Belonging at work: Building a team where everyone feels welcome

Many of us spend more waking hours with our coworkers than our partners, families, or friends. The relationships we build at work have the power to lift us up when we’re struggling, help us celebrate our wins, and push us to grow into our best selves. But with that potential for connection comes the risk of isolation. If you don’t feel like you belong at work, that absence is felt just as deeply – and it can be one of the most alienating experiences in one’s professional life.

Our sense of belonging often comes from the communities we build at work. As psychotherapist and relationship expert Esther Perel writes on her blog, “We used to go to work to ‘make a living.’ Now we go to work to ‘make meaning.’” Belonging has become a core part of how people experience purpose and identity through their jobs.

In this article, we’ll explore what belonging at work really means, why it matters, the barriers that can get in the way, and practical ways to foster belonging on your team.

What is belonging – and what does it look like at work?

As Esther Perel writes on her blog:

“Belonging is that sense of safety, comfort, and happiness that we feel when we are part of a group, place, tradition, relationship, or friendship.”

When we feel a sense of belonging, we no longer have to divide our personal and professional selves – we can show up authentically with our whole selves.

Belonging is also closely related to diversity and inclusion. Belonging ensures that differences aren’t just acknowledged but genuinely valued. While diversity brings people in and inclusion gives them a seat at the table, belonging makes people feel accepted, respected, and free to contribute fully without having to conform or hide parts of who they are.

In the workplace, belonging shows up in everyday interactions: the colleague who remembers something you shared in passing, the manager who welcomes your candid input, or the team that values your contributions even when they disagree. Without it, employees can feel isolated, as if they’re outsiders in the very place where they spend most of their time.

Examples of belonging in the workplace

To help teams explore what belonging means in practice, Culture Amp and Esther Perel developed Where Should We Begin? At Work – a card game that encourages candid dialogue about trust, recognition, resilience, and belonging.

One prompt from the game asks individuals to finish the statement: “I feel like I belong on a team when…”

We posed this question to two culture leaders and asked them to share their perspectives. Here’s how they responded:

Anu Mandapati, Fractional Chief Culture & Talent Advisor at Qultured, shared:

“I feel like I belong on a team when I don’t have to filter myself to be taken seriously. There’s space for depth, play, and real talk. Belonging shows up in the small moments – when a teammate asks how I really am, when someone remembers what matters to me outside of work, or when my ideas are challenged and still valued in the same conversation."

Fractional People Director and Consultant Wristy shared a similar sentiment, stating:

“I feel like I belong on a team when I don’t have to trade authenticity for acceptance. Belonging happens when I can show up as a professional and a human – with opinions, awkwardness, ideas, and even off-days. One of my favorite moments was when a founder I worked with openly shared his struggles with decision fatigue in a town hall. That vulnerability set the tone for the entire team to be more real – and more resilient – together.”

These stories underline an important truth: Belonging isn’t created by grand gestures. It’s built moment by moment, through honesty, recognition, and the freedom to bring your whole self to work.

Why is belonging important in the workplace?

Belonging isn’t just good for morale; it’s essential for performance. Culture Amp data shows that when employees feel they’re part of a team, they’re 31% more likely to receive a high performance rating in the following year.

And yet, feelings of respect and belonging have been steadily declining. Employees’ willingness to share themselves at work is shrinking, which puts trust, collaboration, and innovation at risk. Without belonging, people disengage, withhold ideas, and even stop contributing at their best.

“Humans are wired for connection, so it’s no surprise that leaders who invest in workplace relationships see stronger performance. Evolution has favored our ability to form meaningful relationships because they support social cohesion, cooperation, empathy, and conflict resolution – all essential for thriving in groups and organizations,” explains Dr. Soukayna Bekkali, Senior People Scientist at Culture Amp. “Yet in modern work, we often overlook this, prioritizing individual productivity and surface-level perks over the quality of relationships. Belonging simply can’t be a ‘nice to have.’ It is foundational.”

When organizations make belonging a priority, they strengthen individual performance, while also unlocking higher engagement, better collaboration, and greater resilience across teams. In short, belonging fuels both people and business success.

