The Power of Belonging
Our world has undergone life-altering changes in the last few years, exposing a dire need to transform workplace cultures. In the U.S., more than 19 million workers have quit their jobs since April 2021, disrupting businesses everywhere, and forcing employers to reconcile with the fact that their cultures are outdated. But what exactly is amiss? My recent research provides a clear answer.
Community is essential in all areas of life, because what we derive from it is a sense of belonging. Belonging symbolizes acceptance, protection and acts as an identifying marker. It’s a fundamental human feeling and relates to our primitive desire to be seen, understood and connected to others in impactful ways. Belonging is not determined by geographic location, physical proximity or sameness—although those have typically been methods we’ve used to ‘find our place.’ Instead, belonging is determined by the quality of interactions and the sense of understanding we feel in an environment.
In early 2022, I conducted the Workplace Belonging Survey, commissioned by Ipsos. The top-level finding: Employed job seekers lack a sense of belonging at work and are likely to feel lonely and excluded in their current roles. Eighty-eight per cent of those surveyed believed that their productivity would increase if they felt a greater sense of belonging. The importance of belonging is impossible to ignore: Research shows that its benefits include lower turnover, a healthier corporate culture, fewer sick days and increased employee engagement. By failing to recognize and invest in cultivating a healthy culture, employers are not only hurting their employees—they’re hurting their business.
While there has been a significant push for diversity and inclusion initiatives over the last decade, the fact is, many of them fall short because they fail to address a bottom-line issue: Rather than focusing on creating a diverse workplace on paper, employers must focus on creating a culture where diverse employees are welcomed, valued and accepted.
The pandemic highlighted the devastating effects of loneliness on our mental and physical well-being. A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine showed that loneliness and social isolation in older adults increased their risk of premature death and dementia by nearly 50 per cent. Other health risks included an increased likelihood of stroke, heart disease, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. The report also highlighted that seniors who were minorities or belonged to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community were more likely to experience loneliness. While this study addressed the risks isolation poses to older adults, it clearly indicates the potential consequences faced by any adult—or child—who feels like they can’t find their place.
Our study found that for one in four women, their feeling of isolation is amplified in the workplace. Additionally, less than half of women surveyed believed that their peers valued their perspective or contributions. When respondents were asked what they wished their peers and colleagues knew about stressors impacting their day-to-day life at work, one respondent said,
“It’s hard being the only woman and person of colour in my position.” Another shared how hard it is to be a younger female in a predominantly older male community. The truth is, we never really know what our colleagues are experiencing.
Diversity and inclusion go beyond giving everyone a seat at the proverbial table. The real work begins when we ask ourselves, What happens after we invite people to the table? Are they ignored, silenced, spoken over, resented, attacked? Or are they included, welcomed and accepted? We will never find solutions to diversity and inclusion issues with quotas, virtue signaling or empty-handed gestures. Employers who rely on these tactics will continue to struggle with staff retention, workplace productivity and corporate morale.
Creating inclusion requires relationship-building and a human-centred approach that is team-specific, flexible and open to feedback. Leaders can create this by having an open-door policy where employees are able to safely voice their concerns, feedback and suggestions. The solution isn’t necessarily found in creating more policy – it’s all the micro-behaviours and micro-messages that make a difference. In our research, employees cited fairness and respect as the top drivers of belonging in the workplace. Less than half of respondents said they felt safe sharing their opinions or thoughts without fear of negative consequences. These numbers show that even employees who want to excel and have the potential to do so can easily be dissuaded if an environment is unwelcoming or psychologically unsafe.
People told us that a workplace is considered ‘welcoming’ when it creates a supportive atmosphere, promotes employee well-being and values individual growth. Psychological safety is critical to creating a culture that fosters trust, belonging and resilience. It is defined as the ability to comfortably be one’s authentic self in the workplace, without fear of consequences. And without it, organizations will struggle to thrive and will continue to face retention issues. For employers looking to remedy issues of belonging at work, the relational aspects matter. Two in three say a sense of belonging at work means having their perspective and contributions valued by their colleagues and superiors and working in an environment where they feel accepted.
The last three years have irrevocably changed our world and how we work. Now is the time for companies to change how to build a corporate culture with belonging at its core.
Dr. Rumeet Billan is an entrepreneur, researcher, speaker and expert on psychological capital. She completed her PHD at the University of Toronto, and has designed and facilitated programs, courses, and training sessions across industries and sectors. Since 2004, she has contributed to social impact initiatives that improve access to and the quality of education in North America, South America, and Africa. For more, visit rumeetbillan.com or Twitter: @rumeetbillan.