Workplace alienation happens when individuals feel separated from their jobs, professional goals, or teammates. A variety of variables contribute to workplace alienation, but it is frequently the result of inadequate corporate policies or an organisational structure that causes people to feel unappreciated or separated.
While individuals can actively participate in overcoming feelings of alienation at work, employers must develop a workplace atmosphere that encourages individualism, professional advancement, personal fulfilment, and cultural alignment for all team members.
Types of workplace alienation
Production
Employees may feel disconnected from production if they are not involved in the complete manufacturing process. This can happen if a person solely works on a specific sort of task on a regular basis and has no relationship to the rest of the production process, such as decision-making duties or project completion. Professionals must be allowed to contribute their perspectives in developing a vision for a project and designing its workflow in order to feel valued and completely engaged.
Individual
Most employees value workplace conditions in which they may express themselves and be creative in their approach to their work. Individual alienation may occur when employees are unable to offer their ideas, discuss their thoughts, or be themselves at work. Employees may feel alienated from their sense of self when executing their roles as a result of this type of alienation.
Collective
Employees may feel alienated from their coworkers as a result of collective alienation. This frequently occurs when employees’ responsibilities focus on a specialised, repetitive piece of a wider manufacturing process, preventing them from connecting interpersonally. When this form of alienation happens, employees may feel that they aren’t getting enough credit for the role they play and that their job keeps them from having meaningful interactions with others.
If you’re feeling alienated from others because of the nature of your work or the structure of your organization, try to form alliances with your colleagues who can support you when you experience work-related challenges.
Make your value known:
If your employer doesn’t seem to easily recognize your contributions, make your value known by honing your skills, taking initiative and engaging deeply with your work.
Collaborate purposefully:
You can form connections with others by collaborating purposefully with them, even if your employer doesn’t create such opportunities.
Explore your options.
If you’re feeling alienated from your workplace culture due to a misalignment of values, you can consider making a shift in your career and finding a new role that offers you a deeper sense of connection.
