How should employers prevent negativity and unconstructive behaviour from arising and spreading throughout their workforce? While better pay and benefits always help, the untapped resource that employers often fail to utilise when combatting toxic behaviour is their own staff.

Here’s why strong employee connections can safeguard your business from ‘quiet quitters’, and my top tips for how to effectively create an environment that supports workplace bonding.

Build better connections
Hybrid work has disrupted the unity of the workforce, making the task of fomenting a strong company culture more challenging than before. Yet, more than offering any work perk, investing in building strong employee connections will reap so many benefits that support the business’ objectives, as well as its recruitment and retention strategy. The ‘perk’ being offered here is access to a network of like-minded people who get along, make the everyday more enjoyable, and know how to have fun together after working hours.

Reenergise in the great outdoors
This is best achieved by breaking up the daily grind and whisking everyone away from their office desks every so often. Once restricted to screen-based communication only, employers should now make the most of in-person events being back in full swing and book in some face-to-face time for the whole company. More exciting than gathering around someone’s desk in a stuffy office, take your teams to the great outdoors for some fresh air and a nature-rich escape. The more dissimilar to an office the destination, the better. Whether that’s for a more formal gala dinner, conference or strategy session – or a more relaxed ‘workcation’ that gives people a chance to spend some quality time together, the shared experience will unite colleagues.

Set the stage for more informal bonding
These events are particularly important for companies where a lot of employees are new to the business, started the job during the pandemic or haven’t had the chance to get to know each other. The more you provide structured opportunities for mingling at the start, the more likely employees are to informally socialise together at a later time and throughout their time at the company. The goal is to set the grounds for employees to choose to hang out by themselves and build long-lasting relationships.

Include time for employees to recharge their batteries
Corporate getaways work best if you provide some downtime as well. Balancing out the high-energy, social activities with alone time is important. A great way of showing your appreciation for all the hard work your employees have put in over the past year, is gifting them a night or two away with their teams – and some well-deserved down-time away from home-life. This is a chance to relax and enjoy the surroundings at your chosen location and the activities on offer at their own pace. To top it off, offering vouchers for a spa treatment or restaurant for employees to enjoy while on the trip, is becoming a popular way of incentivising everyone to come and rewarding them for being loyal to the company.

Promote your work perks and away days
Not only are existing staff more likely to stay on in the business if they’re rewarded with regular outings, but attracting the right talent will be made easier. As well as the experience of meeting up and engaging in a fun activity, employers can derive valuable content for their website and social media platforms that portrays their company as an ‘employer of choice’. The best talent will come to you if they can see soundbites of what it’s like to work there and the kinds of events they may be able to attend if they decide to join. Let the event speak for itself.

Apply some healthy peer pressure
The bottom line is employees are less likely to ‘quiet quit’ if they care about their colleagues – knowing that the burden of them not holding their weight would inevitably impact and land on the shoulders of their colleagues. Colleagues who know each other on a personal level will want to support each other’s career progression, and be encouraged to learn from each other and go the extra mile to help them deliver good work that supports the business’ growth. The best bit is that the business will benefit from motivated and engaged staff, driving even stronger connections between colleagues who feel proud of their shared success.