Talent   //   January 16, 2025

‘The Great Detachment’: How workplace disconnection is hurting productivity

Another year, another troubling workplace trend.

Workplace experts have their eye on a growing disconnect between employers and employees, with the latest research suggesting that business leaders may be dramatically overestimating how well they are engaging their workforce.

Dubbed “The Great Detachment,“ the phenomenon is characterized by employees feeling increasingly disconnected from their employers’ goals — even as business leaders believe they do communicate effectively.

According to work management platform Slingshot’s Digital Work Trends Report, while 8 in 10 employers believe they are effectively communicating business goals and objectives, just 2 in 10 employees actually feel educated about company goals, pointing to a critical communication gap contributing to workplace dissatisfaction and low productivity. The report was based on a survey of 253 workers in the U.S.

“When employees don’t have insight into their company’s goals, they’re largely unaware of how their daily work fits into the bigger picture of the company, which can cause them to feel unmotivated, confused on priorities and unproductive,“ said Slingshot founder Dean Guida.

“When employees don’t have insight into their company’s goals, they’re largely unaware of how their daily work fits into the bigger picture of the company, which can cause them to feel unmotivated, confused on priorities and unproductive.“
Dean Guida
founder, Slingshot

The problem may be widespread. Project management software Wrike’s Impactful Work Report reveals that an alarming share of workers don’t feel they can contribute to business outcomes, with poor communication and collaboration cited about half of employees as the biggest reason for workplace inefficiency.

Charles Berry, director of the team-building activities service Zing Events, offers some historical context. “The ’Great Detachment’ isn’t just another workplace buzzword — it’s the result of a slow-burning cultural shift that started during the pandemic,” he said. “When remote and hybrid work became the norm, many companies failed to maintain meaningful connections with their employees.“

The latest research identifies several key factors contributing to employees’ feelings of detachment:

Digital overload. Slingshot found that 4 in 10 employees use five or more workplace apps daily, with about one-quarter reporting that app notifications distract them from daily tasks. One-third of workers report feeling overwhelmed by screen time, with 41% experiencing burnout due to digital fatigue.

Generational differences. The impact isn’t uniform across demographics. According to Slingshot, 8 in 10 Gen Z workers report feeling overloaded with work, compared to just half of boomers. Similarly, about half of Gen Z workers report digital exhaustion, versus about 2 in 10 boomers.

Work-life balance. More than one-third of employees feel pressured to be available outside work hours. The majority (nearly 7 in 10) want employers to actively encourage unplugging at day’s end while nearly 6 in 10 say they should stop expecting after-hours availability.

“When remote and hybrid work became the norm, many companies failed to maintain meaningful connections with their employees.“
Charles Berry
director, Zing Events

The financial impact of all this is critical. Wrike found that organizations lose more than $15,000 per employee each year on unnecessary work, with employees spending nearly one and a half days every week on tasks they consider unnecessary.

To promote feelings of attachment, experts recommend:

Increasing goal transparency. About half of employees say that increased transparency into company goals would help them better manage workload and drive productivity.

Streamlining digital tools. Employees save an average of four hours per week by consolidating software platforms.

Setting clear boundaries. Employers should establish explicit expectations around after-hours availability and encourage more work-life balance.

“Employers must prioritize rebuilding company culture,” Berry said. “This starts with transparent communication — making sure employees understand not just the company’s goals but how their individual contributions matter.“

But it goes beyond just surface-level engagement initiatives, as Guida sees it. “The key to boosting productivity within any organization is to connect employees to their work and the business, support and guide employees with everything they do and foster an environment for them to continuously innovate,” he added.