Much like ERGs, which represent underrepresented minorities, a company’s affinity groups — for employees who practice yoga, ride motorcycles, love dogs or cats, you name it — are another important way to create connections and belonging. They want to … For a 10,000-person company, this would result in annual savings of more than $52M. In order for people to feel like they belong, the environment (in this case the workplace) … In the context of the workplace, loneliness undermines performance and productivity, at a minimum. Glint’s research, with almost one million data points, shows that employees with a strong sense of belonging are over six times more likely to be engaged than those who don’t. People like to connect over food, which is why kitchens and break rooms have traditionally helped foster belonging at work. According to the report, research indicates that people become close to … Initially, workers were assigned to a team with two other “participants” (bots programmed to act like teammates), using a collaborative virtual ball-toss game. Use employee engagement surveys to gauge and measure belonging. That is to say, when employees feel a strong sense of belonging at work, they are over six times as likely to bring their best selves to work and to do their best work. Because if you have nothing but like-minded people on a team, your thinking isn’t likely to be challenged. Creating a sense of belonging — an employee’s perception of acceptance within a given group — provides HR leaders with a good opportunity to reinvigorate their inclusion approach and goals. A sense of belonging can come from working with people with similar interests, hobbies or outlooks and from giving employees the opportunity to come together over shared interests. Importantly, the ally only threw the ball to the participant as much as anyone else did; that is, the ally offered equal (not special) treatment. Diversity is about hiring in such a way that your organization reflects the global communities in which we operate. The benefits of creating a sense of belonging at work, for ourselves and others, extends well beyond diversity and inclusion. And so, a sense of belonging at work isn’t just about creating psychological safety and driving innovation and moving closer toward equality. To feel left out is a deeply human problem, which is why its consequences carry such heft and why its causes are so hard to root out of even the healthiest workplaces. Researchers... Self-Expression. In Indeed’s latest employee survey, we asked respondents to consider five statements regarding inclusion and belonging and select an answer ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” Two of the statements were specifically related to psychological safety, the underpinning of belonging: Use your workspace to create a sense of belonging. Social belonging is a fundamental human need, hardwired into our DNA. For several years, Verna Myers, activist and VP of Inclusion Strategy at Netflix, has said that “diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” I love that quote — and I’d like to adapt it by adding that belonging is knowing all the songs. We can now say that feeling excluded causes us to give less effort to the team. It is a fundamental factor in the organization’s success. Our research demonstrates clear, actionable paths forward to help resolve the epidemic of workplace exclusion. Not belonging, on the other hand, is among the strongest predictors of turnover. One thing we learned: Transition moments, like an employee’s first day on the job, are particularly anxiety-inducing—which makes them great opportunities to create a sense of belonging. Our data showed that belonging is a close cousin to many related experiences: mattering, identification, and social connection. Workers need to feel like they belong to something they value — and that they have the power to bring about change when it’s needed. Building that sense of belonging takes an active effort, with employees favoring certain factors more than managers might typically expect. It’s the humane, human, and smart thing to do. But it can be done. It’s good for people — and for the bottom line. You’re signed up to receive the latest from Lead with Indeed. How do we create a workplace of belonging? Experiments show that individuals coping with left-out feelings can prevent them by gaining perspective from others, mentoring those in a similar condition, and thinking of strategies for improving the situation. High belonging was linked to a whopping 56% increase in job performance, a 50% drop in turnover risk, and a 75% reduction in sick days. For team leaders and colleagues who want to help others feel included, serving as a fair-minded ally — someone who treats everyone equally — can offer protection to buffer the exclusionary behavior of others. More stories from Lead with Indeed to spark your interest. The task of creating a sense of belonging among remote workers can seem daunting for organizations and managers. Following earlier BetterUp studies on loneliness and purpose, we first surveyed 1,789 full-time U.S. employees across many industries and then conducted a series of experiments with more than 2,000 live participants to observe and measure the costs of exclusion. Zooming in a bit helps focus on the reality of the problem. In fact, 56 percent of respondents in the EY report stated that feeling trusted and respected creates the greatest sense of belonging in the workplace. After this, participants completed a simple task where they could earn money either for themselves or for their entire team. A sense of belonging gives us a feeling of being valued and respected. One possibility is that having an ally might take the sting out of