Why investing in connection is one of the smartest moves HR teams can make to improve employee retention.
Loneliness Isn’t Just a Mental Health Issue. It’s an Employee Retention Risk.
If you’re in HR, you’re probably already tracking turnover, absenteeism, and employee engagement. But there’s one factor you might be overlooking: loneliness.
According to Gallup’s 2024 Q12 Meta-Analysis, employee engagement has a direct, measurable impact on retention. One of the most powerful drivers of engagement is whether employees feel they have meaningful relationships at work. Gallup found that employees who score high on engagement metrics, including “having a best friend at work,” are up to 51% less likely to leave in low-turnover organizationsGallup Q12 2024 Q12 Met….
Now consider this: 20% of global employees report feeling lonely every day. For fully remote workers, the rate is even higherGallup Q12 2024 Q12 Met…. That means a large portion of your workforce may be disconnecting long before they hand in their notice.
The Cost of Disconnection
The impact of loneliness isn’t just personal, it’s organizational. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory declaring loneliness and social disconnection a public health crisis. According to the report, social isolation can be as harmful to a person’s long-term health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. For HR leaders focused on improving employee retention, this connection between social health and workplace outcomes is critical. When employees feel isolated, they are more likely to disengage, underperform, and eventually leave. Addressing loneliness is no longer just a wellness initiative. It’s an essential part of a modern employee retention strategy.
Lonely employees are more likely to:
- Miss work
- Underperform
- Leave for another job
- Lower morale across their teams
The worst part? You might never know loneliness is the reason someone left. It’s not something most people say in an exit interview. And engagement perks like snacks or team outings won’t fix it. What people actually want is connection.
Krew Social Solves the Problem of Workplace Disconnection
Krew Social is built to strengthen human connection across your organization by making it easier for employees to build community. Whether that means joining a workout group, starting a book club, or connecting with others based on shared interests, Krew Social helps employees feel like they belong.
How Krew Social Improves Retention:
- Helps employees build authentic connections
- Creates more opportunities for shared experiences across teams
- Reduces feelings of isolation, especially in hybrid or remote environments
- Scales across large organizations with thousands of employees
The result is a more connected, engaged, and loyal workforce.
Learn More About Employee Retention Tools That Work
If you missed our previous post, check out The Best Employee Retention Tool for People-First Organizations to see how Krew Social compares to other retention strategies.
Take the Next Step
You can’t solve loneliness after someone leaves. The right time to invest in connection is now. If you’re looking for a proven way to improve retention through real human relationships, Krew Social is ready to help.
Set up a conversation with the Krew Social Founder to learn how your organization can start building a culture people want to stay part of.
