Organizations should attempt to foster a sense of belonging and togetherness among their employees

By Deborah Sweeney

A recent report identifies four core elements to building a "belonging" culture.

What do people mean when they say they feel a sense of "belonging" at their jobs? Belonging does not necessarily mean being popular with colleagues, nor does it mean feeling connected with work peers because you attended the same schools or live in the same neighborhoods. What can business leaders do to build a culture of belonging in the workplace?

According to research by Coqual, a nonprofit think tank, as sense of belonging at work is rooted in four elements: 1) being seen for your unique contributions; 2) connected to your coworkers; 3) supported in your daily work and career development; and 4) proud of your organization’s values and purpose.

Part one of Coqual's “Belonging Series,” “The Power of Belonging: What It Is and Why It Matters in Today's Workplace,” examines what it means to belong at work and provides simple steps to build a feeling of belonging among employees.

When we create a culture of belonging in our organization, everyone wins. Here are a few of my favorite key takeaways from the report:

The four elements of belonging

Belonging, according to Coqual, is measured on a 10-point scale rooted in four elements:

• Seen—When you are seen at work, you are recognized, rewarded, and respected by your colleagues.
• Connected—When you are connected at work, you have positive, authentic social interactions with peers, managers, and senior leaders.
• Supported—When you are supported at work, those around you give you what you need to get your work done and live a full life. These people may be peers and senior leaders.
• Proud—When you are proud of your work and your organization, you feel aligned with its purpose, vision, and values.

Do employees feel a sense of "belonging" at work?

A survey group of college-educated professionals was asked a series of questions, and based on their answers, given a “belonging score" that ranged from 0 to 10. Half of the respondents scored between 6.25 and 8.54, which indicates most employees feel some sense of belonging at work.

The report notes that the people who experience "high belonging" at their company feel more engaged with their work, they plan to stay at their job for at least two years, and they feel very loyal to their company. Those experiencing "low belonging" were four times more likely to say they felt stalled in their careers.

How to build belonging at every level

The Coqual report outlines a five-step process for how organizations, senior leaders, managers, and peers can build and foster a culture of belonging in the workplace. Here’s a quick look at what is necessary for each level to prioritize:

Organizations

An organization, essentially, acts as the foundation for establishing a high belonging score:

1. There are senior leaders who can act as role models.
2. Employees have a lot in common with senior leaders.
3. There is accountability for violations of company policy, regardless of seniority or performance.
4. There are clear, trustworthy methods in place to report violations of company policy.
5. Budgets have been established for celebratory events.

The report stresses the need for furthering conditions that allow employees to be seen and supported, such as diversifying leadership and embedding D&I (diversity and inclusion) into initiatives like employee succession planning.

Senior leaders

Senior leaders set the tone in an organization by:

1. Embodying the organization’s values.
2. Modeling inclusive leadership by listening to all voices on their team.
3. Expressing transparency about their values.
4. Seeking to connect with employees across the organization.
5. Sharing personal stories.

In many ways, the expectations of senior leadership are similar to expectations reported in other studies. The "2021 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: The Belief-Driven Employee" emphasizes that values are the core reason why employees choose to work and stay with a company, far outweighing higher salaries and career advancement.

The Edelman study found that 6 out of 10 people choose to work for an employer who shares their values and beliefs. Further, it is expected that leadership delivers on issues of the day, such as sustainability, retraining, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. The more leadership demonstrates a commitment to these issues and is willing to fight the good fight, the more employees feel supported, seen, and connected to their jobs. (And likely proud to work for that company!)

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Managers

Managers carry the culture by:

1. Praising their employees' work.
2. Providing regular, honest feedback to improve the work of employees.
3. Responding to employee concerns.
4. Publicly crediting employees for their contributions.
5. Empowering team members to make decisions.

It is often advised that those transitioning into management roles become the kinds of managers that they would have liked to work alongside when they were employees. As such, there is an interesting overlap between increasing belonging at the management and peer levels. Both managers and peers should be able to offer feedback and praise, as well as demonstrate responsiveness in their respective roles.

