Wisq, a platform designed for the social connection needs of employees, has launched Lounges: spaces for coworkers to have spontaneous catch-ups and casual hang-outs – whether it’s with two people or a full team.
Simultaneously the company released results of a national survey of 2,000 full-time workers that identified social isolation and the inability to have spontaneous conversations with coworkers as serious concerns for many in today’s workforce, particularly among Gen Z employees.
For more insights from Wisq’s national Employee Workplace Perceptions Survey, including Gen Z respondents’ feelings on remote work isolation and layoff fears, view the company’s blog summary of the data: Gen Z Misses Spontaneous Conversation at Work, 47% of Workers Feel Isolated.
Among the surprising findings, 83 percent of employees are satisfied with their current work arrangement – remote, hybrid or in-office. However, connection with coworkers – distributed or otherwise – is a struggle. Fifty-one percent of respondents say they miss spontaneous conversations with coworkers, and 47 percent have felt isolated from their coworkers since people started working remotely on a more regular basis. Gen Z is feeling the lack of connection more acutely than overall workers, with 56 percent feeling isolated.
Wisq’s Lounges are a remedy to feelings of isolation at work, providing people with a fun, easy and impromptu way to get to know their colleagues and participate in quick interactions, no matter where they are working.
“In the new world of work, conversations and ‘casual collisions’ between employees have plummeted,” said Jim Barnett, Wisq co-founder and CEO. “Lounges create a new space for employees to run into each other – no matter where they are working – and have conversations that are serendipitous and informal.”
As companies adopt distributed work structures, they are challenged with how to help employees build the personal connections that help keep them engaged and foster a sense of belonging. Wisq has created a space to address this – where employees can connect to discover common interests, share experiences, and create connections.
With Lounges, employees have audio and chat spaces for real-time socializing within the Wisq platform. Lounges include open and private spaces where people can invite others to join the conversation. Members of the same Wisq space can drop into a live Lounge discussion via a Group, such as Hiking Enthusiasts, or through a “Happening Now” pop-up in their feed.
For more information, or to start using Wisq, visit www.wisq.com
