A recent report by Glassdoor has uncovered a concerning trend: loneliness is on the rise in workplaces, particularly among younger employees. With six out of ten individuals with less than five years of experience feeling isolated, and social connections still struggling to rebound from the pandemic, many employees feel that their workplaces have become less welcoming. However, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has proposed a promising solution to address this issue.
In a conversation with Wharton psychologist Adam Grant on the ReThinking podcast, Chesky shared a strategy for managers. He suggested identifying pairs of employees who collaborate effectively and strategically placing them on the same team.
“I often do pair people,” he said. “Four years ago, we hired two creative directors. They worked together as like a duo… It worked so well that I started thinking about this notion of duos in other areas.”
Chesky revealed that what initially began as a tactic to enhance work output gradually evolved into a broader purpose.
“Sometimes it’s just hard for one person to be a unicorn, to be able to do everything, but if you could create duos, they could cover each other’s strengths,” CNBC quoted him on the podcast. “So giving people a shared journey to be on together I think is really important… It’s a brilliant idea.”
Responding to Chesky’s proposition, Grant emphasized the significance of having a friend at work in combating loneliness. “And what really hit home for me… was the idea that I don’t always need to have a deep connection with everybody on my team. I need to have one person who I know has my back, who relies on me, as well as being someone that I can rely on,” the psychologist said. “I think that we’ve designed so much of work around teams that we’ve overlooked the importance of relationships of pairs,” he continued.
Chesky’s suggestion resonates with the findings of a 2018 Wharton study, which highlighted the positive impact of work friendships on employee morale, productivity, and overall success.
We should foster workplace friendships, whether through assigned pairs or personal initiative, emerges as a crucial aspect of combating loneliness in the workplace. As Chesky’s innovative strategy demonstrates, cultivating meaningful connections among employees not only enhances productivity but also fosters a sense of belonging and camaraderie, essential for a thriving work environment.