Loneliness is a pervasive social issue that has been increasing in recent years. According to a recent US Surgeon General report on loneliness and isolation (PDF), a growing number of employees are feeling isolated, invisible, and insignificant.
The Scope of Workplace Loneliness
This ‘epidemic of loneliness’ extends far beyond America, as similar findings were echoed in a recent Gallup report, which found one in five employees globally suffer from loneliness, with a higher incidence among younger employees (under 35) and those working remotely.
For leaders, addressing this issue is a strategic priority. Failing to do so can increase employee turnover and absenteeism, which impacts team morale.
Why Loneliness Matters in Trust and Safety
While addressing loneliness may not be featuring too highly on some employers’ list of priorities, mounting scientific evidence indicates that it really should be, most especially within T&S.
The profound impact of social connection and strong, healthy relationships on individual health and wellbeing has become very clear. Quality social connection is becoming widely recognized as a fundamental human need; not only due to its impact on psychological wellbeing but also its significant influence on physical health.
Loneliness is associated with a greater risk of depression and anxiety, as well as cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, and even premature death.
In contrast, research on Social connection indicates that those who are more socially connected are happier, less depressed, and have greater life satisfaction. All of this may seem fairly obvious; however, slower age-related declines in cognition, faster wound healing, and longer life expectancy may be some of the more surprising benefits.
Work as a Source of Belonging
As employers in T&S endeavour to support the health and wellbeing of their workers, addressing social connection is a key area to consider. Many adults spend more of their waking hours at work than they do with their own families and friends.
As such, it is every responsible employer’s imperative to proactively create a culture of belonging and inculcate camaraderie and social attachment whenever possible, while also putting measures in place to prevent loneliness at work.
Social identity forms from feelings of connectedness to a group based on shared beliefs and values. A strong social identity supports safety, allowing individuals to express themselves authentically and utilize their personal strengths for the benefit of the group, sharing ideas and voicing concerns openly.
This is closely interwoven with psychological safety, which is proven to encourage creativity, dynamism, engagement, and motivation, as employees feel their input is welcome and that it is valued.
This helps prevent employees from feeling disconnected, as irrespective of duration and circumstance, work can be a powerful source of belonging when employees share identity and goals with team members, and they feel their input matters.
The Manager’s Role in Connection
Both management and leadership play an important role in building this social identity and psychological safety. In recent years, mounting evidence clearly demonstrates the profound role a manager plays in supporting employee wellbeing by the degree to which their team members feel seen, heard, recognized, and validated.
A UKG survey found that 70% of employees rated the relationship with their manager as having the greatest impact on their mental health, more than that of their therapist or doctor.
Employees who establish healthy social attachments at work are also more likely to stay. It’s very clear to see that belonging and healthy social connections are not only important for the employee’s personal health and fulfilment, but also benefit performance, team cohesion, and contribute to the overall success of an organization.
Barriers to Connection in Trust and Safety
While the need for social connection is universal, the T&S industry presents specific challenges that can heighten feelings of isolation. Fortunately, there are many ways an employer can make improvements in this area, especially within the T&S industry, which can be confronted by a host of additional challenges that further fuel loneliness among workers.
For example, confidentiality agreements can limit an employee’s ability to discuss aspects of their work life with friends and family, and may contribute to a sense of separation or isolation, particularly for Content Moderators (CMs).
This can be further compounded by working shifts that involve unsociable hours. Also, the demanding nature of the role can lead to high turnover, which can diminish the strength of relationships and sense of connection within teams.
This can be even more pronounced for CMs who work on temporary contracts and have limited job security. The combination of these factors can fracture a sense of connection in the T&S space; however, with awareness, it can be addressed, and effective buffers can be put in place.
13 Strategies to Encourage Socialization and Team Bonding
Key strategies to enhance social connection in T&S fall under three main categories:
- Increased support for socialization
- Enhanced managerial and leadership practices
- Provision of wellbeing supports
Any of these approaches on their own can, of course, be of benefit; however, a multi-pronged approach is necessary to establish a strong culture of belonging and inclusion, because if efforts are perceived as trivial or superficial, they may only temporarily reduce perceptions of loneliness without establishing enduring change.
