Has HR forgotten about the importance of ‘belonging’?

Has HR forgotten about the importance of ‘belonging’?

“To feel left out is a deeply human problem,” say authors of a new US study published in the Harvard Business Review, “which is why its consequences carry such heft and why its causes are so hard to root out of even the healthiest workplaces.”

The research into workplace exclusion by BetterUp, involving more than 2,000 participants, led to insights into how high levels of “belonging” meant increases in performance, retention and reduced absence.

Alien nation

The work has been backed up by another study in the UK by Connectr. In fact, the picture is worse. Its report (Belonging – HR’s Growing Crisis) among 2,000 office workers and 250 HR professionals suggests that only 34% felt like they belonged within their workplace community. 72% said they were looking for another job.

At the same time, 93% of HR respondents believed employees in their business had a feeling of belonging. The pandemic hasn’t helped: 89% saying the idea of belonging has become less of a focus. Around 30% also said they only started building real relationships with new staff after six months.

MD at Connectr, William Akerman, said: “Belonging isn’t simply a nice to have. And it isn’t a tick box exercise. The research demonstrates that it is vital for employers that want to be productive with an engaged, motivated and loyal workforce – critical for avoiding the predicted ‘great resignation’….it is clear the importance of employee belonging is a blind spot for HR.”

Belong again

Recommendations for how to make sure employees feel re-connected to the workplace include wider and more regular use of mentoring schemes, particularly among WFH staff. Make sure managers have the skills to act as a “fair-minded ally”, treating everyone equally and supporting those who might be subject to bullying.; and provide advice to people on how they can “navigate tricky workplace dynamics” through examples from past situations.

“Conversations are all-important for workplace belonging an building that sense of community, “ says EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell. “Whether that’s among teams or with managers, open conversations are what help create and keep on reinforcing a sense of psychological security so people can be themselves. The hard reality, however, is that many employees don’t feel able to talk openly about their worries, and least of all to those people who they think will be judging them — which is why the independent, impartial listening, advice and support of EAP professionals is so important.”