Don’t Just Take My Word for It - Look at the Data

When I speak about workplace relationships, people often nod along because the idea feels intuitive.

Most of us know from experience that the people we work with have a huge impact on how we experience our jobs.

A supportive manager can make a difficult project manageable. A trusted colleague can help solve a problem faster. A strong team can make even challenging work feel energizing.

But occasionally someone will ask a very fair question. “Is there data behind this?”

The answer is yes. And the research is remarkably compelling.

Gallup’s Engagement Research

Gallup has spent decades studying employee engagement through its well known Q12 workplace survey.

In one of its most comprehensive studies, Gallup analyzed data from more than 3.3 million employees across over 100,000 teams to understand how engagement affects business outcomes.

The results are striking.

Teams in the top quartile of employee engagement consistently outperform teams in the bottom quartile across nearly every major business metric.

What Highly Engaged Teams Achieve More Of

According to Gallup’s research, highly engaged teams demonstrate measurable improvements in several important areas.

Compared with less engaged teams, they show:

• 10 percent higher customer loyalty and engagement

• 14 percent higher productivity in operational performance

• 18 percent higher productivity in sales roles

• 23 percent higher profitability

• 70 percent higher employee wellbeing

• 22 percent higher participation and organizational citizenship

What Highly Engaged Teams Experience Less Of

Gallup’s data also shows that engaged teams experience significantly fewer negative outcomes.

Highly engaged teams report:

• 78 percent less absenteeism

• 21 percent lower turnover in high turnover organizations

• 51 percent lower turnover in low turnover organizations

• 28 percent less shrinkage such as theft

• 63 percent fewer safety incidents

• 32 percent fewer quality defects

Where Workplace Relationships Fit In

One of the most well known questions in the Gallup survey is also one of the simplest. “Do you have a best friend at work?”

At first glance, that question can sound a little unusual in a business context.

But it captures something very important.

Connection.

When employees have strong workplace relationships, they feel supported. They communicate more openly. They are more willing to collaborate and contribute ideas.

Those conditions create the environment where engagement thrives.

The Data Confirms What Leaders Already Know

Many leaders already see this dynamic play out inside their organizations.

They see it when teams trust each other.

They see it when employees support one another through challenges.

They see it when people stay committed to a team because of the relationships they

have built there.

Gallup’s research simply confirms what experienced leaders already understand.

Workplace relationships are not just nice to have.

They are one of the most powerful drivers of engagement, performance, and retention in modern organizations.

About the Author

Rachel B. Simon is a former executive at AT&T and is now a keynote speaker, executive coach, and best-selling author of Relationships at Work: How to Authentically Network Within Your Company. Her insights help organizations strengthen workplace relationships to improve collaboration, engagement, fulfillment, and retention.