Belonging in the Workplace… and Why It Matters

DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) has been around as an organizational concept — and in society more broadly — for several decades.

We think of it this way:

Diversity: Everyone is invited to the party.

Equity: Everyone gets to contribute to the playlist.

Inclusion: Everyone has the opportunity to dance.*

We see DEI as an organizational construct — the mindsets, structures, processes, etc., that the company has in place and reinforces as a way to include everyone.

Belonging is different.

Belonging is an individual construct. It’s the output of DEI; something those who work in and for organizations feel. It means being part of the team, feeling accepted by the group, having a sense that who we are matters and that our work adds value.

It’s a basic human need and a huge part of our everyday lives. Based on what we learned in our Digital Isolation and Loneliness research (LINK), we know that it influences productivity, degree of job satisfaction, eagerness to collaborate with and support coworkers and, ultimately, willingness to remain with an organization.

In other words, belongingness is a big deal.

When it comes to remote work, things get more complicated. Like gender, race, age, culture, sexual orientation, etc., remote is an element of identity.

And regardless of whether you choose to work remotely or have it thrust upon you (due to family, health, geographic, or other constraints), there is an element of distance that comes along with it. Left unmanaged, one’s sense of belonging as a remote worker can suffer.

Some things to keep in mind regarding the role of belonging in your organization…

#1. The “normal” DEI initiatives are not enough.

Cultivating a sense of belonging takes time, reinforcement, and deliberate design. It’s not going to happen by simply sending people to a training and hoping for the best.

If you want to be competitive within this context, it’s not enough to simply say, “We support diversity.” People are going to look around and ask, “Are there others like me here?” If there is little evidence of it in practice, they will go elsewhere in search of belonging.

#2. It’s up to you to supply the resources.

Every organization has its own way of operating — the informal rules of the road that float in the air about how things get done. For remote workers, these cultural norms — regarding how disputes are settled, new ideas are raised, people are treated, etc. — are not easily accessible.

Companies that find ways to include all employees equally, regardless of location, reinforce belonging. That may include things like intranets, casual Zoom get-togethers, meeting “team notes” that provide everyone with equal access to everything, etc.

Central to this is company culture here, and how the organization commits to building and maintaining a culture of inclusion, where all can add value regardless of location. A critical element of this it the ‘portability’ of company values, practices, and how they are reinforced.

#3. You can do it now or you can pay for it later.

Right now, the window of opportunity is open for creating a corporate structure and environment that ensures everyone feels included, regardless of who they are or where they are located. But it won’t stay that way.

If you don’t get ahead of the curve, not only will you hurt productivity in the short run, you will put yourself in the position of having to play to catch up from behind, as you work to steal back the talent that walks out the door for greener pastures. It’s easier to do it right from the beginning than have to redo down the road.

And what are the other costs to not having a culture where people belong?

Belonging is the Secret Sauce

We know for a fact that one’s sense of belonging plays a critical role in productivity, job satisfaction, and employee retention. For remote workers in particular, the feeling of being connected and valued is especially at risk.

And yet, we have watched for years as companies’ DEI initiatives die off when resources get tight and new priorities appear. We hope this time is different, and that more companies work to keep inclusion and belonging woven into the fabric of their culture.

Bridging Distance is in the midst of research examining the parallels between DEI and remote worker inclusion initiatives, which will help companies maximize their resources on overall Inclusion and Belonging. Interested in learning more? Please join us as we conduct further research into the topic of belonging in the workplace.

*Partially adapted from the inspiring work of Verna Myers

Nicole Genest and Michael Maguire