Leaders can often overlook effective practices that facilitate positive changes in company culture. One method that provides the means to achieve such changes is initiating internal employee networking, utilizing communication, activities, and events to encourage employees to establish interpersonal connections. These types of activities could include team-building exercises and games, meet-and-greet events, luncheons, and a variety of other efforts that allow your employees and your leaders to interact with one another in positive ways. Accordingly, they will develop a rapport that will firmly implant the belief that they are a part of something greater than themselves and that they are essential to the organization and to each other. Apart from these benefits, how does internal employee networking drive worthwhile change and increase productivity?
Increased Employee Engagement
Building an internal network creates a workplace atmosphere that fosters employee engagement. According to a study conducted by Personnel Psychology, internal networking significantly increases job satisfaction and job embeddedness, defined as the desire of the employees to remain in their current position. This is evidenced by the data showing that the introduction of internal network efforts reduces the prospect of employee turnover by 140 percent. Caitlin Porter, assistant professor of industrial-organizational psychology at the University of Houston and lead author of the study, states that work “used to be a major source of friendships, and that’s declining,” further saying that this phenomenon “gives people less reason to stay. So giving people the opportunity to build their relationships could help with retention.”
Improved Communication
When your employees can develop a strong rapport with the help of internal networking, they can more effectively and openly communicate with each other, facilitating an overall improvement in productivity. Accordingly, company productivity suffers horribly without proper communication. Developing your team’s internal network with events, activities, and exercises vastly improves their comfort and openness toward communication, setting your company apart from those that fail to do so.
Enhanced Well-Being of Employees
The team-building process that occurs with internal networking allows employees to increase their overall well-being. The avenues of communication and interaction provided by internal networking improve the mental and physical health of employees and reduce any feelings of “burnout” or fatigue regarding their work. When the workplace becomes an environment that employees look forward to being in, they have a sense of purposeful motivation that keeps them focused and determined, further nurturing company productivity and solidifying a positive culture.
The benefits of internal employee networking to company culture and productivity are significant, and business leaders should recognize that an open, welcoming workplace and an engaged, invested team will help drive success for your business.
Xceleration Can Help
Make internal networking a part of your culture, and you’ll create an engaged workforce that will stay with you long-term. To help achieve your internal employee networking goals, let Xceleration help with our industry-leading employee engagement software.