What happened
Loneliness at work is a measurable drag on people and results, according to a research review by University of Toronto professor Julie McCarthy, published in Canada as reported by Talent Canada. The piece was republished from The Conversation. It draws on more than 200 studies across management, psychology and health.
The context is broad. The World Health Organization estimates roughly 1 in 6 adults worldwide experience significant loneliness. For most adults, work is the main social setting outside family and close friends, so it is where connection is either built or lost.
The review links workplace loneliness to emotional exhaustion, lower engagement, weaker focus, lower supervisor-rated performance, reduced creativity and higher absenteeism. It also points to poorer cybersecurity habits. Loneliness can be short-term, such as when someone starts a new job or moves into leadership, or it can become chronic and harder to reverse. The approaches it names as helpful include peer mentoring, group support, social skills building, volunteering and mindfulness.
Why it matters if you are hiring
The costs of loneliness show up as things hiring managers already track: early turnover, slow ramp-up, thin engagement and absences. The review notes that lonely employees are often seen as less approachable, which can drag down their evaluations. A good hire can look like a poor one if nobody connects with them.
The transition points matter most. New starters, people promoted into leadership and remote or hybrid staff are the groups where loneliness can set in. Roles with solo work, such as night shifts, field roles, remote analysts and contractors placed on short assignments, deserve extra thought.
The review also warns that workplaces that reward speed, output and constant availability without attention to connection can foster isolation, even among capable, committed people. Onboarding that stops after the paperwork and the first week leaves that gap open.
One thing to do this week
Pick your last 3 hires, or your next one, and check what connection they have in their first 90 days. Assign a peer buddy, not their manager, and book a short standing check-in with that buddy for the first 8 weeks. Do the same for anyone newly promoted into a leadership role.
Traverse Staffing helps employers across Canada and the US find operations, contract, finance, sales, manufacturing and technical people who fit the role and the team, and we encourage clients to plan the first 90 days as carefully as the offer.