New Research from Blueboard Signals That Workplaces Need to Address the Connection Gap

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new U.S. study on employee connection conducted by Blueboard, an innovator in the employee recognition and rewards space, in partnership with The Starr Conspiracy, 95% of HR pros agree that investing in employee connection helps drive employee retention. With retention being a top priority for HR and Talent leaders in 2022, workplace connection must be a focus, as nearly three in five employees report they would consider leaving their current job if they didn't feel connected at work.

"Connection is critical to employee engagement. When we feel connected, we're more productive, more energized, and we stick around longer. Which makes employee connection central to organizational success. But there's a gap today in what employees want in a connected workplace and what's being delivered," said Allyson Tom, VP of People & Culture at Blueboard.

"We're in the middle of a work revolution and companies are coming to terms with the fact that employees are so much more than a cog in the machine. The humans who drive companies forward need to feel a sense of purpose, of fulfillment, of connectedness. Our hope is that this research further validates the importance of connection and gives employers and employees alike a data-backed way to prioritize connection at work."

Survey results show that employee recognition plays a major role in workplace connection, with organizations using recognition to drive connection reporting greater success across all measures of connection than those that aren't. In fact, companies that use recognition to facilitate connection are nearly twice as likely to report that they've adequately addressed employee connection challenges than the average.

Going forward, 73% of HR professionals agree employee recognition will be an important tool they'll use to create workplace connection. But most acknowledge they'll need to rethink what this looks like in a hybrid or remote work environment. Formal employee appreciation and recognition is a top three method for HR leaders to address the Connection Gap in 2022. Others include: hybrid, in-person, and online events, adding tech for better remote communication and collaboration, manager and leadership training, and expanding employee learning and development opportunities.

"Investing in our recognition program with Blueboard has been a special way for us to make people feel appreciated when they go the extra mile,'' said Jess Wagner, Manager, Global Engagement at The Trade Desk. "It helps encourage the behavior we want to see among our employees to help us build a more vibrant, connected culture."

Check out the full report here. 

Survey Methodology 
This survey was conducted within the United States by The Starr Conspiracy in partnership with Blueboard during Fall of 2021. We asked 384 HR leaders and professionals questions about the state of employee connection at their workplace, along with broader talent initiatives, in a 15-20 minute online quantitative survey. We asked 506 full-time employees questions about the importance of connection at work in an online 5-10 minute quantitative survey.

For this research, we defined a connected workplace as one where employees feel:

• Connected to the company's mission, values, and leadership vision
• Connected to their coworkers and managers through authentic relationships
• Connected to their work—that they have a positive impact on the company's goals
• Connected to their personal aspirations—that they're making positive impact overall

About Blueboard 
Blueboard is the experiential rewards platform of choice for the world's most loved employers. We make it easy for companies to give experiential employee rewards, incentives, and gifts—from one-of-a-kind to once-in-a-lifetime experiences (think skydiving, dining through Michelin stars, learning to blow glass, or chasing the Northern Lights). We support enterprise workforces across 70 countries and partner with hundreds of Best Places to Work including Abbott's Diabetes Care, Mixpanel, Segment, Glassdoor, Shake Shack, GoPro, and Ubisoft to help them celebrate their people in a more meaningful way. Learn more at Blueboard.com.

About The Starr Conspiracy 
The Starr Conspiracy is a full-service digital agency that helps HCM industry innovators propel brand awareness, drive leads, and eat market share like nobody's business. We're not your typical marketing and advertising agency — we meld digital advertising, brand innovation, and industry insights to change categories, industries, and — yes — even the entire notion of B2B marketing as we know it. Revolutionaries hell-bent on shaking things up are welcome. Conformists, please stay home (you'll hate working with us, anyway).

Contact: 
BAM for Blueboard 
[email protected] 

SOURCE Blueboard Inc