AUSTIN, Texas, Jun 23, 2026 — American workers aren’t looking for less interaction with their colleagues—they’re looking for more. New research from Kahoot! finds that 56% of employees wish they had closer connections with their coworkers, and 39% report feeling lonely at work. Despite spending their days surrounded by colleagues, many employees rely on meetings as their primary source of interaction, and keeping colleagues at a distance to maintain work-life boundaries. The result is a workforce that is more connected digitally than ever before, yet increasingly struggling to build the meaningful relationships that drive belonging, collaboration, and engagement.
Modern Workers Are Easier to Reach, But Harder to Connect to
The modern office workplace has no shortage of communication channels, yet many employees still struggle to connect. Nearly one-third (30%) of workers say they often go an entire workday without speaking to a colleague.
For many employees, meetings have become the main touchpoint for colleague interaction. Half (50%) say meetings are their only interaction with certain coworkers. At the same time, workers clearly recognize the value of personal connection when it happens. Nearly two-thirds (64%) say meetings are more effective when colleagues take time to connect before jumping straight into business.
“Workplaces have spent years optimizing for productivity, flexibility, and efficiency, but many have unintentionally engineered out the everyday human connection people need to feel engaged and supported,” said Sean D’Arcy, Chief Solutions Officer at Kahoot!. “What’s striking is that this isn’t happening among employees working alone. It’s happening inside busy offices, surrounded by colleagues. Employees are telling us they want stronger workplace relationships, yet many are simultaneously protecting themselves through distance, boundaries, and emotional masking. Leaders now face a difficult balancing act: creating workplaces where employees feel connected and supported without forcing an artificial culture or unwanted social expectations. The organisations that get this right will have a major advantage in retention, wellbeing, and long-term performance.”
Meetings Are the New Watercooler
Half of workers say meetings are their only interaction with some coworkers. What was once a quick conversation before a meeting, a spontaneous hallway chat, or an informal lunch has increasingly been replaced by scheduled interactions.
The shift matters because employees consistently link stronger personal relationships with better collaboration. As workplace communication becomes increasingly digital, many workers appear to be missing the spontaneous interactions that help build trust, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging.
Workers Want Stronger Bonds, But They Also Want Boundaries
Perhaps the most revealing finding is that employees appear caught between two competing desires. While 56% wish they had closer connections with their colleagues, 60% also say they intentionally keep personal distance from coworkers to maintain work-life boundaries.
The data suggests workers are not rejecting workplace relationships. Instead, they are navigating a more complex reality where meaningful connection is valued, but personal boundaries are increasingly protected. The challenge for employers is creating environments where relationships can develop naturally without feeling forced.
Despite those boundaries, workers have not given up on workplace social connection. More than three-quarters (76%) say they would attend their company’s main office celebration or holiday party, and 37% say they genuinely look forward to it.
Gen Z Want Deeper Connections With Colleagues at Work. But They’re Not Showing Their Full Selves
No generation appears more conflicted about workplace connection than Gen Z.
Half of Gen Z workers say they feel disconnected at work, while 68% wish they were closer friends with their colleagues. Yet nearly nine in ten (88%) say they suppress some aspect of who they are in professional settings.
Among Gen Z workers, 55% say they hide opinions they believe would not be well received, while 45% conceal their personality or sense of humor. At the same time, 66% admit they have messaged a coworker sitting in the same room rather than speaking to them directly.
Connection Starts With Leadership
The survey suggests that workplace connection challenges extend beyond peer relationships and into manager-employee interactions.
When asked where managers most need to improve, employees ranked clear and effective communication as the top area for improvement (21%), followed by meaningful feedback and recognition (18%). Workers also pointed to emotional intelligence and empathy (17%), consistency and fairness in management style (17%), fair and sustainable workload management (17%), and better people-management training (17%).
About the Survey
The survey was commissioned by Kahoot! and conducted online by OnePoll in May and June 2026. The research surveyed 2,000 office workers aged 25 and older in the United States and 2,000 office workers aged 25 and older in the United Kingdom. To download the full report and findings, including the UK results, visit: https://kahoot360.com/resources/reports/
About Kahoot!
Kahoot!, the global learning and engagement platform company, is on a mission to make learning awesome by empowering everyone, children, students, and employees, to reach their full potential. Our platform enables individuals and organizations to easily create, share, and host engaging learning sessions. Since launching in 2013, Kahoot! has become a global leader, hosting hundreds of millions of sessions with over 14 billion cumulative participants across 200+ countries and regions. Clever, the global identity platform for K-12, is also part of Kahoot! Group, serving millions of educators, students, and schools every day. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, we also have offices in the US, UK, France, Finland, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Estonia, Denmark, Spain, and Poland.
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