<\/span> <\/p>\nIt is critical for employees to feel that they belong at work no matter how significantly their background, race, gender or values might differ from their peers\u2019, McDonough stresses.<\/p>\n
When employees do not feel heard or accepted for who they are, studies show, productivity decreases and innovation suffers. Both workers and companies are robbed of growth opportunities. In some cases, high employee turnover and toxic cultures result.<\/p>\n
Being disconnected can also cause one\u2019s mental health to decline. Depression, anxiety and suicide are often associated with a feeling of not belonging. These conditions can lead to social behaviors that interfere with a person\u2019s ability to connect with others, creating a cycle of events that further weakens their sense of belonging and negatively affects work performance.<\/p>\n
Conversely, a study by leadership development platform BetterUp indicated that belonging was linked to a 56 percent increase in job performance, a 50 percent drop in turnover risk and a 75 percent reduction in sick days. For a 10,000-person organization, this would result in annual savings of more than $52 million.<\/p>\n
Young workers, who have become increasingly difficult to recruit and retain, place a high value on organizations that commit to DEI&B efforts, says Ola Snow, chief HR officer at Cardinal Health in Dublin, Ohio.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Generation Z workers] are actively paying attention to what companies have been saying over the years,\u201d Snow says. \u201cAttracting today\u2019s top talent starts with culture, and today\u2019s applicants are looking at companies, not jobs or positions, first when thinking about applying.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Creating<\/span> a Welcoming Environment<\/span><\/p>\n A<\/span>s someone with autism, Eric Ascher, 28, had trouble finding an employer that fully accepted him for who he was.<\/p>\nThe Rockville, Md., resident was routinely mocked from childhood to adulthood for his neurodivergence, inability to maintain eye contact and lack of social skills. After excelling academically at Goucher College in Baltimore, he participated in several internships during which, he says, he was treated differently from others.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey didn\u2019t give me as many or as complicated assignments as they gave the other interns,\u201d Ascher says. \u201cAt times, I have felt like managers underestimated what I was capable of because I am on the autism spectrum.\u201d<\/p>\n
That all changed when Ascher landed an internship with RespectAbility, a nonprofit in North Bethesda, Md. The organization fosters a welcoming environment for people with disabilities. For example, Ascher\u2019s boss routinely e-mails him a to-do list of tasks to ensure that he\u2019s completing assignments on time, an accommodation that meets his needs.<\/p>\n
RespectAbility, he says, is fully invested in his success.<\/p>\n
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<\/span><\/span> <\/p>\n\u201cAt staff meetings, we open each meeting by giving shout-outs to other staff members, and it always feels great to be recognized and to recognize others,\u201d Ascher explains. \u201cEveryone on staff treats me\u2014and everyone else on staff, for that matter\u2014with respect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many companies are finding new ways to increase their workforces\u2019 sense of belonging. Some have created designated office areas for multi-faith worship, for example, while others simply encourage employees to take time off to support their families or attend to their own mental health needs to avoid burnout.<\/p>\n
McDonough\u2019s organization, Kazoo + WorkTango, launched Pride Voices\u2014an initiative that creates space for LGBTQ employees to share stories and experiences about their personal journeys and identities.<\/p>\n
The program has received rave reviews. A few employees have highlighted how Kazoo + WorkTango\u2019s approach to DEI&B feels different from that of other places they have worked, McDonough says. Employees have also stated that they feel more comfortable sharing their authentic selves with colleagues, without fear of judgment or consequences.<\/p>\n
\u201cDE&I is about your organization\u2019s approach and principles, while belonging tells you if it\u2019s working,\u201d McDonough explains. \u201cOur Pride Voices initiative helped our leadership team hear directly from employees and let us know that our commitment to fostering a sense of belonging was working.\u201d<\/p>\n
Snow notes that employers must equip managers with the necessary skills and tools to talk with their subordinates about a variety of topics, both professional and personal. When an employee feels that they can\u2019t have tough conversations with their manager, a culture of belonging can erode.<\/p>\n
And it starts at the top. Business leaders must fully invest in forging a culture that adheres to DEI&B principles. Snow says it\u2019s critical for CEOs to empower people managers, who can then better support their employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cA sense of belonging really comes down to whether or not you have the trust of your employees,\u201d she says. \u201cThe key to building belonging and trust is feeling heard, and those who are promoting people-centric cultures must tune in, listen and follow up.\u201d <\/p>\n
Matt Gonzales is an online \u00adwriter\/\u00adeditor for SHRM who focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion.<\/em><\/p>\n\n
How Design Thinking Can Boost Technology Adoption<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Lauren Fitzpatrick Shanks understands all too well why employees value belonging. That’s because her success has often been accompanied by a feeling of alienation. She was the first Black woman to graduate from the aerospace engineering program at the University of Kansas, and early in her working career received a Women in Technology Rising Star Award from Women of Color in Technology.<\/p>\n
While at the University of Kansas, Shanks says, she dealt with racism, sexism, discrimination, misogyny and stereotyping that at times diminished her confidence and made her feel different from other students. Forging relationships proved challenging, and her mental health suffered. She constantly questioned whether she belonged. But she endured, believing things could only get better for other Black women in the program after she graduated, she says.<\/p>\n
When Shanks entered corporate America, not much changed. She spent 14 years working for five Fortune<\/em> 500 companies. Each organization promised to cultivate and grow its DEI&B program, but Shanks felt the initiatives focused solely on vanity metrics, such as hiring people of color into low-paying positions.<\/p>\nNone of the programs were geared toward retaining employees or ensuring the success of hires from diverse backgrounds. Managers received no training on managing, leading, motivating and communicating with people from all walks of life.<\/p>\n
At one organization, Shanks’ manager introduced her and another new worker to the African American employee resource group. Shanks’ colleague was a Brazilian immigrant with mixed ancestry who didn’t identify as African American or Black, but instead as Latina.<\/p>\n
“My manager made so many assumptions,” Shanks recalls. “I know her intentions were in the right place, but instead of making our actual team environment one built on inclusivity and belonging, it seemed like she was trying to tell us where we could find ‘our people.’ “<\/p>\n
Shanks eventually founded Phoenix-based KeepWOL, a platform designed to help enterprises build inclusive, high-performing teams. She says her company embraces differences and normalizes curiosity, courage and connection at work.<\/p>\n
“Belonging is what keeps employees connected to their workplace,” Shanks says. “And belonging at the functional team level, in my opinion, is most important.” \u2014M.G.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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