A Point of View: Why Belonging is #UpNext for Diversity and Inclusion

Over the last few years, one of the newest buzzwords and hot topics in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) space has been “belonging.” 

Companies such as LinkedIn, Workday, and Johnson & Johnson have already started to explicitly call out belonging in their strategy to attract, develop, and retain talent. Many companies have also begun to post roles and recruit for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) leaders to spearhead their diversity and inclusion efforts. Organizations are making the shift from Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) to DIB, acknowledging the importance of creating cultures where all talent feels included, valued, and that they belong. 

But is belonging only another buzzword, or does it have more staying power? 

The idea of belonging is not new to diversity and inclusion. In fact, belonging is very integral to inclusion—in order to help an individual feel included, you first must find ways to help them feel like they belong. Early literature and studies on inclusion offered differing opinions on how inclusion should truly be defined. Most studies, however, agreed that inclusion was comprised of at least the elements of “belongingness” and “uniqueness.” Later research by Catalyst confirms that both belongingness (defined as the perception that one feels a part of a group) and uniqueness (defined as the perception that one is distinct from others and that others value that distinctiveness) are both critical factors for inclusion. 

In The Inclusion Paradox, global diversity inclusion strategist & thought leader Andrés Tapia defined diversity as “the mix” and inclusion as “making the mix work.” True inclusion, Tapia notes, is difficult and requires intentionality—it is not an outcome of diversity in itself. While it is possible to have diversity without inclusion, the real benefits of diversity (innovation, new ideas, creativity, financial gains) cannot be realized without inclusion. Similarly, when we think about belonging, we can think of it as an outcome of inclusion—and true inclusion cannot exist if individuals feel that they do not belong. Inclusion is an action; belonging is a feeling. 

Belonging has gained more attention over the last several years as organizations have striven to understand better how they can make their diversity & inclusion efforts more successful. According to PWC’s most recent Global Diversity and Inclusion survey, 87% of leaders state that diversity and inclusion are a top priority for their organizations. More than 800 CEOs from across the world have signed the CEO Action Pledge for Diversity and Inclusion, pledging their commitment and resources to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace globally. Organizations are continuing to invest heavily in efforts to attract, develop, and retain diverse talent in the face of increasing economic globalization, shifting demographics, and pressures to remain competitive. 

Although top organizations and their leadership have made diversity and inclusion a priority, many have struggled to make sustainable progress. According to Gartner, less than half of D&I professionals feel that their organizations have been effective at building a diverse workforce. 80% of organizations feel they have not been able to meet their goals to recruit and retain diverse talent, particularly at the leadership level. And, while most companies today have diversity programs in place, invest in diversity and inclusion trainings, and fundamentally recognize the benefits of D&I, they have actually made little progress in both recruiting and retaining diverse talent. One might ask—why? 

It could be that organizations are missing the importance of belonging in their strategies. Until recently, few companies specifically called out belonging as a separate focus. In some cases, diversity and inclusion are conflated, with businesses focusing on driving representation without also looking more closely at how they can cultivate an inclusive environment. Indeed, numbers don’t tell the whole story. 

Culture change takes time, and representation is only one measure of progress. After all, companies can work hard to attract talent. Still, if they don’t have the appropriate culture, programs, and processes in place, that talent will likely walk out the door—perhaps taking future talent and referrals with them. Inclusive work environments go beyond promoting fair and respectful treatment; they ensure that individuals have equal access to opportunities and resources, are valued for their unique perspective and experiences, and can contribute to the success of the overall organization. Companies that have the most successful DEI efforts recognize the importance of focusing on diversity and inclusion, and view D&I in terms of culture, change management, and sustainability. D&I is more than an initiative or a program—it is integrated into the overall mission, vision, and objectives of the organization, with a clear commitment and defined accountability from senior leadership. To move to the next level of maturity, beyond basic awareness and understanding of diversity, organizations must work to integrate and embed inclusive principles into day-to-day processes, policies, and activities. Some might argue the next stage of that maturity model includes belonging. 

As humans, our need to belong is innate. There’s a reason that we seek out the relationships and join institutions, organizations, or teams that we do. Have you ever stopped to think about why you gravitate towards certain people or groups? Or why you feel such pride when cheering on your favorite team? In their research on social identity theory in the late 1960s, Henri Tajfel and John Turner proposed that groups (i.e., social class, family, sports teams, religions, etc.) are an important source of pride and self-esteem. Such groups allow us to feel a sense of greater purpose and belonging in the larger world and help us to establish natural “in-groups” and “out-groups” (which arguably, in evolutionary times, helped us to survive). 

There are also real costs of exclusion. Social rejection, exclusion, and isolation have consequences for our health. Neuroscience studies have shown that similar areas of our brain are activated when we feel physical pain as when we experience the feeling of being excluded by a person or a group. It hurts to feel like we don’t belong. 

Most individuals can remember a time when they felt like they didn’t belong. Imagine this feeling multiplied across the workforce—and the implications on engagement, productivity, retention. In their study, Uncovering Talent: A New Model of Inclusion, Deloitte found that 61% of workers “cover” at least one aspect of their identity at work each day—hiding a part of their identity to better fit in and assimilate in the workplace. Ironically, over 90% of these individuals worked at organizations that espoused inclusion as a core value. 

When employees feel like they belong, they are more likely to be productive, engaged, and higher performing. BetterUp, a company that is pioneering mobile career coaching, found that employees with a strong sense of belonging had a 50% reduction in turnover risk, a 56% increase in performance, and a 75% reduction in employee sick days. Employees who feel like they belong also feel a deeper connection to their teams and organizations. 

There are several actions organizations can take to help cultivate a culture of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB): 

• Don’t rely solely on hiring and representation goals to create the culture you want. Attracting and sourcing diverse talent is one step in the equation. Hiring new talent by itself, however, won’t automatically ensure that talent feels welcome, valued, and heard. 
• Embed D&I in culture, processes, and policies. Integrate inclusive principles within your day-to-day culture and throughout business processes (i.e., talent and performance management, recruiting, learning and development programs, rewards and recognition, supplier diversity, etc.). DIB is a journey. Success won’t occur through one training or program, but a consistent integration throughout your business can help it to become business as usual. 
• Provide spaces for employees to learn, connect, and grow. Employee resource and business resource groups provide excellent opportunities for employees not only to connect with each other but grow professionally and support the overall objectives of the business—helping to create a sense of belonging, value, and pride. 
• Encourage employees to bring their full selves to work. Model authenticity, empathy, and vulnerability in leadership. You can’t be what you can’t see. For employees to feel like they can truly bring their full (and best!) selves to work, they need to see others around them—particularly their leaders—modeling openness, candor, and humility. 

The link between diversity, inclusion, belonging, and business performance is clear. Research has shown that companies with a more diverse workforce outperform the market, are more profitable and have financial performance that exceeds the national industry median. This improved performance, however, isn’t due merely to the presence of a more diverse workforce but to an intentional focus on building and sustaining an inclusive culture where different voices and perspectives are acknowledged, valued, and celebrated. 

We are created to belong. Companies cannot afford to ignore belonging as we move in the next decade of DEI. With the right resources and an intentional focus in place, belonging can contribute significantly to the business, allowing all employees to feel like they are valued, that they matter and that they have a place in the organization’s mission and success. 

What makes you feel like you belong? How do you help foster a sense of belonging for others?