17/08/2026
𝗜𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁? I had a fabulous social day at the local dog park. The laughter, fun, and sense of community reminded me of the importance of social occasions in both our work and personal lives.
When I worked in a call centre, I noticed a significant difference in social interaction compared to working in an office. In an office setting, we would typically start our day with casual chats over our first coffees, and we had many opportunities for informal interactions throughout the day. However, in a call centre, your start time means you immediately begin taking calls. You grab a coffee, put on your headphones, and jump into the first call without much chance for socialising. With staggered shifts, it was difficult to catch up after work, making it hard to build relationships even within my own pod.
In my recent interviews as part of the current AIHS project, concerns around the lack of social interactions and their effects on mental health, feelings of isolation, and support systems were part of every conversation. Leaders have expressed worries about identifying behavioural changes in team members and recognising signs of withdrawal. Likewise, they felt increasing expectations for leaders to take responsibility for their teams' psychosocial health, while also needing support themselves.
These concerns existed before but have become more pronounced since Covid-19 and the shift to hybrid work, which was initially seen as a win-win. Now, with the increased social distance, we are seeing issues such as rising presenteeism, possible barriers to career advancement, leaders avoiding difficult conversations, and a lack of mentoring to develop leadership skills. There are also concerns that team members are becoming less engaged and less likely to report issues because of fewer casual interactions.
This is why raising awareness about the need to foster social interactions has become a key focus in this AIHS project. We emphasise the importance of creating regular check-ins—prioritising more meaningful and consistent conversations over quick assessments.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲? Have you noticed changes in your team dynamics or personal connections? What strategies have you implemented to encourage conversation and build relationships in a hybrid or remote environment?
𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿!
