# Combatting Workplace Loneliness: Understanding Its Impact on Employees
One in five employees worldwide report feeling lonely, according to Gallup’s *State of the Global Workplace 2024* report. This troubling statistic highlights a growing concern for organizations across all industries, including recruitment and staffing firms.
Estelle Izuno, vice president of people at Actalent—a global provider of engineering and science talent solutions—has observed this trend firsthand among the company’s nearly 30,000 consultants. “There was always a level of loneliness in the workplace,” she notes, but acknowledges that these feelings likely intensified during the pandemic when digital communications replaced face-to-face interactions.
## The Connection Between Engagement and Loneliness
Research clearly shows that **employee engagement** and loneliness are closely linked. Gallup found that engaged employees are 64% less likely to report feeling lonely compared to disengaged workers. This makes sense when you consider that engaged employees typically:
– Find meaning in their work
– Feel connected to their teams
– Experience a sense of belonging to their organizations
Unfortunately, ADP’s 2024 data reveals that only 20% of workers consider themselves fully engaged on the job. For recruitment firms and staffing agencies, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity to address engagement as a way to combat loneliness.
## Health Impacts Beyond the Workplace
The consequences of loneliness extend far beyond job performance. Harvard Professor Lisa Berkman’s nine-year study found that people lacking community and social connections faced twice the mortality risk compared to those with strong social networks—regardless of other factors like physical health or socioeconomic status.
In the workplace, Izuno identifies several conditions that can make loneliness worse:
– Remote teams with limited interactions
– High-pressure workplace cultures
– Organizations with rigid departmental silos
– Environments where employees don’t feel included
The effects can be devastating. “Loneliness at work can result in decreased productivity, low satisfaction, stress and burnout,” says Izuno. From an organizational perspective, these issues often lead to retention problems, particularly in environments where people don’t feel psychologically safe.
## Creating Meaningful Connections: Actalent’s Approach
Actalent has implemented a comprehensive strategy to address workplace loneliness through its *People to Possible* initiative. The program includes:
– Executive visits to all 120 Actalent offices
– Opportunities for one-on-one conversations with leadership
– Open Q&A sessions with company leaders
These efforts specifically target employees who show signs of loneliness, identified through employee surveys and internal data. Notably, Actalent found that employees with two to five years of tenure are at the highest risk of leaving the organization—a crucial insight for retention strategies.
Izuno emphasizes that workplace leaders play a critical role in creating environments where employees feel comfortable discussing loneliness. “If you create the right environment, people will open up,” she explains, adding that psychological safety must come first.
## Technology’s Role: Help or Hindrance?
While digital tools can facilitate communication, Izuno cautions against over-reliance on technology. “Human connection outweighs a text or email,” she says. “And the misconstrued intent of tech can also create ambiguity.”
For recruitment and staffing professionals who often use technology to manage large candidate pools, this insight is particularly relevant. The most valuable contribution of technology may be in generating data that helps measure the effectiveness of relationship-building programs through metrics like:
– Employee retention rates
– Engagement scores
– Feedback metrics
## Who Experiences Workplace Loneliness?
Contrary to what some might expect, loneliness isn’t limited to specific demographics. Gallup data shows that:
– Men and women report loneliness at equal rates (20% each)
– Job level has little impact on feelings of loneliness
– Employees younger than 35 experience more loneliness than those 35 and older
## The Work Location Factor
Among all factors analyzed, **work location** shows the strongest correlation with loneliness. The breakdown reveals:
– Fully remote employees: 25% report loneliness
– Hybrid employees: 21% report loneliness
– Fully on-site workers: 16% report loneliness
This data is particularly relevant for recruitment companies that adopted remote or hybrid models during the pandemic. Izuno, who has been with Actalent for 31 years, believes that having employees together in the office is “where the magic happens.”
She’s observed that individuals who experienced their education or early careers during pandemic restrictions are particularly eager for in-person interaction with colleagues. This matches Gallup’s findings about younger workers experiencing more loneliness.
## Practical Solutions for Recruitment Firms
Based on Actalent’s experience and research findings, here are key strategies recruitment firms can implement:
1. **Create intentional connection opportunities** through regular team gatherings and one-on-one check-ins
2. **Train managers to recognize signs of loneliness** in both office-based and remote employees
3. **Develop onboarding processes** that foster relationship-building from day one
4. **Establish clear communication guidelines** for remote and hybrid teams to prevent isolation
5. **Measure engagement regularly** through pulse surveys and act quickly on feedback
Japanese researchers specifically recommend that high-frequency remote workers should regularly interact with supervisors and colleagues using appropriate communication technology to reduce loneliness and associated mental health problems.
## Key Takeaways
The fight against workplace loneliness requires a multifaceted approach:
– Loneliness affects one in five workers regardless of demographics
– Engaged employees are significantly less likely to feel lonely
– In-person connection remains powerful, especially for younger workers
– Remote workers need extra support to combat isolation
– Leadership plays a crucial role in creating psychologically safe environments
As Izuno emphasizes, “People of all ages need social interaction.” For recruitment firms managing both internal teams and external talent, addressing workplace loneliness isn’t just a wellness initiative—it’s essential for productivity, retention, and organizational success.
