Belonging at work boosts everything
The Achievers Workforce Institute (AWI) defines belonging as an experience of connection, security, and community – feeling at home in one’s place without reservation.
More than a buzzword, a strong sense of belonging nearly triples employee outcomes, including engagement, productivity, job commitment, and well-being.
How belonging impacts your business
Employee belonging matters more than you might think. According to the latest AWI report, organizations whose employees have a higher sense of belonging see improvements in key areas of the business.
View the Belonging Blueprint
Business outcomes
Employees with a high sense of belonging vs. low sense of belonging
Psychological safety
x5
Employee advocacy
x12
Engagement
x6
Well-being
x12
Productivity
x7
Physical safety
x3
Job commitment
x9
Resilience
x4
Welcomed
Introduced to and incorporated within the organizational culture and community
Known
Understood, motivated, and celebrated as an individual
Included
Valued and accepted without reservation
Connected
Developing and maintaining relationships across a diverse population
Supported
Consistently and meaningfully nurtured and developed
Discover concrete steps on how to activate all five pillars to help you drive belonging at work.
Learn more
BELONGING MODEL™
A framework to activate employee belonging
So how do you practically foster belonging at your workplace? Through primary research, the Achievers Workforce Institute developed the proprietary Belonging Model demonstrating five actionable and measurable pillars of belonging.
Activating any one of the pillars doubles the rate of belonging at work. When you activate all five, belonging triples.
BELONGING MODEL™
A framework to activate employee belonging
So how do you practically foster belonging at your workplace? Through primary research, the Achievers Workforce Institute developed the proprietary Belonging Model demonstrating five actionable and measurable pillars of belonging.
Activating any one of the pillars doubles the rate of belonging at work. When you activate all five, belonging triples.
Discover concrete steps on how to activate all five pillars to help you drive belonging at work.
Learn more
Welcomed
Introduced to and incorporated within the organizational culture and community
Known
Understood, motivated, and celebrated as an individual
Included
Valued and accepted without reservation
Connected
Developing and maintaining relationships across a diverse population
Supported
Consistently and meaningfully nurtured and developed
The key driver to belonging? Recognition.
The data tells us that recognition drives all 5 pillars of belonging, and the more frequently an employee is recognized, the more likely they are to have a strong sense of belonging.
Employees recognized weekly
vs. never receiving recognitions
welcomed
2x
known
2x
included
2x
supported
3x
connected
2x
Outcomes:
Almost 4x overall sense of belonging
Employees recognized monthly
vs. quarterly are more likely to feel
welcomed
46%
known
29%
included
34%
supported
21%
connected
38%
Outcomes:
74% more likely to feel an overall sense of belonging
AEXP platform
One-of-a-kind features built on the science of belonging
The Achievers Employee Experience Platform (AEXP) is the only platform that leverages the Belonging Model to drive belonging across all 5 pillars.
Each platform feature is designed to activate one or more of the 5 pillars helping you drive belonging through a powerful set of engagement and recognition tools.
welcomed
Welcome Recognition
Culture Onboarding
Employee Connections
known
My Page
Pronouns
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
Personalized Recognition
included
Pronouns
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
Feedback (heard and valued)
supported
Manager Empowerment
Engagement Measurement (VoE)
connected
Employee Connections
Cross-functional Recognition
Resources, reports, and real-world tools
Dig deeper into practical ways you can activate the 5 pillars of belonging – and how that might impact business outcomes at your organization.
Belonging at work
Our premier report highlighting ways to cultivate a culture of belonging in the workplace.
Preview the report Read the reportDEIB essentials and the role of belonging
How and why belonging drives productivity, well-being, and reduced employee turnover.
Activating the five pillars of belonging
Learn how to nurture a sense of belonging at work that enables positive business outcomes.
How your recognition program can help
Discover how to optimize your existing employee recognition program to drive belonging.
Putting the pillars into practice
Watch a fireside chat from Achievers ACE customer event on how belonging impacts everything.
Unlock employee belonging today
Stay informed with the latest insights, events, and webinars, all aimed at cultivating a culture of belonging at work.
Recognition and Retention Tour
Join us on our From Day One US tour to learn how frequent, meaningful recognition drives not only connection but business results like retention, productivity, and engagement.
Achievers Workforce Institute
Get research and insights on employee engagement, recognition, culture, and more – all backed by workforce science.
More science-backed resources
We’ve got a curated collection of live and on-demand webinars to get you started.