Redefining ‘Belonging’: Strategies for Companies in a post-Covid Hybrid World

In the wake of the unprecedented global shift brought about by the pandemic, the traditional notions of workplace dynamics and corporate culture have undergone a profound transformation.

In this Q&A, I sat down with Andrew Kinder , most recently Managing Director, Human Resources for Blackrock’s APAC client business, to explore the nuanced landscape of organisational belonging in this new paradigm and, more importantly, to provide insights and actionable approaches for companies seeking to redefine and reinforce a sense of belonging within their workforce.

Q: How has the shift towards hybrid work and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic impacted employees' sense of belonging within a company?

A: Lets first define 'belonging' in the context of the workplace. If you Google it, you are likely to get something to the effect of: “having that same feeling at work as you do in a personal setting with friends where you feel comfortable to share your opinions… not afraid to be yourself.” SHRM

This makes sense to me however I propose an additional dimension of 'purpose'. Imagine getting to work and thinking to yourself, “I really belong here; this is what I’m meant to do.”?? To say you truly ‘belong’ involves feeling a deep alignment with the organisation’s vision and purpose, a sense of being in the right role with the ability to make an impact, and the psychological safety to express one’s authentic self.

If you get close to that you are ticking a lot of the boxes on Dan Pink’s ‘Mastery, Autonomy & Purpose’ model of motivation, and are likely to have very engaged employees.?

The shift to hybrid work and the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, has driven a significant impact on how leaders foster a sense of ‘belonging’. The pandemic prompted profound health concerns for employees and their loved ones. Many re-evaluated the meaningfulness of their work. While some organisations had a natural fit with the crisis, such as healthcare, most struggled with a vision that felt like ‘corporate speak’ and hierarchical communication that did not make it to the front-line employees. Remote working further diminished interpersonal connections, with the absence of micro-interactions like the elevator pitch, or water cooler chats. Hence the pandemic presented a real challenge for organisations in terms of purpose, both at a fundamental and operational level.

Quick caveat: not every employee will or should have an aligned deep sense of purpose – that’s ok, it’s a balance. It’s better to be authentic and listen, understand their needs, and then connect them accordingly.

The ability to make an impact also became a pressing question during the pandemic, depending on the organisation's structure. Larger companies with complex communication structures faced greater challenges, and concerns about job security loomed large despite assurances from leaders. Many organisations faced existential struggles, leading to layoffs and furloughs, adversely affecting psychological safety and loyalty. The physical distance also amplified the ease of saying ‘no’ or quitting when better opportunities became available.

However, amid these challenges, there were positive outcomes. The pandemic brought a heightened focus on employee well-being, including mental health. The newfound flexibility in balancing home and work life contributed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) benefits. The reduction in commuting time allowed for more productive endeavours. These positive shifts, although not entirely new concepts, gained significant momentum during the pandemic.

In essence, the impact on employee’s sense of belonging is a nuanced interplay of alignment with purpose, the ability to make an impact, and psychological safety. Hybrid working, and pandemic challenges, served as catalysts for both positive and negative shifts in this delicate balance.

Q: In the context of fostering a sense of belonging, how does an organisation approach diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, especially considering the evolving nature of work arrangements?

A: Inclusion, especially in the context of hybrid and remote work, poses significant challenges. Running meetings where some participants are physically present while others dial in has always required a disciplined approach. This has now been amplified as more employees split their time between home and the office.

Moreover, it is important to scrutinise the work-from-home (WFH) take-up rate to avoid unintentional demographic biases. For example, understanding if younger employees are more inclined to work in the office compared to managers who may prefer remote work. This might unintentionally hinder career progression given graduates don’t ‘apprentice’ as quickly when their leaders are at home.

Similarly, assessing the impact on women, who often disproportionally shoulder caregiver responsibilities at home, is key. With fewer face-to-face interactions, there’s a risk that women become less likely to be promoted – an unconscious bias, but a medium to longer-term risk, nonetheless.