# Combatting Workplace Loneliness: Understanding Its Impact on Employees
One in five employees worldwide report feeling lonely, according to Gallup’s *State of the Global Workplace 2024* report. This troubling statistic highlights a growing concern for organizations across all industries, including recruitment and staffing firms.
Estelle Izuno, vice president of people at Actalent—a global provider of engineering and science talent solutions—has observed this trend firsthand among the company’s nearly 30,000 consultants. “There was always a level of loneliness in the workplace,” she notes, but acknowledges that these feelings likely intensified during the pandemic when digital communications replaced face-to-face interactions.
## The Connection Between Engagement and Loneliness
Research clearly shows that **employee engagement** and loneliness are closely linked. Gallup found that engaged employees are 64% less likely to report feeling lonely compared to disengaged workers. This makes sense when you consider that engaged employees typically:
– Find meaning in their work
– Feel connected to their teams
– Experience a sense of belonging to their organizations
Unfortunately, ADP’s 2024 data reveals that only 20% of workers consider themselves fully engaged on the job. For recruitment firms and staffing agencies, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity to address engagement as a way to combat loneliness.
## Health Impacts Beyond the Workplace
The consequences of loneliness extend far beyond job performance. Harvard Professor Lisa Berkman’s nine-year study found that people lacking community and social connections faced twice the mortality risk compared to those with strong social networks—regardless of other factors like physical health or socioeconomic status.
In the workplace, Izuno identifies several conditions that can make loneliness worse:
– Remote teams with limited interactions
– High-pressure workplace cultures
– Organizations with rigid departmental silos
– Environments where employees don’t feel included
The effects can be devastating. “Loneliness at work can result in decreased productivity, low satisfaction, stress and burnout,” says Izuno. From an organizational perspective, these issues often lead to retention problems, particularly in environments where people don’t feel psychologically safe.
## Creating Meaningful Connections: Actalent’s Approach
Actalent has implemented a comprehensive strategy to address workplace loneliness through its *People to Possible* initiative. The program includes:
– Executive visits to all 120 Actalent offices
– Opportunities for one-on-one conversations with leadership
– Open Q&A sessions with company leaders
These efforts specifically target employees who show signs of loneliness, identified through employee surveys and internal data. Notably, Actalent found that employees with two to five years of tenure are at the highest risk of leaving the organization—a crucial insight for retention strategies.
Izuno emphasizes that workplace leaders play a critical role in creating environments where employees feel comfortable discussing loneliness. “If you create the right environment, people will open up,” she explains, adding that psychological safety must come first.
## Technology’s Role: Help or Hindrance?
While digital tools can facilitate communication, Izuno cautions against over-reliance on technology. “Human connection outweighs a text or email,” she says. “And the misconstrued intent of tech can also create ambiguity.”
For recruitment and staffing professionals who often use technology to manage large candidate pools, this insight is particularly relevant. The most valuable contribution of technology may be in generating data that helps measure the effectiveness of relationship-building programs through metrics like:
– Employee retention rates
– Engagement scores
– Feedback metrics
## Who Experiences Workplace Loneliness?
Contrary to what some might expect, loneliness isn’t limited to specific demographics. Gallup data shows that:
– Men and women report loneliness at equal rates (20% each)
– Job level has little impact on feelings of loneliness
– Employees younger than 35 experience more loneliness than those 35 and older
## The Work Location Factor
Among all factors analyzed, **work location** shows the strongest correlation with loneliness. The breakdown reveals:
– Fully remote employees: 25% report loneliness
– Hybrid employees: 21% report loneliness
– Fully on-site workers: 16% report loneliness
This data is particularly relevant for recruitment companies that adopted remote or hybrid models during the pandemic. Izuno, who has been with Actalent for 31 years, believes that having employees together in the office is “where the magic happens.”
She’s observed that individuals who experienced their education or early careers during pandemic restrictions are particularly eager for in-person interaction with colleagues. This matches Gallup’s findings about younger workers experiencing more loneliness.
## Practical Solutions for Recruitment Firms
Based on Actalent’s experience and research findings, here are key strategies recruitment firms can implement:
1. **Create intentional connection opportunities** through regular team gatherings and one-on-one check-ins
2. **Train managers to recognize signs of loneliness** in both office-based and remote employees
3. **Develop onboarding processes** that foster relationship-building from day one
4. **Establish clear communication guidelines** for remote and hybrid teams to prevent isolation
5. **Measure engagement regularly** through pulse surveys and act quickly on feedback
Japanese researchers specifically recommend that high-frequency remote workers should regularly interact with supervisors and colleagues using appropriate communication technology to reduce loneliness and associated mental health problems.
## Key Takeaways
The fight against workplace loneliness requires a multifaceted approach:
– Loneliness affects one in five workers regardless of demographics
– Engaged employees are significantly less likely to feel lonely
– In-person connection remains powerful, especially for younger workers
– Remote workers need extra support to combat isolation
– Leadership plays a crucial role in creating psychologically safe environments
As Izuno emphasizes, “People of all ages need social interaction.” For recruitment firms managing both internal teams and external talent, addressing workplace loneliness isn’t just a wellness initiative—it’s essential for productivity, retention, and organizational success.