It's such a common sight in this day and age - you walk through a mall, into a restaurant or even in a park and find so many people holding and looking at mobile devices. One can't wonder if so much digital connectedness is taking away from our human connectedness.

No other place has suffered from the lack of human connection other than the workplace. Today, with the Internet of Things, virtualization and cloud computing taking over a lot of the business processes, it has become less needed for employees to communicate with each other face-to-face as once before.

The Importance of Human Interaction

One famous individual known for their knack in connecting with other people was Bill Clinton. There was something about how he paid attention to others that made him one of America's most loved presidents, despite his scandals in during his tenure as president.

Now, think of how Clinton would have influenced people with his speeches sent through emails rather than face-to-face. Would he have moved as many people? Or imagine if he conducted meetings with world leaders over Skype. Would Clinton have as much global influence as he does today?

Giving people your personal, undivided attention is a vital part of making connections. This does not just hold true for public figures but for everyone. In the business world, possessing communicative skills in the business world and in the workplace often means the difference between financial success or complete failure and/or unhappiness.

It isn't just salespeople who need good communication skills. Everyone from the receptionist to the security officer should have what it takes to communicate on all levels to the best of their ability. Just think about how peaceful the workplace would be if most everyone communicated on a good level. Great communication skills are not necessarily obtained through an expensive education either. This is something that must be learned through experience.

How Technology Has Affected the Workplace

The following statistics from Randstad Workmonitor in 2016 showed that most of the workforce in Australia (81 percent to be exact) hold the opinion that digitisation and technology are greatly impacting their job. But what they feared most losing was the way that they communicated with fellow workers, their superiors, clients, and customers. Furthermore, the study by Randstad Workmonitor revealed:

• Eighty-eight percent of Australian workers believe that conducting meetings face-to-face is the best way to interact with others.
• Sixty-two percent of those employed in Australia say that technology has decreased their workplace interactions substantially. The global average is 46 percent.

These findings are revealing of Australian workplace culture and the challenges employers face when adopting technologies.There needs to be much more advancement in technology when it comes to the workplace, but that it takes more than simply investing in solutions and tools.

What needs to be instilled in today's digitally connected workforce is the importance of that personal connection between humans. Just because we have the power to automate most things now doesn’t mean we forget about the human aspect of the business.

On the Flip Side

There is always a flip side to every story. This particular story is no different. There are many companies out there that have decided to take the leap and go 100 percent remote. Advocates of this strategy say that they find they have far better results in doing so. In 2016, talent management firm head, Ann Herrmann, decided to make her total workforce remote. Using video-conferencing tools and chat platforms, including an annual face-to-face get together. Herrmann has said that she feels she has gotten to know her employees better after going 100 percent virtual.

Herrmann is not the only one who is expressing this. Polycom did a study of over 25,000 workers in 12 countries and found 66 percent of them felt that they were closer to their virtual colleagues rather than the ones in their physical office.

The reason why people find it is easier to get closer to their virtual colleagues in their virtual space because there is no one else around to put on a front for. When two people are conversing in the privacy of their own home office, it's a lot easier to open up - much easier to see the personal side of their lives.This is because, in today’s societies, authenticity matters.