EY’s Belonging Barometer 2.0 report, based on responses from more than 5,000 workers around the globe, found that 82% of respondents reported feeling lonely at work, and nearly half (49%) said they experience loneliness more now than before the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also found that employees crave a sense of belonging at work. Other studies have found thatloneliness can increase employee turnover risk and negatively impact performance, even in highly collaborative environments.
From a humanistic perspective, connection is not created through proximity or frequency of contact. Instead, it depends on presence, authenticity, and mutual recognition, which creates an opportunity for leaders to shape the conditions where real connection can emerge.
When leaders intentionally foster trust and shared purpose, employees experience psychological safety that allows them to contribute fully without fear of judgment or negative consequences. When leaders do not cultivate psychological safety, employees may remain socially engaged but emotionally disconnected.
Why Employees Can Feel Alone in a Highly Interactive Workplace
Loneliness is often misunderstood as being physically alone. In reality, many people feel lonely while sitting in meetings, collaborating on projects, or engaging in daily workplace conversations.
Modern employees may be surrounded by others all day and still experience:
· Feeling heard but not truly understood.
· Hesitating to speak honestly about challenges or concerns.
· Worrying that asking for help will be viewed as weakness.
· Leaving conversations feeling unseen despite frequent communication.
This form of loneliness reflects a gap between interaction and connection.
“People do not listen to each other anymore. Everyone’s talking all at once, and there seems to be a lack of connection that began during the COVID shutdowns. As a result, it's become harder to stay focused on a central topic. Since COVID, James and I have found that:
· It’s harder to get people out and get people to stay and participate in conversation than it used to be.
· There seems to be more conflict and less civility.
· People seem to take things more personally and react negatively and strongly to each other than in the past.
· More people are feeling no one understands them” - Lori Heffelfinger
These observations align with research by psychologist John Cacioppo, who found that loneliness fuels itself: when people feel socially isolated, they become more sensitive to social threats and more likely to misinterpret interactions negatively through the lens of rejection.
Why Authentic Connection Is So Difficult to Achieve
If connection is so essential, why is it such a challenge to attain?
For many individuals, difficulty with vulnerability is rooted in past experiences where emotional honesty was met with dismissal or criticism. Over time, people learn to protect themselves by limiting what they share.
But the challenge goes deeper than individual behavior. Modern workplace culture can unintentionally reinforce this dynamic by prioritizing productivity and outcomes in everyday conversations.
“Modern workplace andsocial life often rewards performance over presence. Conversations revolve aroundproductivity, accomplishments, and efficiency. We exchange updates rather than experiences. Many people feel pressure to present themselves as capable, positive, or "doing well," even when they are struggling internally.” – Lori Heffelfinger
When people feel they must manage how they are perceived in order to belong, it can make connections feel conditional and slowly erode psychological safety.
What True Workplace Connection Requires
From a leadership and organizational culture perspective, meaningful connection is created through relational conditions that support authenticity in day-to-day interactions.
Strong workplace connection is built when employees experience:
· Being listened to without interruption or an attempt to “fix.”
· Feeling emotionally validated, even when emotions are messy.
· Building relationships based on mutual respect rather than hierarchy.
· Being allowed to show up as your authentic self without feeling the need to perform.
When employees feel they are met with curiosity rather than judgment, they are more likely to collaborate effectively and remain committed to the organization.
Redefining Belonging at Work
Addressing workplace loneliness requires a shift in how leaders create relational environments. Leaders have an opportunity to move organizations from performance-driven cultures to presence-driven cultures by:
Modeling active listening and curiosity
Normalizing honesty about challenges and uncertainty
Reducing unnecessary hierarchy in conversations
Reinforcing psychological safety as a shared expectation
Encouraging employees to show up as people, not just roles
When belonging is embedded into leadership behavior - not just organizational values - it becomes real.
Create a New Business Playbook with Heffelfinger
At Heffelfinger Co., we believe that belonging should be viewed as a core leadership responsibility. And because culture never develops by accident, every leader must ask themselves: How am I intentionally or unintentionally shaping a workplace where people feel they belong?
Our leadership coaches help leaders move beyond intention to impact by building cultures that strengthen both people and performance. Through strategic visioning, cultural assessments, organizational alignment, and leadership development, we work with organizations to clearly identify where they are today, define the culture they want to build, and create a practical roadmap to get there.
The result is a more aligned and high-performing organization equipped to thrive in an increasingly complex world.
Let’s collaborate to create a new business playbook that strengthens strategy, culture, leadership, and teams. Contact us today to schedule a free 20-minute work audit.
Warmly,
Lori & James
Lori Heffelfinger & James Jackman
Sources:
Gallup. 2/28/2026. https://www.gallup.com/471521/indicator-organizational-culture.aspx. Accessed 7/3/2026
Carolyn Crist. Employee loneliness may affect performance and turnover at work. 12/17/2026. https://www.hrdive.com/news/employee-loneliness-affects-performance-turnover-at-work/735752/. Accessed 7/3/2026.
Robert Castellano M.S. Why So Many People Feel Disconnected. 12/21/2025. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-humanistic-explorer/202512/why-so-many-people-feel-disconnected. Accessed 7/3/2026.
