Interest groups at work connect employees with something in common. That might be their backgrounds, interests, skill sets, goals, or something else.
Anyone can set up an interest group for just about anything—that’s part of what makes them such powerful tools!
In fact, they’re so powerful that social technologies like them can improve knowledge workers’ productivity during interactions by 20-25%.
However, one study found that only 20% of executives feel their team is high performing. Perhaps those teams need to invest in their employee interest groups?
Let’s dive in to the difference interest groups at work can make for your team, whether it’s high-performing or not…
Interest groups at work build human connection
86% of employees blame a lack of workplace collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures.
On the flip side, 37% of employees say that a great team was their primary reason for staying with an organization, as well as a motivator.
Think about it: if you like spending time with someone, you’re going to want to be around them. And you’re likely to work well with them, too.
Finding those team dynamics is incredibly challenging, but when you get it right…it’s magic.
Interest groups at work enable your employees to connect beyond their daily working lives. This humanizes them to their colleagues and vice versa: something that’s key to an engaged, supportive, happy company culture.
Employee interest groups improve communication skills
97% of people feel a lack of alignment in a team affects tasks or project outcomes. And why wouldn’t it? If not everyone is on the same page, it’s going to slow the whole project down because those one or two people who disagree will challenge every decision or drag their feet when doing things.
This might explain why 75% of employees would prefer to speak to colleagues like they would their friends. It also shows a need for more authentic communication.
Being able to be ourselves at work is powerful. It allows employees to not have to worry about masking or hiding, something which can be incredibly draining and affect our ability to perform in our roles. Interest groups at work help break down barriers and improve communication both within, and between teams.
They encourage teamwork
Teamwork and collaboration is “very important” to three in four employees.
When employees get along with their colleagues on a human level, they work better together. It’s always easier to work with someone we know and like, right?
When we don’t know someone, it can create resistance. They’re more likely to think about their own needs and goals first, rather than considering what’s best for everyone involved.
This is increasingly pronounced in companies that focus on individual performance-related metrics.
If your company encourages a culture of competition, why would employees do things that help others—even if not working together is detrimental?
Luckily, interest groups at work can help improve teamwork and collaboration by uniting employees around what they have in common.
Employee interest groups reduce workplace conflicts
Another benefit of interest groups at work is that when colleagues have common ground and communicate well, it reduces conflicts in the workplace.
There are fewer conflicts to resolve and when they do happen, they can be resolved in a faster, more diplomatic and respectful, way. So no one loses face or their temper.
Employee interest groups can also help employees understand different people’s communication styles, so they can meet them in the middle rather than assuming someone’s blunt tone is because they’ve done something wrong. This then reduces the risk of misunderstandings stemming from conflicting communication styles.
Interest groups at work reduce hurdles
When employees can collaborate better, it reduces the hurdles that happen when trying to get a project over the finish line.
It also reduces conflicts of interest because everyone is rowing in the same direction. Because of this, people can be more willing to compromise so long as they achieve the end goal. Building relationships through interest groups at work helps keep everyone aligned.
Employee interest groups can offer training opportunities
Training is one of your most powerful employee attraction and retention tools. It’s also vital to high-performing teams. 74% of high-performing teams have access to these opportunities.
Interest groups at work are crucial tools for elevating your training and development opportunities. They’re a low-cost way to level up your employees by enabling them to share their knowledge and helpful resources.
You can also use them to organize your training and mentoring initiatives, keeping everything together in one, easy-to-find location for your employees.
Want help organizing your interest groups at work to offer more training opportunities? Check out Workrowd. It’s a one-stop employee engagement shop, with everything you need to organize your employee initiatives. Get in touch today to book your free demo.
They can help with goal setting
We often take goal setting for granted as a skill, but it isn’t always that simple. Employees who are new to the workplace, or new to your workplace, may find it hard to identify goals that align with your business. For instance, if they’ve never used OKRs before, how will they know what to do?
You can use interest groups at work to teach your employees about goal setting, why it’s important, and how they can set and achieve their own. This is important as 85% of high-performing teams have well-defined goals, so you need to ensure that they’ve got something to aim for.
The right goals, designed in the right way, keep everyone moving in the same direction. Employees can then view every decision they make through the lens of whether it helps them, their team, and your business, get closer to those goals.
Interest groups at work can help you collect employee feedback
Employee feedback is a key tool to help you determine whether you’re on the right track or if you need to change course.
Employees may not always feel comfortable speaking up in meetings or in front of decision makers, but they may be willing to share with their colleagues in an interest group.
Collecting information about what’s happening with employees is vital. You need every person to be engaged and onboard to stay ahead of the competition. Otherwise, it can slow processes down and mean you risk falling behind.
Workrowd’s automated surveys can help you find out what your employees really think. Then, our real-time dashboards help you visualize your results in real-time. That way you can just focus on how to take action. Get in touch to find out more.
Conclusion
Interest groups at work improve team communication and collaboration. As a result, every member in your team can play to their strengths and perform at their best, both individually and alongside their coworkers.
Keep an eye out for the next part, where we’ll discuss how you can use your interest groups at work to build high-performing teams.
Want help organizing your interest groups? Get in touch to book your demo.
