How to make your people feel like they belong

People look for three things when working in a business: something to believe in (the vision), someone to believe in (the leader) and someone to believe in them and make them feel like they belong (culture), writes Shivani Gupta.

As a business leader or owner, creating a sense of belonging is essential for productivity, retention and overall wellbeing. People who feel included and feel like they belong are more likely to be engaged, motivated and committed to the business’s success. This is what all business leaders and owners are looking for from their people.

Human beings have always sought a sense of belonging, from early hunter-gatherer societies to tribes and religious communities. Belonging is a basic human need.

Here are three ways to make your people feel like they belong in your business.

Friendships at work

Loneliness at work has become a bigger issue since the pandemic. Having friends at work creates a sense of belonging and inclusion. When people have friends at work, they feel that someone believes in them. Business friendships often result in improved work outcomes and more effective collaboration. People who are friends tend to communicate better, resolve conflicts more effectively and work better together.

As a business leader or owner, you can encourage your people to refer friends into your business when recruiting. This may include financial or other incentives connected to them. For many business’ who are struggling to attract the right people in your business, this can be an effective recruitment strategy. Most people do not want to refer an idiot into the business they work for as it makes them look bad. This helps in creating a friendly workplace but also ensures that your people have a support system, which can also retain them for longer in your business and improve your retention strategy.

Embrace cultural celebrations and practices

Our businesses are now diverse. Diversity consists of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability and socioeconomic status. In a business, diversity creates innovation, creativity and a broader range of perspectives, so we do not think the same (groupthink).

As business leaders and owners, we want more diversity in our teams and businessws. Embrace cultural celebrations and practices as part of your business culture. Encourage the people in your business to share their traditions, customs, and holidays, which also provides opportunities for cross-cultural learning and appreciation. People love being seen and recognised for their life outside of work.

Celebrating diversity in this way demonstrates respect for all cultures and creates a sense of belonging among your people. When people see their cultures being celebrated, they feel respected and valued, which strengthens their connection to the business and to its leaders. This approach creates an inclusive environment where everyone feels accepted and like they belong. Having a culture where people get an appreciation of other cultures and celebrations and an opportunity to learn from them makes people feel like they belong.

Create special interest groups

Offer your people the opportunity to create special interest groups in the business. These groups can be based on hobbies, professional interests or shared goals. Special interest groups provide a space for people to connect over common interests, which can enhance their sense of belonging. Whether it’s a book club, a fitness group or a professional development circle, these groups can help build a community within the business.

Encouraging such groups shows that you value the diverse interests of your people and are committed to supporting them in and out of their professional roles.

I am a member of the Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO), and there are over 500 MyEO groups, including people-interest groups such as yachts and restaurants and industries such as Human Resources. When people feel like they can make the business their own based on their interests, they feel like they belong.

Making your people feel like they belong is not only important for the success and wellbeing of your people and your business, but it is also the right thing to do. Every single person in your business needs to feel like they belong.

Want more? Get our newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! Follow Kochie’s Business Builders on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.