Build belonging by focusing on inclusion
Today’s polarized environment has led some companies to shift their diversity, equity, and inclusion messaging to emphasize the concept of belonging.1 Yet for organizations to create workplaces where everyone can truly belong, contribute, and thrive, we need to ensure we don’t lose sight of the big picture: inclusion.
What is belonging?
Belonging is about feeling as though you are part of a group or that you can bring your whole self to work.2 For businesses to excel, ensuring that employees feel as though they belong is critical. Because belonging is a feeling that results from the experience of being included at work3 and stems from multiple factors,4 it is not a synonym for inclusion.5
Most organizations recognize this and are intentional about including the word in the name of the business function responsible for fostering these experiences, usually a variation of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
In order for organizations to increase a sense of belonging for their employees, they must invest in the more nuanced experience of inclusion.
What is inclusion?
Inclusion is multifaceted, as Catalyst research has shown. It involves feeling as though you’re a valued member of the organization, that you’re trusted to contribute to business results, that you can be your authentic self, and that you have the psychological safety to hold differing views, take risks, and make mistakes without worrying about negative repercussions.6 This comprehensive experience of all of the facets of inclusion drives higher employee engagement, innovation, intent to stay, and team problem solving, all of which translate to benefits for businesses.7
Business consequences
Companies leave money on the table when they fail to deliver on the promise of inclusion. Research by Accenture documents a significant disconnect between leaders’ perceptions of employees’ experiences at work and employees’ actual experiences. The number of employees who say they don’t experience inclusion at work is 10 times higher than leaders estimate.8 Closing this gap even by half would result in over $3 trillion for organizations globally.9
Still not sold? Take a look at our most recent findings on workplace inclusion, which paint a sobering picture including that almost one-half of employees don’t experience inclusion at work. Women from marginalized racial and ethnic groups are the demographic group least likely to report experiencing inclusion.10
When we consider these data, it’s no wonder that women from marginalized racial and ethnic groups are resigning at extremely high rates11 — a stunning 46% intend to leave their jobs within six months.12
It can cost up to 4x more than an employee’s yearly salary to replace them.13 As a result, organizations will not only lose out on top talent, but the cost to replace even a single employee is disproportionate to the investment needed to keep them.
Take Action
HR and DEI leaders who want to prioritize inclusion should start with the following four actions.
- Invest in inclusive leadership skill-building. Catalyst research shows that 45% of employee experiences of inclusion are explained by inclusive leadership.14 Being a leader has just as much to do with what you do as it does with who you are, so equip people leaders at all levels with the skills to lead “outward” as well as “inward.”15
- Prioritize internal voices. Employees overwhelmingly support efforts that ensure their workplaces are diverse and inclusive.16 As organizations make a concerted effort to remain attuned to the external climate, leaders can prioritize employees and the business by bringing a DEI lens to strategic decision-making frameworks.17 Check for impact by continuously gathering feedback through employee resource groups, focus groups, and town halls to check how your DEI programs are landing.
- Don’t forget about data. Leverage the data you already have or embark on a comprehensive survey of your employees’ experiences of inclusion to identify the “hot spots” where experiences of inclusion may be lagging. Taking a tailored and intersectional approach toward solving issues specific to your organization will result in more meaningful progress.
- Partner with cross-functional stakeholders. When building out or refining your inclusion strategy, engage not only with senior leadership, but also with functional and regional leaders and managers to understand what employees are saying and experiencing. Additionally, partner with your legal department or advisors to understand their perspectives.
Organizations need to prioritize a diverse and inclusive workplace and workforce if they are to meet and serve the needs of employees, customers, investors, and their business.
How to cite: Shaffer, E. & Foust-Cummings, H. (2024). Build belonging by focusing on inclusion. Catalyst.
ENDNOTES
1. Galloway, L. (2023, August 30). Does DEI need a B? Why belonging is becoming more essential to today’s equity initiatives. Chief; Miller, J. (2023, May 13). Why some companies are saying ‘diversity and belonging’ instead of ‘diversity and inclusion’. The New York Times.
2. Galloway (2023); Livingston, R. (2023, September 29). Belonging is a feeling. Inclusion is how you foster it. UpCurrent.
3. Galloway (2023).
4. Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2007). A question of belonging: Race, social fit, and achievement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(1), 82–96.
5. Moreover, there is a risk in overly focusing on belonging, as this approach may prioritize the comfort of majority-group members without addressing the root causes of inequality at work; Livingston (2023).
6. Travis, D., Shaffer, E., & Thorpe-Moscon, J. (2019). Getting real about inclusive leadership: Why change starts with you. Catalyst.
7. Travis, Shaffer, & Thorpe-Moscon (2019).
8. Sweet, J. & Shook, E. (2020). The hidden value of culture makers: Where culture makers lead, organizations grow twice as fast. Accenture.
9. Sweet & Shook (2020).
10. Inclusion was derived from averaging five components, trusted, valued, authentic, psychological safety: risk-taking, and psychological safety: latitude (see Travis, Shaffer, & Thorpe-Moscon 2019). A two-way between subjects ANOVA was run to examine group differences in the experience of inclusion. A main effect of race and/or ethnicity was found, F(1, 4936) = 26.06, p < .001. Respondents who identified as a race or ethnicity other than White (M = 3.86) had significantly lower experiences of inclusion at work than those who identified as White (M = 3.98). A main effect of gender was also found, F(1, 4936) = 20.15, p < .001. Respondents who identified as women (M = 3.92) reported significantly lower experiences of inclusion than did those who identified as men (M = 3.99). These main effects were qualified by a significant interaction, F(1, 4936) = 4.28, p = .04. Women from marginalized racial and ethnic groups had significantly lower experiences of inclusion (M = 3.79), 97.5% CI [3.74, 3.85], than did men from marginalized racial and ethnic groups (M = 3.95), 97.5% CI [3.88, 4.01], White women (M = 3.96), 97.5% CI [3.93. 3.99], and White men (M = 4.02), 97.5% CI [3.97, 4.06]. Inclusion was then dichotomized such that scores of 4 and above indicate often or always experiencing inclusion at work. There was a significant difference in the percentage of employees who indicated they often or always experienced inclusion, χ2 (1) = 17.22, p < .001.
11. Chamberlin, L. (2023, January 25). Creating workplaces that invite and retain women in 2023. Forbes.
12. Ellsworth, D., Imose, R., Price. H., & Rainone, N. (2022, January 2024). Why women of color are leaving, and how to rethink your DE&I strategy. McKinsey & Company.
13. Wallace, L. (2023, March 21). Five hidden costs of employee attrition. Forbes.
14. Travis, Shaffer, & Thorpe-Moscon (2019).
15. Lead outward and lead inward to build an inclusive workplace (2019, November 21). Catalyst.
16. Shaffer, E. & Torrez, B. (2024). How to talk about diversity with employees to achieve your company’s objectives. Catalyst.
17. Jackson, D. & Van Bommel, T. (2024). How to embed DEI into a PESTLE analysis: Explainer. Catalyst.