What is a culture of belonging, and why does it matter?

A culture of belonging is a business environment where employees feel safe, included and valued. They’re free to express their individuality without fear of discrimination—and more importantly, they’re celebrated for it.

This type of welcoming corporate culture goes hand in hand with your diversity and inclusion initiatives. By taking proactive, intentional steps to create an environment that includes everyone, you help all employees feel confident and comfortable at work. As a result, individual workers are more likely to contribute, meet their potential and bring new insights to the team.

The benefits of a positive culture extend beyond productivity and creativity; they can also improve your hiring and retention efforts. In a job market that’s lost more than 3 million available workers, a competitive edge can make a big difference in finding new candidates.

Creating a culture of belonging in the workplace

As with any company-wide initiative, creating a culture of belonging takes universal commitment. Everyone, from your C-suite executives to your junior employees, must be on board. While the process takes time, there are a few things you can do to encourage growth and acceptance.

1. Put cultural goals and policies in writing

Have you ever noticed that after a scandal, people pressure companies to make a statement? There’s a reason for that—when a business goes on the record in support or opposition of an issue, it creates a sense of accountability that reassures customers and stakeholders.

You can use the same principle as you create a culture of belonging in the workplace. Putting your goals and policies in writing lets current and potential employees know you’re serious about change. When your words are followed up by consistent action, you’ll build trust and encourage team members to get on board.

2. Lead by example

Cultural change starts at the top. To be successful, you need active buy-in from company leaders. When they make noticeable changes in behavior, it creates an expectation that ripples across the company.

For maximum effect, involve influential people from all levels and departments. Start with executives, managers and team leaders; you can also include project managers and senior team members. A wide array of people helps you spread the message faster—after all, your interns probably don’t have much interaction with the people in the C-suite.

Once you select a group, give everyone a sense of ownership by working together to create a set of goals and best practices. These might include:

• Demonstrating genuine curiosity about other employees
• Avoiding favoritism in assignments and responsibilities
• Observing employees and making an effort to include everyone
• Taking complaints and feedback seriously
• Going the extra mile to understand different perspectives and opinions

When the most visible people in the company start working to create a sense of belonging within and across teams, it can spark exponential growth throughout the organization.

3. Offer training and resources

Every person in your company comes to work with a different set of biases. In a culture of belonging, employees know how to overcome these preconceived notions and use empathy to make genuine connections.

Getting to that evolved state takes time. After all, even the most well-intentioned people can be tripped up by unconscious beliefs and biases. That’s where training comes in—it helps people identify the hidden ideas that may be affecting their behavior and attitudes. You can hire an expert on bias in the workplace to lead workshops, answer questions and provide helpful tips.

For most people, moving past bias is an ongoing process. To support your employees’ growth, consider offering educational resources. Include relevant information in newsletters, meeting discussions and company retreats. Regular exposure can spark discussions and make inclusion part of your company culture .

4. Actively seek out multiple perspectives

The beauty of a diverse workforce is the ability to source perspectives and ideas from people of different backgrounds. However, some of your employees may not feel comfortable speaking up, especially if their ideas have been ignored or dismissed in past jobs.

As a company leader, you can help by intentionally seeking out an array of perspectives. If you notice that certain employees rarely provide opinions, ask for their input directly. When a group of employees is dominating the conversation, pause the discussion and ask for alternative viewpoints. Managers should do the same in smaller team meetings and informal gatherings.

Active requests are just the first step; for a permanent cultural shift, employees must feel comfortable enough to speak up of their own volition. Typically, this involves changing your systems.

• Switch to structured meetings with defined goals
• Rotate presenting duties through team members
• Assign different employees to leadership positions
• Reward teams for innovation and creativity
• Create diverse teams for each project

As you’re making changes, work with your managers to establish and enforce a tradition of respect. Give all input the same level of consideration, regardless of the source. In doing so, you’ll help employees feel confident and safe enough to express out-of-the-box ideas.

5. Create opportunities for personal storytelling

Stories are powerful tools in your quest to help employees feel they belong. Personal anecdotes help workers find the things they have in common, despite differences in education, experience or background.

Imagine that in a meeting, your CEO tells a quick story about feeling like an imposter during their first managerial position. Anyone else who struggles with confidence will instantly feel less alone.

Storytelling doesn’t have to be formal; start with company leaders, and encourage sharing within teams. The more people share, the easier it is to appreciate and empathize with their unique experiences. Over time, personal stories can build compassion, inclusion and acceptance.

6. Establish affinity groups

Affinity groups are one way to eradicate a key enemy of belonging: isolation. These employer-sponsored social groups are organized around something that employees have in common—typically, an identity, hobby, characteristic or shared experience. Well-run groups foster friendships, provide support and create a sense of connection.

Some examples of affinity groups are:

• Women in male-dominated industries
• LGBTQIA+ professionals
• Triathletes in training
• Working parents
• Remote employees

Inclusion is the key to an effective affinity-group system. Everyone should be welcome to participate, even if they don’t technically identify with the topic. An open-door policy encourages people to learn and build awareness of experiences beyond their own.

7. Strengthen employee relationships

Research shows that social connections can reduce anxiety, increase empathy and improve cooperation—critical factors in creating a culture of belonging. You can harness the power of positive relationships by helping your employees bond.

Some ways to strengthen relationships at work include:

• Mentor or coaching programs
• Team bonding activities
• Company or department retreats
• Social activities such as happy hour or company picnics
• Relaxed celebrations for birthdays and holidays

Don’t underestimate the power of casual conversation; it creates the opportunity to make connections and find commonalities. Workplace friendships help employees feel safe with each other, so they’re more likely to collaborate with others and toss around creative ideas.