Consider This

A response to the Consider This Activity
created by Lisa Macdonald (@Lisa)

Number of views: 140

Introduction to Belonging

What is belonging, and what contributes to it?

Deloitte defines a worker’s sense of belonging as how organizations can foster diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities for the worker and how they feel like a member of the broader world. This impacts how an employee shows up and feels comfortable being themselves—and how they contribute to an organizations’ common goals.

Creating a sense of belonging requires three mutually reinforcing attributes3

  1. Comfort:Individuals feel comfortable at work, including being treated fairly and respected by their colleagues and leaders.

    “I am valued for who I am, my background and beliefs. I can bring my authentic self to work” 
  2. Connection:Individuals feel that they have meaningful relationships with coworkers and teams and are connected to the organization’s goals.

    “I am a part of something larger than myself. I provide support and am supported by my workplace community.” 
  3. Contribution:Individuals feel that they contribute to meaningful outcomes—understanding how their strengths help to achieve common goals.

    “I (we) add value by bringing unique skills and strengths to meaningfully contribute to shared purpose and goals.”

How can an increased sense of belonging enhance the workforce experience?

Deloitte’s Human Capital Trends report ranked ‘Belonging’ as the top human capital issue that organizations face today. Seventy-three percent responded stated that fostering a sense of belonging was important to their organization’s success with 93% agreeing that a sense of belonging drives organizational performance4. But why is belonging rising as such an important topic for organizations?

Research5 states that belonging is not only good for workers but for business too. Belonging can lead to a 56% increase in job performance, a 50% reduction in turnover risk, a 167% increase in employer net promoter score, 2X more employee raises, 18X more employee promotions, and a 75% decrease in sick days. All this alludes to the positive impact that ‘belonging’ has on workers leading to employee engagement and enhanced workers’ experience.

There are three factors that influence an organization’s ability to activate belonging and enhance employees’ experience6, namely:

  • Organizational culture
  • Leadership behaviors
  • Personal relationships

https://www.brightnetwork.co.uk/employer-advice/deloitte/short-film-deloitte/

( Taken from Deloitte website )