1. Increase opportunities for socialization
Providing employees with opportunities for social connection is vital; however, it is necessary to go beyond simply increasing occasions for interaction and instead implement robust strategies that build meaningful, high-quality relationships. There is a wide variety of angles that can be adopted depending on the workplace and context.
2. Implement Buddy Systems and ERGs
Formal, structured initiatives can produce good results. Implementing buddy systems, especially for new T&S staff during onboarding, provides an immediate social connection. In the same way, formal mentoring programs and informal peer coaching can create strong, supportive relationships.
Supporting employee resource groups (ERGs) is another powerful way to build a sense of belonging among diverse groups in the workforce.
3. Organize Practical Team Bonding Activities
One of the most essential elements to build meaningful relationships in T&S is the provision of facilitated peer support groups. This is particularly important for Content Moderators to share their challenges and triumphs in the role, as well as everything in between.
It also creates space to get to know more about one another personally. T&S workforces tend to be among the most culturally diverse due to the global users they serve, and so guided peer support groups can help to navigate cultural differences and help colleagues find their common ground.
This can be one of the most highly effective means for employees to feel understood and less isolated in their teams.
Organizing regular team bonding activities, both in-person and through organized virtual social events, can help to encourage a sense of community and camaraderie among employees. Involving employees in the scheduling and development of these activities can be even more effective for engagement.
Initiatives that encourage small acts of kindness, such as company-sponsored lunch and learns, are also low-cost ways to build camaraderie. Allowing time for recreation and decompression is especially vital for CMs to support recalibration of their nervous system and relax while building connections, especially for those on high-risk workflows.
4. Design a Collaborative Workspace
There has been extensive research in recent years on the influence of environmental design on behaviour. By ensuring there are a variety of communal spaces for organic conversations and time together, the likelihood of employees connecting more frequently increases.
These spaces can include open offices, canteen shared seating, micro-kitchens, quiet zones for more personal conversations, pool tables, and ping pong, to name but a few. Again, it is more effective to invite the opinions of workers in the design of these spaces; some changes can be relatively simple and low cost, such as the repositioning of a couch or desk, and yet may yield big benefits.
5. Prioritize In-Person Meetings
A recent study on temporary colocation found that meeting in person contributed to a 113% increase in employee communications, and that meeting in person even once a quarter generates a lasting boost in employee connectivity.
Although remote work can be less common in T&S, it is beneficial to consider creative opportunities for colocation when team members frequently work from home. Some simple, low-cost ways to build community at work are:
- Social events
- Hikes
- Karaokes
- Picnics
6. Address Remote and Hybrid Work Challenges
The rise of remote work and managing hybrid teams introduces unique challenges. For some, these models can increase feelings of social anxiety by reducing spontaneous interactions.
It is important to use collaboration tools like Slack or Teams for more than just work tasks. You can create dedicated non-work channels that help bridge the distance for virtual teams.
7. Provide Leadership and Manager Training
Providing a comprehensive training program that promotes open communication and connection between all tiers of leadership and employees is a key component to encourage stronger working relationships and a positive workplace culture.
Efforts ideally should be geared towards increasing trust and collaboration, so that every member of the T&S ecosystem feels inherently valued and respected in the workplace.
Training should encourage leaders to model authenticity and vulnerability. This creates a space where team members feel secure and comfortable connecting. A different approach is to include connection-building behaviors in formal performance reviews, which reinforces their importance.
The close monitoring of Content Moderator performance, often necessary in T&S, can strain perceptions of mutual respect. When the reasons are explained transparently and paired with efforts to support autonomy, stronger manager–moderator relationships can develop.
8. Establish Regular Supervision Cadence
Ensuring managers are trained and available to conduct regular check-ins with their team members is key. Optimizing these contact points can greatly help to enhance employee engagement and burnout prevention.