Peers

We close with a look at the ways peers drive belonging with one another and ultimately build an inclusive culture:

1. They respect their colleagues' commitments outside of work.
2. Provide timely and honest feedback to colleagues on their work.
3. Praise colleagues' work.
4. Thank colleagues for their work.
5. Communicate openly and honestly with colleagues about their working relationship.

Gratitude is key, as is respecting and supporting one another’s work-life balance, for someone to feel seen, connected, supportive, and proud.

Every company has the ability to create a culture of belonging

While each of these steps does vary depending on one’s career level, I cannot stop thinking about how each step is achievable. There is no step that is too difficult or impossible to implement. Simply put, there is no excuse that should prevent any organization, big or small, from creating a culture of belonging in the workplace.

About the Author

Deborah Sweeney is the CEO of MyCorporation.com, which provides incorporation and LLC formation filing services to entrepreneurs. See Deborah's articles and full bio at AllBusiness.com.

RELATED: Understanding Employee ‘Attachment Styles’ Helps Managers Build More Cohesive Teams

Do I belong here?

That is a question that every candidate wonders when considering taking a new job. Will I like the work I will be doing? Will I be able to get along with my co-workers? Will I find meaning in my new job? Answering yes to these questions is the right first step.

If you can answer these answers the same way in a year then those of us in the human capital development business will say you are “engaged.” Engagement is, as I like to joke, a six-dollar word that consultants say when people like what they do and want to come to work everyday.

The reason for their connection to work and the workplace is due to a sense of belonging. Dr. Abraham Maslow, a pioneering social psychologist, ranks “belonging” as third in his Hierarchy of Needs for human satisfaction and fulfillment. Individuals feel that they fit in. On one level they fit because the work is interesting. On another level they feel connected to their co-workers. And ultimately, and ideally, they feel part of the workplace because their work has meaning.

Peter Drucker, the founding thinker of modern management, wrote that executives should treat knowledge workers (a term he coined) as one would treat a volunteer. Drucker, who had a knack for cutting to the heart of the matter, understood that employees who use their brains for one employer could just as easily put those brains to work for another employer. And if a company wanted to retain them it needed to make them feel welcome.

Organizations that depend upon volunteer labor understand this dynamic intuitively. They know that if someone who does not feel that they fit it or worse are not making a contribution will go some place else. In a hurry! Volunteerism springs from a commitment to do good, to make that positive difference. They volunteer because they find satisfaction in helping others.

Volunteers who remain with an organization find fulfillment. Same applies to employees who work for hire. Both groups are engaged in what they do and why they do it. In short they feel a sense of belonging.

Belonging is essential to developing that sense of engagement. And here are three ways to nurture it.

Find purpose. Work without purpose is work; work with purpose can be joy. When people know that what they do matters to others and how it is connected to what the organization gives meaning to labor. Purposeful work is work that encourages commitment.

Recognize results. Work is hard. Life is short. Two well-worn clichés that can be mitigated when management takes the time to recognize a job well-done. Publicize the accomplishments of teams and make note of the people who outperformed the norm. Results should resonate so that everyone knows what has been achieved.

Encourage camaraderie. Work is not a place to socialize. It is a place to pull together to do the job. That said, when people are united in purpose they may find affinity with one another. Managers can encourage that connection by creating opportunities for employees to connect in their off-hours through activities that run the gamut from recreational sports, company picnics, or group volunteer events.

One caveat. When it comes to socialization, participation is strictly voluntarily. Forcing people to do something outside of work defeats the essence of belonging.

There is something else about belonging that was pointed out to me by an executive with whom I was work. He noted that belonging connotes ownership. You belong therefore you own. Not property but something more meaningful. You own responsibility. You have a sense of autonomy that enables you to act for the good of the organization. Not because you have to, but because you want to.

Fostering the sense of belonging may be one of a leader’s most powerful levers. Used properly it elevates the nature of work with a sense of purpose that brings people together for common cause and encourages them to bond with one another in the work they do.