During the past year, employee engagement has fallen to the wayside for nearly all workplaces as we grappled with our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and moved to working apart remotely. UCSF has not been spared from this reality.
As we begin to ease up on social distancing and other COVID-19 guidelines, many of us can’t wait to reconnect with our colleagues. Studies have shown that spontaneous engagement at work is incredibly important for creating an inclusive, productive and innovative workplace. But how do we encourage informal interactions, known as social capital, in a hybrid workplace that includes some of us working from home and others in the office?
Here are four actions offered up by the Harvard Business Review that we are embracing at UCSF to encourage a culture of kindness, fun and collaboration:
- Be proactive. Reach out to colleagues on teams outside of your own, or outside of your unit, to include a diverse perspective in your work. We encourage our managers to schedule regular one-on-ones with their employees – especially those working remote. Managers can be the “glue and dot connectors” in helping bringing people together.
- Make space for social capital to thrive. Make workplace relationships a priority by looking for ways to decrease workloads so employees aren’t too bogged down to participate in social opportunities. At the UCSF School of Dentistry, we offer social gatherings like book club and knitting club meetups, and we’re bring back a popular event where we gather for snacks one Friday each month.
- Encourage and reward social support. Helping others build their networks, manage challenges and relieve stress is oftentimes invisible but essential labor. When you see a colleague offering social support, take steps to recognize that effort. At UCSF, we have award programs and use UCSF Recognize, an online recognition portal that anyone can use to send kudos to a colleague.
- Make meetings intentional, inclusive and social. With colleagues working in and out of the office, it’s important that everyone is heard. Meetings should be well-planned, focused and include moderators and facilitators. Moderators can ensure that everyone speaks on difficult topics and is a part of the conversation – especially those who are not physically present. Meetings also should allow time to strengthen social ties with others. Personally, I continually evaluate the types and structures of my formal meetings to optimize employee engagement.
Encouraging engagement and spontaneous interaction among colleagues is just as important as the daily to-do list. Interacting with colleagues does not distract from work; instead, it can feed productivity and innovation. I’d love to hear how others are encouraging workplace engagement and I am always interested in new social engagement ideas. Please email me or comment below! eunice.stephens@ucsf.edu.
— Eunice Stephens, Associate Dean of Administration and Chief of Staff, UCSF School of Dentistry