being excluded by other team members. Creating an environment that nurtures a sense of belonging isn’t easy — especially during a pandemic and economic crisis. To better understand this basic need to belong — a key missing ingredient in the D&I conversation — BetterUp conducted research to investigate the role of belonging at work and the outsized consequences of its absence. We replicated this effect again and again, across four separate studies. Copyright © 2020 Harvard Business School Publishing. Trust is critical for the success of our relationships with colleagues. In your next employee survey, consider asking belonging-related questions that can help you measure and make improvements. And, as we know, greater engagement drives better individual and organizational success. I feel comfortable coming forward with concerns or complaints, without the fear of retaliation. Businesses often employ dress codes to ensure a uniform presentation of company values. U.S. businesses spend nearly $8 billion each year on diversity and inclusion (D&I) trainings that miss the mark because they neglect our need to feel included. Individuals coping with left-out feelings can adapt these new evidence-based tools of gaining perspective from others, mentoring those in a similar condition, and thinking of strategies for improving the situation. The Importance of Belonging. Belonging is a feeling Belonging at work is a feeling of community with the people and environments that make us feel connected. In a nutshell, companies are blowing it. Have you ever wondered if your sense of belonging has an impact on your behaviors at work? Based on this research, Glint advocates for making belonging a key focus o… Knowing all the songs goes beyond simply being invited to the party; you feel like you belong there. For this project, defining belonging became our first, and in some ways, trickiest, task. Employees, in fact, seek to belong—and seek to enhance their sense of belongingness in work settings. When you feel psychologically safe, you believe others will give you the benefit of the doubt. I’ll start to answer them by defining diversity, inclusion and belonging. The most successful businesses have always had a great sense of belonging amongst employees and will actively foster a positive environment where employees feel engaged, included and respected. Laura Savino is an iOS developer who lives in Seattle and works … And you can’t help but dance; it’s your jam! Belonging calls on leaders to acknowledge that enduring feelings and a need for connection exist in a workplace. When participants were told the payouts would benefit them and them alone, excluded team members worked just as much as included ones. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School. Key finding 1: Diversity and belonging are workplace expectations. Here’s How to Write a Good Job Description – Not a Lazy One. Foster better social bonds. They can also share stories about how they have coped with similar challenges and see what suggestions teammates have for improving the situation. We are conducting this study to attempt to answer this question. Belonging is the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance, inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group. The result of these efforts is less video chat fatigue and a sustained sense of belonging. Having an ally protects workers from exclusion. Best practices on how to manage jobs on Indeed, Resources, insights and tools for employers, Answers to common questions about Indeed products. While you’re here, don’t forget to browse hundreds of articles by topic — from talent attraction to employee experience, diversity & inclusion, leadership and more! Consider this recent story in The Guardian, which prompted people to share their own experiences of feeling left out at work. Employees with higher workplace belonging also showed a 167% increase in their employer promoter score (their willingness to recommend their company to others). Psychological safety is what makes us feel we belong. Humans are so fundamentally social that we can even bond with strangers over the very experience of not having anyone with whom to bond. While inclusivity is the implementation of specific action items to engage diversity, the emotional life and longevity of your organization depends on balancing results with a strong sense of belonging. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are one example of how organizations can take action to help underrepresented minorities feel included and give them a voice. Most organizations actively pursue diverse representation in their workplace, but this won’t necessarily ensure that all employees feel included. Leaders and organizations should invite employee feedback, and take it seriously; this behavior is a cornerstone of inclusive companies. Exclusion leads to team (and self-) sabotage. As Indeed’s Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DI&B), I’m sometimes asked questions like this. Teams with diverse members with different work styles, problem-solving techniques, life experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and skill sets are more likely to be innovative. And yet, 40% of people say that they feel isolated at work, and the result has been lower organizational commitment and engagement. Diversity is about hiring in such a way that your organization reflects the global communities in which we operate. As organizations become places of shared community, workers are craving a sense of belonging and celebration of life events at work. They also received double the raises, and 18 times more promotions. And I’ll finish with best practices for creating a sense of belonging within your organization