The why and how of belonging at work

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We know belonging at work drives results, but sometimes the data can be overwhelming. In this infographic from the Belonging Blueprint report, get the top three reasons belonging matters and the top three ways to drive belonging in your organization.

Why is everyone talking about belonging at work?

Search trends show that belonging at work began to trend in 2019. Despite its relatively short history, 93% of respondents in the Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2020 report said that sense of belonging drives organizational performance.

Achievers Workforce Institute (AWI) has been researching belonging since 2019 and in 2021 released our initial belonging at work report, including the five pillars of the AWI Belonging Model™ — welcomed, known, included, supported, and connected.

Want to read the full Belonging Blueprint report? Download it now.

How can I increase employees’ sense of belonging at work?

Increase employees’ sense of belonging at work by choosing one belonging pillar (welcomed, known, included, supported, or connected) to focus on and looking for a combination of quick wins and long-term tactics. It can be tempting to try and improve every pillar simultaneously, but this will quickly become overwhelming and won’t result in a consistent employee experience. Survey managers and employees to understand where the biggest gaps and opportunities for improvement exist.

A starting point is downloading the Belonging Levers section of the AWI Belonging Blueprint report, which includes engagement survey questions and a toolkit of actions for each pillar.

Looking for an in-depth intro to belonging? Read part one of the blueprint: the Belonging Basics

What other workforce traits correlate with belonging?

There are five workforce traits that correlate positively with belonging. The Belonging Blueprint report identifies these as “Belonging Builders” — trust, community, shared vision, workplace culture, and communication — which are both outcomes and drivers of better belonging. Improving employee trust will increase belonging and vice versa. Each builder has a toolkit in the report with actions for organizations, managers, and individuals.

An immediate and long-term view of belonging

In addition to the standard months and quarters, AWI encourages HR and business leaders to think in days and years. What can you do today to improve belonging for your workforce? Where do you want your belonging metric to be in three years? This immediate action combined with long-term view offers a perspective that is often overlooked. It’s a viewpoint that isn’t based on annual OKRS or KPIs, but instead on an aspirational vision of the future and a practical assessment of the present.

Our vision is a world in which the vast majority of employees feel a strong sense of belonging at work. Where people feel safe and supported in their community at work and at home. Bringing that vision to life starts with understanding the why and how of belonging at work.

Read the Belonging Blueprint infographic today and then check out the full report for an overview of four years of research based on surveys of more than 30,000 employees and 10,000 HR leaders.