[Opinion] The company, the last bastion of social cohesion?

As social bonds erode, the workplace is becoming a vital space for connection and sharing—a place where the collective of tomorrow is built day by day.

Managers often turn to their HR counterparts when a team member is going through a difficult time, seeking advice on how best to support them. This situation—far from being an isolated case—reveals something fundamental about our times: when faced with another person’s distress, even the most well-intentioned individuals often feel helpless, lacking both guidance and the right tools. Managing human relationships is a skill that can be learned—and it is precisely this skill that companies have a responsibility to teach.

A bond fraying everywhere

Cafés are closing. Foot traffic in local shops is declining. Associations are struggling to recruit volunteers. For the second consecutive year, mental health has been designated a “Great National Cause.” A growing number of studies show that loneliness now affects all age groups—young people most of all. In a recent study on the “society of connection,” La Fabrique Spinoza highlights that social connection is the number-one priority for the vast majority of employees.

Against this backdrop, a question arises—one we do not always dare to articulate clearly: what if the workplace were becoming one of the last places where people truly talk to one another?

The company: a unique melting pot

What is remarkable about the workplace—and often overlooked—is that it brings together people who might never have chosen to cross paths otherwise: people of different generations, backgrounds, and life paths.

This intergenerational mix, in particular, represents an often underutilized asset: it enables the passing on of know-how, as well as shared reference points, working styles, and sometimes simply ways of interacting with one another. It is perhaps one of the few spaces that still resists the logic of “bubbles” and the prevailing trend toward self-segregation. You do not choose your colleagues the way you choose your subscriptions or your social media feeds.

And this is precisely where a new—and profound—responsibility for employers lies.

Lessons from the field

In environments where physical proximity is high—such as operational roles, field teams, and sales functions—one might assume that a strong connection happens naturally. In reality, that is not the case. Mere presence is not enough. Connection cannot simply be mandated; it must be built intentionally.

Some organizations have implemented simple yet structuring rituals. For instance, establishing regular one-on-one check-ins between managers and team members, opening with two questions: “How are you?” and “How is your workload?” This may seem trivial, but it is anything but. When sincere, these moments quickly become anticipated events that provide structure for teams. They also offer a calmer setting to address increasingly central issues—such as work-life balance—which can no longer be excluded from managerial dialogue as they have been for too long.

Similarly, onboarding can no longer be limited to learning the mechanics of a job. It becomes a pivotal moment for forging lasting connections: allowing new hires to meet various colleagues, understand the company’s human dynamics, and build a network they can rely on in the long run.

Social connection: an underestimated lever

Underlying these practices is a reality that is often undervalued: social connection is a key driver of engagement.

This is not about superficial sociability, but rather a genuine sense of connection lived out and embodied every day. It stems from simple gestures: sharing a coffee, a team barbecue, or showing genuine care for others. These rituals may seem minor, but they actually form the foundation of a shared culture.

This is often what employees—and even candidates—pick up on. A company’s image rests not only on what it says or produces, but on the relational promise it embodies.

A collective responsibility to shoulder

A company is not meant to replace family, friendship, or community ties. Yet, in a world where these bonds are eroding, it has a role to play.

Training managers in attentive interaction—the simple idea that saying hello, expressing thanks, or taking a moment to check on a colleague’s well-being is not a waste of time but an act of management—is a concrete way to address the crisis of human connection.

Creating spaces where people who might not naturally have much in common learn to know one another, work together, and sometimes even reconnect after moving on—this is an ambition more companies could embrace.

A company is not merely a place of production. It is also—perhaps increasingly—a place of sharing.

Aurélie Albenesius, HR Development Director – Kiloutou France