so you can make progress toward any DI&B program’s desired end-state: true equality. It might be difficult to identify exclusion on the spot as it’s happening, so another valuable intervention strategy would be to buffer workers against the negative effects of exclusion in the first place. Thank you! Social belonging is a fundamental human need, hardwired into our DNA. Belonging at Work really does matter” - Jamison Green, Ph.D., Author, Educator, Community Leader, and Corporate Executive. Recognize employees for their unique efforts and accomplishments. Creating a sense of belonging is especially challenging during COVID-19, shelter-in-place orders and the rise of remote work. Conversely, my more extroverted coworkers at headquarters, may feel a stronger sense of belonging because they have the opportunity to be more socially active, oftentimes with a good story or idea that gathers in newcomers as well as old friends. The benefits of a diverse company are tangible. How Reddit uses ERGs to create a sense of belonging for employees. For example, my team, and I keep our sense of connections to each other alive despite working remotely. The unifying thread across these themes is that they all revolve around the sense of being accepted and included by those around you. Building a Sense of Belonging. Even the most effective recruiting strategy for diversity won’t lead to long-term change if new talent isn’t supported to succeed. More than 800 wrote in. Our survey findings reveal workplace exclusion as a systemic issue that generates hefty financial losses. Isn’t belonging just another HR buzzword? (1) Creating genuine feelings of belonging for all is a critical factor in improving engagement and performance. The longer participants persisted in the task, the more money they earned. It’s also a smart business strategy. Exclusion is damaging because it actually hurts: the sensation is akin to physical pain. For several years, Verna Myers, activist and VP of Inclusion Strategy at Netflix, has said that “ diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” All three interventions succeeded in causing excluded team members to behave more like included ones. When employees feel like they don’t belong at work, their performance and their personal lives suffer. But does exclusion actually cause measurable hits to team performance? From this 10,000-foot perspective, the costs associated with this drought of workplace belonging are eye-catching. Here are a few meaningful steps I recommend to help you get there. To address this question, we conducted a series of experiments. If people’s sense of belonging impacts their workplace behavior, we all need to understand this connection. Belonging is defined as the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance, inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group or place. As work has become increasingly significant in modern life, providing much of the social support that used to be gained from families and community, as well as a sense of identity, validation, self-worth, and a sense of belonging and inclusion at work is critical to our well-being, our behavior, and performance in … An empowered employee is more likely to be confident, creative, and committed to meaningful goals. Nearly half of respondents believe that diversity is best represented at work and more than one-third feel the greatest sense of belonging at work. And for 45 or 50 hours every week, I feel isolated.”. We set out to study how that develops — or doesn’t — in the workplace, what it means for employees and organizations, and whether it’s possible to turn a bad situation around. Establishing trust. Mentioned by a whopping 59% … For the many people who feel a sense of not belonging at work, the office Christmas party can be an incredibly daunting prospect. However, companies and their leaders can do something to counteract the deleterious effects of loneliness. Many solutions have been proposed, but few are based in experimental evidence. Second, it offers new, evidence-based interventions to boost inclusion. Here’s what we found: If workers feel like they belong, companies reap substantial bottom-line benefits. These findings beg the question: Can exclusion be fixed? As such, a new round of our experiments tested three interventions, each designed to mitigate the costs of exclusion: (1) Gaining perspective: Previous participants shared reflections with current participants on their exclusion experience and how they coped; (2) Encouraging mentorship: Participants imagined how they would coach someone else through exclusion; and (3) Finding empowerment: Participants planned out how they would restructure this team experience to make it more inclusive and enjoyable. Why does this study matter? Like what you see? Belonging is defined as a feeling of choosing, wanting, and feeling permission to be part of a community or group, such as a work team, department company, volunteer organization, church, sports team, etc. To build a sense of belonging requires active effort and practice. If your company is already focusing on diversity and inclusion, do you really need to emphasize belonging, too? For team leaders and colleagues who want to help others feel included, our research suggests that serving as a fair-minded ally — someone who treats everyone equally — can offer protection to buffer the exclusionary behavior of others. All rights reserved. The harmful effects of exclusion can be reversed. When employees understand your organization’s mission, values, strategies and objectives and key results (OKRs) — and the role they play in achieving those OKRs — they’re more likely to be engaged and motivated. 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