Across industries, organizations are facing a growing challenge that is quietly undermining engagement, productivity and innovation: workplace disconnection.

According to the recent Workplace Culture and Connection Report, 40% of office workers — and half of Gen Z employees — now say they feel disconnected at work, even while surrounded by colleagues. Nearly half of employees want closer relationships with their co-workers (including nearly three-quarters of Gen Z employees in the U.S.), yet one-third say they don’t have a single close colleague.

This lack of connection affects more than employee well-being. It also influences how effectively people collaborate, solve problems and perform as a team.

Research shows that employees who feel disconnected from their co-workers are more likely to experience burnout, perform poorly at work and have strained relationships with their managers. They are also more likely to be disengaged, miss work and consider quitting. By contrast, employees who have friends at work tend to be more committed to their job and communicate better with their team.

For organizational leaders, it may be difficult to know where to begin cultivating meaningful connections among employees, especially on teams already stretched by heavy workloads. Fortunately, learning and development (L&D) offers a practical way to strengthen connections while building critical skills. Here are three strategies to get started.

1. Create Win-Win Training Experiences With Game-Based Learning

Traditional team building activities can feel forced or disconnected from employees’ day-to-day responsibilities. Shared learning experiences, however, can strengthen relationships while helping employees develop new skills.

Game-based learning is one effective way to design connection-focused training. Whether through individual or team challenges, it uses interactivity and friendly competition to naturally encourage collaboration and break the ice.

Collaborative activities are especially effective for building trust, communication and camaraderie. They’re also particularly appealing to Gen Z, the generation most likely to want stronger workplace friendships. Beyond improving relationships, research shows game-based learning can increase learning retention, improving both learner engagement and training return on investment (ROI).

2. Use Onboarding to Build Relationships From Day One

If organizations want to create a more connected culture, onboarding is one of the best places to start. It shapes the employees’ early experiences, with 8 in 10 employees saying they would stay with an employer longer if they had better onboarding. Yet only 12% now believe their company offers a great onboarding experience.

Too often, onboarding focuses on introducing new hires to systems and processes rather than the people they’ll work alongside. Incorporating social learning, icebreakers and other “getting to know each other” activities are simple, low-stakes ways of sparking interaction among new joiners. These interactions help establish psychological safety by creating an environment where people feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas and reaching out to colleagues. Early connections can become the foundation for lasting friendships and strong support networks.

3. Turn Meetings Into Opportunities for Connection

As more teams work remotely or in hybrid environments, many employees have fewer natural opportunities to interact with colleagues. In fact, the Workplace Culture and Connection Report found that half of employees say meetings are the only time they connect with certain co-workers.

Rather than waiting for formal training sessions, organizations can use existing meetings to build interaction into the flow of work. Start with a quick pulse check, and keep participants engaged through polls, Q&A sessions and collaborative brainstorming.

Managers can also invite team members to share lessons learned, project insights or new skills during brief knowledge-sharing segments. These moments not only make meetings more engaging but also reinforce the value of learning from one another and building stronger professional relationships.

Strong Workplace Relationships Are Good for Business

Building stronger workplace relationships shouldn’t be treated as a bonus activity or a way to spend the occasional Friday afternoon. Leaders must recognize it as a key business strategy that supports engagement, collaboration and performance.

Organizations that intentionally weave connection into learning experiences, onboarding and everyday meetings do more than develop technical skills. They create teams that communicate better, support one another and are better equipped to solve problems together.