, what you believe in, what talents you have or what your personal life story is? Without contact with other people, we feel alone in the world. In fact, isolation has been cited as a major factor in the stress of working in a dental practice.⁴

Our need for connection and what it looks like

Brené Brown defines connection as “the energy that arises between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment.”⁵ Interacting with others does not mean being connected to them. Communicating or building relationships with the people around us does not necessarily foster connection.

Feeling connected to someone is a personal, subjective experience. It means being seen, hearing that your point of view is heard, feeling like you are “understood.” It’s important to note that connecting with others isn’t just built by learning information about someone, but rather through experiences and interactions that lead to getting to know each other better. Simply talking isn’t enough to build a connection—being accepted and valued for who you are is also a key component.

Appreciation as a means of creating connections

Genuine appreciation for colleagues creates a bond between employees in a practice. Research from the Boston Consulting Group found that “feeling valued at work” is the most important factor in job satisfaction.⁶ To feel truly valued, you need to be valued for “who you are,” not “what you do.” Team members are not just production units that get things done; they are people who want to be recognized and valued beyond their contribution to the company.

But showing appreciation isn’t just about saying “thank you” or giving a compliment. In fact, over 50% of employees want to express their appreciation in ways other than words.⁷ You can help your employees get to know each other better by learning to express appreciation in a way that everyone wants.6 Helping your employees connect through genuine appreciation for one another will boost morale and create more positive work environments, which in turn leads to less staff turnover and better quality patient care.⁸

Sources:

1. Dewhurst M, Guthridge M, Moor E. Motivating people: Going beyond money. McKinsey Quarterly. 1 November 2009. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/motivating-people-getting-beyond-money
2. Diriwächter P, Shvartsman E. The anticipation and adjustment effects of intra- and interpersonal wage changes on job satisfaction. J Economy Behave Organize. 2018;146:116 doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2017.12.010