That infamous Aussie soap may proclaim “everybody needs good neighbours”, but it seems that in the UK these days fewer people than ever know anything about the folks next door.  One quarter don’t know the names of their neighbours, while more than three quarters do not know what they do for a living. And according to the survey by  property website FindaProperty.com, some 3.5million people have never even seen the person who lives next door.

 

In fact, these days neighbours are more likely to argue than chat over the garden fence or borrow a cup of sugar. More than 20 per cent of those surveyed said they have had an argument with a neighbour in the past five years, while 3 per cent said they felt threatened by them. So does this mean that community life has broken down, with people feeling isolated and out of contact with the people living nearest to them? Are we more likely to fall out? And has this anything at all to do with employers?

 

We suggest it does; while it’s unwise to generalise, if people are becoming more isolated and carrying a shorter fuse, then these factors need to be accommodated in the workplace. Feelings of isolation within a community make people feel disconnected. It’s important to ensure this isn’t mirrored in the workplace, otherwise there won’t be full employee engagement. Interestingly, when asked almost a fifth of respondents said they would like to have a better relationship with the people who live next door.

 

Have you asked your co-workers staff if they’d like a better relationship with you and their colleagues?

 

For practical help and advice on employee engagement, please get in touch with the Be More Effective team.