Obstacles to belonging in the modern workplace

Fostering belonging has always required effort, but today’s workplace adds new challenges:

• Hybrid and remote models
  Distance doesn’t always make the heart grow fonder. Hybrid and remote setups can make it harder to build casual connections and trust. Limited face time and physical distance can isolate employees, keeping them from bonding organically with their peers.
• Lack of trust
  When employees don’t trust their manager or peers, they put up walls – both physically and emotionally. They may hide parts of themselves and become less willing to contribute ideas openly. The result? Employees feel guarded, and businesses miss out on collaboration, creativity, and innovation.
• Bias and discrimination
  Whether it’s favoritism toward in-office employees, racial bias, or other inequities, unconscious bias erodes fairness and damages belonging. Employees who feel marginalized or overlooked are less likely to engage fully with their work or their team.
• Toxic culture
  Excessive workloads lead to burnout and anxiety, leaving little room for connection or collaboration. When companies value conformity over individuality, employees may stay silent instead of sharing diverse perspectives. And if the culture is toxic enough that employees experience unchecked bullying or harassment, they’re likely to feel unsafe, unwelcome, and excluded from the team. Without a company culture that actively supports inclusion and respect, true belonging simply cannot take root.
  
  These barriers highlight why companies must actively cultivate belonging – it doesn’t happen by accident.

How to foster a sense of belonging on your team

Belonging requires intentional, ongoing action. Here are some ways managers can strengthen it:

Measure belonging

Start by understanding where belonging is thriving and where it may be lacking. Employee surveys are a powerful tool for tracking the state of belonging in your organization. Include Likert scale questions such as:

• “I feel like I belong at [Company]”
• “Perspectives like mine are included in the decision-making at [Company].”
• “When I speak up, my opinion is valued.”
• “I am comfortable sharing my personal background and experiences at [Company].”

Then, you can analyze survey results by department, team, or manager to uncover microcultures and identify patterns that need attention. Encourage managers to discuss these results with their team, explore what’s working, and brainstorm solutions to strengthen belonging. Working together on this not only generates a list of actionable improvements for the manager to take action on but also models transparency, starts meaningful conversations, and reinforces that employees’ voices are heard and valued.

Build trust with your team

Trust is the foundation of belonging. When employees trust their manager and peers, they are more forthcoming, more open to feedback, and more willing to engage fully. Managers can build trust by listening actively, following through on commitments, and investing in mentorship programs to support employees’ professional growth.

Want to go deeper? Explore our Guide on building trust through psychological safety for more insights from Esther Perel and Culture Amp research.

Make time for relationship building

Belonging isn’t just between an employee and their manager; it involves the whole team. As a manager, it’s your job to create both social and professional opportunities for your team members to get to know one another and connect.

While in-person face time is ideal, like an annual team offsite, it’s not the only way to create space for your team. You can also take a few minutes during meetings to talk about life outside of work, set up team bonding activities, or host lunch-and-learns and personalized presentations where employees can talk about themselves or share their passions.

On her blog, Perel shares some interpersonal tips for building stronger, connected teams: “Talk aloud. Email and Slack are convenient, but insufficient for interpersonal communication and productivity.” She also suggests adding a relationship check-in to your 1-on-1 or team agendas: “Ask, ‘What is the status and quality of the relational dimensions of our team?’ It’s something I’m trying to remind myself to do more, too.”

By creating these opportunities to share your human side, you can help your team move beyond surface-level interactions and build the trust, empathy, and connection that make true belonging possible.

Looking for more ways to bring your team together? Read our blog post, Put connection on your to-do list (at work), for data-driven insights and practical tips on why connection matters and how to strengthen it on your team.

Give your team a voice

Use tools like Where Should We Begin? At Work, developed by Culture Amp and Esther Perel, to spark conversations that reveal what belonging truly means for your people. Prompts such as “I feel like I belong on a team when…” help employees reflect and share their experiences, giving managers actionable insight into how to strengthen connection and inclusion.

By measuring belonging, building trust, creating space for connection, and being intentional about inclusion, managers can foster a culture where employees feel seen, valued, and encouraged to be their authentic selves.

Looking for even more ways to make employees feel included on your team? Check out our guide on 6 ways to foster belonging in the workplace.

Fostering belonging with Culture Amp and Esther Perel

Building a culture of belonging takes time and intentional effort. It grows through trust, meaningful connection, and everyday moments of inclusion. As a manager, you’re responsible for creating spaces where employees can connect, feel included, and know they’re welcomed for who they are. Only then can you cultivate a workplace culture where people feel safe, valued, and truly part of a team.

Wondering where your company and team stand when it comes to belonging? Esther Perel and Culture Amp’s conversation card prompts can help spark these conversations and bring belonging to life. Try the card game with your team to begin building stronger relationships – and a deeper sense of belonging – one conversation at a time.

Bring belonging to life at your workplace

Try the card game, Where Should We Begin? At Work – a collaborative card game between Esther Perel and Culture Amp.

Try th game