To address these challenges, organisations should implement comprehensive DEI initiatives tailored to the evolving nature of work arrangements:

Inclusive Meeting Practices:

Ensure that meetings accommodate both in-person and virtual participants, leveraging technology and fostering a culture of active participation and equal contribution. Remember that an organisation only reaps the key benefits of DEI when a diverse group inputs and collaborates equally – certain cultures and personality types will naturally tend to be quiet, prefer remote working etc. It’s a skill to be able to recognise and respect these differences and simultaneously ensure everyone is heard.

Demographic Considerations:

Regularly assess WFH trends among different demographics to identify potential disparities. Tailor DEI efforts to address the unique challenges faced by various groups, such as younger employees or those with caregiving responsibilities.

Promotion Opportunities:

Mitigate concerns related to remote work impacting promotional opportunities by actively working towards ensuring fair and unbiased career advancement processes. This includes reviewing promotion processes but also their access to learning opportunities, special projects, lateral moves etc.

Transparent Measurement and Reporting:

Establish clear metrics for tracking the impact of work arrangements on diversity and inclusion. Regularly report on progress and challenges, using data to inform strategic changes.

Technology for Inclusivity:

Leverage technology to create an inclusive virtual environment, providing accessible and user-friendly collaboration tools for all employees.

Employee Resource Groups:

Encourage the formation of ERGs focused on diversity and inclusion, allowing employees in different work arrangements to connect and share experiences. Include representation from outside the ERG so that any learnings are spread throughout the organisation.

Leadership Training:

Provide leadership and unconscious bias training that emphasises inclusive behaviour, ensuring that leaders are equipped to foster a sense of belonging irrespective of physical proximity.

Regular Check-ins and Feedback:

Establish regular check-ins and feedback mechanisms to understand the experiences of employees in various work arrangements and make timely adjustments.

Continuous Learning Opportunities:

Promote continuous learning on DEI topics to keep employees informed and engaged, fostering a culture of awareness and empathy for diverse experiences.

Above all, experiment! Try something new, measure its impact and then iterate till you get the impact you are looking for.

By integrating these initiatives, organisations can address the complexities of inclusion in hybrid and remote work scenarios, creating an environment where all employees feel valued, heard, and have equal opportunities for growth and advancement.

Q: With the blurred lines between personal and professional life in remote and hybrid work, how does an employer promote psychological safety and ensure employees feel comfortable expressing their authentic selves at work?

A: The first and fundamental question in fostering a sense of belonging is whether the environment really is safe. Does the team feel secure in expressing thoughts? Is there an openness to owning and highlighting mistakes as learning experiences rather than resorting to 'blamestorming'? Do you as a leader seek to measure this? (e.g. like the questions Google used in their Project Aristotle ).

Acknowledging that there is always room for improvement, the first step is in building trust. This includes proactive communication, ideally de-layered to ensure widespread understanding. It also entails consciously and genuinely engaging quieter team members, not just in a perfunctory ‘tick the box’ manner. “Anything you’d like to add Alex?” with 2 minutes left in the meeting is not enough.

Building trust can be difficult, a challenge exacerbated when managing remote teams, as highlighted in the trust equation:

Trust = Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy / Self-interest

It requires time, patience, and consistent effort.? Hybrid/remote impacts ‘intimacy’ meaning trust is harder to build. Leaders set the tone, and they should lead by example, e.g. admitting mistakes and using them as opportunities for growth rather than fostering a culture of blame, etc.

A good leader always seeks to hone their skills, and adapting to remote and hybrid work is just another example. It requires patience as their people test the waters, gradually opening up and building trust through real-world experiences. This iterative cycle builds sustainable trust. However, trust can disintegrate rapidly if there is any perceived breach, even second-hand. A commitment (starting with the leader) to open communication, inclusivity, and continuous learning will help create a workplace where psychological safety and authenticity thrive.

Q: Given the challenges of remote work, how does an organisation maintain and enhance employee engagement to ensure a strong sense of connection and belonging?

A: We all know the famous story of when JFK met a Janitor at NASA, and the janitor described his work as “I’m helping put a man on the moon.”? You might not be launching spaceships, but the importance of connecting every role to the broader mission is important.

