Life is all about relationships. From the moment we’re born, we’re hardwired to develop connections with those around us, whether they’re the family members we see daily or the familiar faces that we encounter occasionally. Ideally, the healthier those ties are, the more satisfied we feel.
Indeed, all healthy relationships tend to share many characteristics, not the least of which are mutual trust, authentic interactions, and psychological safety. Yet many employers are only now beginning to implement measures to deepen and strengthen one of the most overlooked relationships: their relationship with employees.
Without a doubt, the employer-employee relationship is an important one that deserves to be nurtured. Many people spend far more hours working than interacting with their loved ones. If they don’t feel supported by the relationship they have with their companies, those hours can become burdensome and mentally draining. On the other hand, when employees feel supported, they can forge deeper connections with their companies, leading to higher engagement, lower turnover, and better performance.
But there’s a catch: Fostering a strong employee-employer bond requires initial energy, commitment, and investment from the organizational side; the employer must make the so-called “first move”. Unfortunately, recent workplace statistics reveal that most employers aren’t as effective as they could be in laying the groundwork for “sticky” employee-employer ties.
Case in point, a survey from MyPerfectResume shows that while employees aren’t expected to leave jobs in droves during 2026, they’re not necessarily feeling much attachment to their workplaces. On the contrary, many have simply checked out mentally due to burnout, inflation, and recession-related stressors, and the belief that better positions don’t exist. Yes, they’re occupying seats with no desire to switch jobs, but they’re at risk of becoming fully disengaged.
Dismaying? Perhaps, but this is also an opportunity in disguise for forward-thinking employers, though. As the BuildMyResume team of analysts noted, “Workers are looking for reassurance, grounding, and stability. When employers deliver it, loyalty and productivity follow.”
Planting the Seeds of a Long-Term Employer-Employee Relationship
What types of actions can employers take to establish a more proactive give-and-take relationship with their employees? Some meaningful strategies include the following initiatives.
1. Focus on boosting employees’ holistic well-being
The 2020s have seen a blossoming of the self-care movement. Employers can respond to that wellness momentum by prioritizing their employees’ overall health and well-being. Programs that provide practical relief, such as access to mental health support, voluntary insurance options, and meaningful discounts on essential expenses, are playing a growing role in this approach. When employees can reduce financial strain from healthcare, household expenses, or major purchases, they are better positioned to focus on their well-being at work and at home.
Working Advantage is a leader in those offerings. Employers can work with them to offer their employees exclusive discounts. These solutions allow employees to choose the benefits that best fit their individual circumstances, without adding administrative burden for employers. As Tom Murphy, General Manager at Working Advantage, explains, “With a robust set of supportive benefits, leaders can more easily connect people to the right resources for their individual needs, strengthening trust and fostering a truly supportive (and productive) workplace.”
2. Open the door to flexible working arrangements
Another way to strengthen employer-employee relationships is to allow employees to independently flex their schedules. For instance, all employees may be required to come into the office on a set number of days each week. However, they can all choose which days and hours (within an acceptable period) work best for their needs. As a result, each employee can structure workdays around other family and personal obligations.
It’s important to know that remote and hybrid work arrangements aren’t the only types of flexible scheduling. Some organizations also allow workers to design their weeks to three- or four-day limits. Again, this allows workers to better align their working and home lives. It also shows that the company trusts them to make the best choices for themselves.
3. Make career pathing and internal movement an expectation
Historically, many people hesitate to express their desire to move laterally or upward to their bosses, keeping their dreams a secret. Accordingly, they surprise everyone on their teams, including their managers, when they leave.
To address this problem, some organizations are offering proactive career pathing to promote employee succession, moving employees throughout the organization rather than losing them to competitors. Rather than expecting employees to hide their aspirations, those employers actively help employees reach their goals. This breaks down communication barriers and transforms the relationship between leaders and their teams into one built on honesty, openness, and support.
Employers and employees will always have some kind of relationship. Employers that make the most of that relationship by building healthier connections with their people will have an advantage over those that ignore the opportunity to create genuine people-to-people bonds.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema; Unsplash
