Inclusion and belonging are foundational elements for fostering thriving workplaces. But what does that really mean? What makes employees feel included? What can leaders do to foster a sense of belonging?

In our recent webinar, experts Patrick Hyland, PhD, an organizational psychologist and strategic advisor at Remesh, and Pam Jeffords, Managing Partner & Founder, DiversityWorks Group, shared recent insights from a field study conducted to answer these questions. These findings can help organizations in their efforts to improve workplace culture, so let’s recap!

The Importance of Belonging

Belonging is not a new concept. It’s a fundamental human need. 

People with a stronger sense of belonging tend to have:

• more positive social relationships
• occupational success
• better physical and mental health

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People with a weaker sense of belonging are at greater risk for mental and physical health problems.

Experts agree that creating a sense of belonging is imperative. But how do we achieve that in the workplace?

Belonging Starts with Respect

Using Remesh Flex + On Platform Recruit, we surveyed 255 employees from various organizations. The results were eye-opening:

• 86% of employees feel a strong sense of belonging at work.
• 80% feel their unique skills and contributions are valued.
• However, 27% reported feeling excluded at least sometimes.

When asked what fosters a sense of belonging, employees highlighted three key themes:

• Respect: Employees emphasized the importance of being treated with dignity.
• Camaraderie: Building relationships and connections within teams stood out as crucial.
• Psychological Safety: Employees need to feel safe sharing ideas without fear of judgment.

These results show that while many employees feel a sense of belonging, there’s still room for improvement—and that focusing on respect, camaraderie, and psychological safety can help everyone feel valued.

It Grows with Appreciation and Recognition

Lack of appreciation and recognition undermines employees’ sense of worth. 

When asked, “Based on your experience, what prevents employees from feeling valued at work?” Remesh’s Auto Code identified 114 comments about Lack of Appreciation and 90 about Lack of Recognition. The next highest categories tagged were Poor Communication (30) and Low Salary (28).

Pam said that some managers have a “your paycheck is your thank you” mentality, which is damaging to workplace culture. It’s incredibly important for leaders to recognize their employees and help them feel appreciated. “It is those small things,” Pam said. “I once had to explain to a VP why saying ‘hello’ to employees when passing their desks matters. That simple act can set the tone.”

Leader Empathy is Critical

Leaders play a pivotal role in creating a culture of belonging. When asked what behaviors leaders should exhibit, employees prioritized empathy and open communication. 

For virtual teams, building connections can be challenging, but strategies like cohort mentoring and encouraging local meetups can make a difference. Pam suggested, “Even providing a small budget for coffee meetups between colleagues can help foster belonging.”

Small Actions Can Undermine Belonging

Community erodes when employees feel isolated, unempowered, and unheard. 

We asked participants what causes employees to feel excluded at work. Out of the hundreds of comments, the top three categories identified using Remesh’s Auto Code were:

• Social isolation
• Exclusion from decision-making
• Lack of communication

Digging deeper, Remesh allows research participants to indicate their level of agreement/disagreement (up-vote or down-vote) with each other’s responses. Here are the most endorsed comments:

• “When they are not being informed on certain changes at work” (84% endorsed)
• “Lack of Inclusion in Decision-Making. When employees are not given a voice in decisions that affect their work or the team, they can feel like their opinions don’t matter. This often leads to a sense of powerlessness and exclusion, especially when leaders fail to seek input” (84% endorsed)
• “Being openly ignored by the manager and colleagues, and having their needs neglected in the workplace” (83% endorsed)
• “Poor Communication, Workplace Bullying, Favoritism” (83% endorsed)

These findings make it clear: exclusion often stems from a lack of connection, communication, and involvement. To build stronger workplaces, leaders must prioritize keeping employees informed, including them in decision-making, and fostering open, respectful communication. Small actions can make a big difference in creating a more inclusive and supportive environment.

Addressing Inclusion Gaps

While many employees feel included, gaps remain—especially for women, non-management employees, and people of color. For instance, 30% of women and 34% of people of color reported feeling excluded at least sometimes.

Pam emphasized the importance of addressing these gaps: “When you see differences in employee experience based on identity, those are tomorrow’s solutions. Leaders can rally behind closing those gaps right away. It’s not about perfection—it’s about progress.”

Balancing Investment in Belonging

How much time and energy should organizations dedicate to belonging? 

Interestingly, we found that while 50% of employees believe their organization is investing the right amount, management is more likely than non-management to feel the organization is overinvesting.

Pam shared her perspective: “Managers often don’t realize why certain training or initiatives are necessary. Without context—like data on workplace incidents—they may see it as overtraining. Transparency is key.”

It All Starts with Listening

At its core, creating a culture of inclusion and belonging begins with truly listening—understanding what your employees value, where they feel excluded, and how they experience the workplace.

No single solution works for every organization, but the first step is always the same: giving employees a voice and taking the time to hear what they have to say.

Ready to listen to your own employees? Remesh enables you to engage your workforce in real-time conversations at scale, uncovering meaningful insights to build a culture where everyone feels valued and included. Explore how Remesh can help you better understand your employees’ perspective by taking a tour of our platform today.

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