The following strategies should be employed to strengthen this connection:

Vision Alignment and Communication:

Regularly assess how well your vision resonates with employees. Ensure that the vision is well-known, understood, and embraced, avoiding corporate jargon. That communication strategies are designed to align with the vision, emphasising its relevance to daily tasks and long-term goals.? This needs to be genuine though.? Leaders shouldn’t attempt this if they don’t buy in to it themselves.? Also note that not all of your people will want to connect with a purpose at work, and that might be ok.? Listen to your team and understand what drives them first.

Policy and Practice Alignment:

Policies and practices are explicitly aligned with the organisational vision and mission. For instance, is collaboration key for your company? If so, are your compensation and benefits structures supporting this (have you considered ideas like team-based pay)?

Is innovation and creativity key? Do your performance management processes emphasise continuous feedback and learning, breaking away from traditional models that may otherwise hinder alignment with the organisation's overarching goals?

Organisational Design:

The organisation pays attention to its structure, ensuring simplicity and clarity in organisational design. Jobs are thoughtfully designed to prevent overlapping responsibilities, reducing unhelpful competition among team members. This ensures that each role contributes uniquely to the collective vision and mission.

Strategic Hiring Practices:

That hiring processes are crafted to ensure that individuals selected possess the right skills and values and align with the organisation's vision and culture. The emphasis is on cultivating a sense of mastery among employees, ensuring that their roles contribute meaningfully to the broader mission.

Workplace Environment:

The physical environment is intentionally designed to be approachable and welcoming and is fit for purpose. More space for collaborative work crafted to inspire employees to come in willingly. Effort is made to create an egalitarian atmosphere driving more transparent and de-layered communication, all of which reinforcing a sense of belonging.

Leadership Visibility and Accessibility:

Leadership actively engages with teams, avoiding hierarchical separation. Executives venture among their teams, fostering open communication and accessibility. The physical layout, whether open plan or otherwise, is chosen consciously to send messages that align with the organisation's vision.

Overall, an organisation should consciously and periodically review how their people are connecting to the vision and mission. This includes a strong sense of alignment at all levels – high-level cultural fit right down to operational policy development.?

Q: In a time of increased flexibility, what initiatives or programs should a company implement to build and sustain employee loyalty, considering the changing dynamics of the workplace?

A: Firstly, it is best to remember that loyalty is a two-way street. Everyone understands that occasional job cuts are a part of corporate life. However how an organisation goes about them is key. Being capricious undermines trust and loyalty generally. Maintaining a transparent and respectful approach to such decisions does the opposite.

In Stanley McChrystal 's (retired US General) Team of Teams, he describes how he transformed a slow-moving bureaucratic task force through “shared consciousness” and trust. He was leading the fight on terrorism in the Middle East, and despite the grave nature of operations, he de-layered communication, emphasising the positive outcomes of involving a much larger group, even in sensitive discussions. The benefits far outweighed the risk of leaks.

This may seem counter-intuitive to a typical corporation, but inclusion in decision-making, even in challenging situations like job cuts, can lead to higher engagement, increased trust and ownership, and a new organisational design that takes less time to become productive.

Further, organisations that place a strong emphasis on employee learning and growth generate more loyalty. Employees see that the organisation is investing in their longer-term career and respond in kind. One way to drive this is in building an internal talent market where opportunities for growth are transparent to everyone. This includes not just job changes but also the opportunity to contribute to projects, creating a marketplace that allows employees to maximise their sense of mastery and learn new skills along the way (unlocking considerable untapped discretionary effort in the process).

In summary, an organisation's strategy should start with their vision and mission, which then inform policy and practice and the operating rhythm generally.? It’s important to think through what aligns with your organisation both in terms of cultural fit and readiness – the suggestions above aren’t a one-size-fits-all.

Hence things like ‘more transparent communication’, ‘inclusive decision-making’, and a ‘commitment to continuous learning’, start as questions for leaders to think through rather than a fait accompli. ?For those that are aligned and ready, valuing openness, trust, and employee development, will pay dividends, even in the face of evolving workplace dynamics.

If you are considering a career move, seeking advice on the current job landscape, or looking to hire your next star employee please get in touch with me.