Why ‘co-worker quality’ should be on every employer’s radar

Enjoying work can make all the difference for an employee. Co-workers play an important role in this, which is why “co-worker quality” should be a consideration when building teams.

Culture and performance are two key areas affected by co-worker quality – but what does it mean?

“Co-worker quality is the degree to which employees trust the ability and engagement of their colleagues to do their work effectively. It isn’t to be confused with camaraderie and friendship,” explained Robin Boomer, director of HR advisory at Gartner.

“When organisations experience high co-worker quality, it positively impacts both workplace culture and performance. Additionally, employees with high co-worker quality satisfaction are twice as likely to demonstrate network contribution, which means they’re effective at both giving into and receiving from the performance of others.”

“Conversely, organisations that fail to understand the importance of positive co-worker experiences see decreases in both productivity and retention; ultimately resulting in poorer wellbeing and performance outcomes for all.”

Building a healthy company culture should be of concern for all employers. Co-worker quality can play a significant role in influencing trust – a theme that plays heavily on culture.

Mr Boomer continued: “Since the introduction of hybrid working in the past few years, employees have become more sensitive to the behaviours and actions of their immediate team members, as opposed to overall organisational culture.”

“The backbone of a positive work culture starts with trust between colleagues. Without it, organisations can expect to experience higher levels of employee and team conflict, tension, reduced engagement and poor performance caused by communication breakdowns.”

Mr Boomer added: “A lack of trust between co-workers can also manifest in microaggressions and comments such as: ‘I’m not sure this person is pulling their weight, but my manager doesn’t seem to care.’”

Furthermore, co-worker quality can have an effect on retention and candidate attraction. Culture goes hand in hand with these areas and should be recognised when enacting policy.

“Organisational culture plays a significant role in attraction and retention. Gartner’s latest Global Talent Monitor (GTM) survey indicates that one in five Australian job seekers name co-worker quality as a key driver when looking for a potential employer, and one in four cite it as a reason for leaving,” said Mr Boomer.

“Workers are seeking environments where they can trust the ability and efforts of their co-workers to deliver consistently and reliably, not burden them with an increased workload. Candidates are taking the job of understanding company culture so seriously that it isn’t uncommon for them to seek out potential colleagues to discuss corporate values, work/life balance and management styles before accepting a new role. Left unresolved, burnout, mental health and stress can cause significant threats to organisational growth, performance, employee engagement and attrition.”

With this in mind, how can employers build trust and ensure co-worker quality is accounted for? According to Mr Boomer, collaboration and communication are key.

“One way that managers can ensure better co-worker quality includes team exercises to establish team norms for how they will work together, communicate, and address any small tensions when they do arise. Another is training leaders to use empathetic listening to facilitate trust and build team connections,” he explained.

“Our research has shown that more than 70 per cent of highly engaged employees think their organisation helps them to foster good connections, while fewer than 13 per cent of disengaged employees agree. In addition, 61 per cent of HR leaders say they’re getting more requests to support leader, manager and team effectiveness.”

Mr Boomer concluded: “While managers and leaders should be actively involved in helping nurture connections, HR can be poised for support, and employee groups and employees themselves can be open to creating and building positive working relationships. At the end of the day, it’s in everyone’s interest to improve co-worker quality, and it might start with recognising, ‘I’m a co-worker, too.’”