Beyond discussing workload, managers in T&S need to be confident to address sensitive conversations relating to mental health and any personal issues employees might be facing. This sincere attention and care from supervisors can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness, and so it is advisable to sync weekly or at least bi-monthly if feasible.
9. Develop Essential Communication Skills
It is essential that managers develop communication skills to better facilitate and manage sensitive conversations about wellbeing and personal life issues. This can be a delicate balance to strike; it is not uncommon for managers to feel awkward, uncomfortable, or unsure of how to conduct these interactions, especially if they are more inclined to address practical work-related matters in a highly demanding environment.
Learning how to listen, along with developing strong conflict resolution skills, is a fundamental practice often lacking in our fast-paced world; yet, it is the foundation of quality connections and the maintenance of enduring relationships.
Taking the time for a twenty-minute heartfelt conversation could save weeks of retraining new personnel down the line. Upskilling managers in this area can profoundly impact the well-being of team members and build retention.
10. Conduct Ongoing Policy Reviews
Organizations can reduce loneliness, isolation, and separation from the top down by conducting regular policy review in concordance with feedback from both managers and employees. Policies that should be prioritized include:
- Flexible work arrangements to support and facilitate quality relationships outside of work and enforce work-life balance
- Communication policy with clear guidelines to optimize communication practices and channels, which also enforces the right to disconnect outside of work hours
- DEI policy to ensure the needs and values of marginalized groups are understood and integrated
- Mental health policy that clearly signposts quick and easy access to supports when needed
- Anonymous feedback mechanisms and grievance procedures so employees have a safe space to express their opinions without fear of repercussion and increase their sense of power to effect positive change.
Well-construted policies that are easy for employees to access and digest can work wonders to ensure consistency and fairness, promote best practice,s and encourage company-wide compliance so that everyone in the organization is on the same page.
Actively sign-posting policy and putting processes in place to support implementation is essential, offering flexibility without resourcing to enable it is lip service. Integrity and sincerity on all levels breed trust and supports belonging.
11. Offer Accessible Employee Support
Offering access to mental health professionals who understand the unique challenges faced by CMS can help them to address personal and interpersonal challenges.
This typically includes clinical interventions, such as counseling and group therapy, but sub-clinical offerings, including coaching and mentorship, are also increasingly popular. Again, encouraging employees to utilize these services is essential for impact.
12. Educate on Social Connection
While content moderator wellness programs are commonplace in T+S, many holistic interventions focus on other aspects of health behavior such as physical activity, nutrition, sleep, stress management and resilience.
While these topics are highly important, it is remiss not to include social connection, communication, and healthy relationships. Raising employee awareness and highlighting the many benefits of social connection can support employees to give more time and attention to an aspect of life they might otherwise dismiss as unimportant or overlook.
Including interactive workshops to build communication skills, such as deep listening and conflict resolution, can be invaluable in today’s digital world, in which so many interactions are mediated by technology.
13. Implement Employee Recognition Programs
Acknowledging and rewarding the contribution of dedicated team members in T+S is another highly effective strategy to enhance engagement and build a sense of belonging.
Recognition can be expressed in a variety of ways, from low-cost employee-generated channels such as ‘colleague appreciation boards’ and collaborative gratitude mapping exercises, to formal rewards such as bonuses and fiscal remuneration for the impact individuals have within the organization.
This can work especially well on a project or team level to support cohesion and appreciation of collective efforts as opposed to singling out star performers, which can fuel competition and rivalry.
Building Connection with Intention
The suggestions provided here are certainly not exhaustive; these are offered simply to emphasize the multi-dimensional approach required to effectively tackle this challenging workplace issue in T&S.
Remembering our humanity in these highly demanding and stressful work environments is paramount. We have crafted a host of solutions that can fit within existing structures.
To find out more about how we help our customers to protect the psychological health and wellbeing of Content Moderators and the broader Trust & Safety team, contact us today.
