CAN WE MEASURE BELONGING？

Reading time: 8 min

In today's dynamic and ever-evolving work environment, fostering a sense of belonging among employees is not just a nice-to-have; it is a critical factor for organizational success. Belonging goes beyond inclusion or engagement. It is about creating a workplace where individuals feel valued, connected, and integral to the organization’s purpose. Research consistently highlights the profound impact of belonging on key outcomes, such as employee retention, engagement, productivity, and overall well-being.

To navigate this challenge, leveraging employee listening methods, particularly surveys, provides a structured and effective approach. Surveys offer organizations a way to measure and understand employees' perceptions of belonging, uncovering areas of strength and identifying opportunities for growth. When thoughtfully designed, these tools not only provide valuable data but also send a powerful message to employees: their voices matter. By using these insights to inform meaningful actions, organizations can build stronger connections with their workforce, ensuring a culture where belonging thrives.

Can we truly measure something as deeply personal as belonging?

Measuring employee belonging is essential for organizations aiming to foster an inclusive and supportive work environment. While belonging is inherently subjective and deeply tied to individual experiences, organizations are increasingly turning to employee listening strategies to bridge the gap between feelings and metrics. Among these, surveys offer a structured and practical approach to understanding and enhancing employees' sense of connection, inclusion, and value within the workplace. But how effective are these tools in capturing something so nuanced?

While some organizations may lack a survey culture or question the effectiveness of surveys in measuring employee belonging, it's important to recognize that, when thoughtfully designed and properly implemented, surveys can serve as a powerful tool for this purpose.

Employee surveys are a critical tool for assessing and improving workplace belonging. They provide organizations with a structured approach to understanding employees’ experiences and perceptions, offering valuable insights that drive meaningful change. By creating a safe space for feedback and leveraging data effectively, surveys help organizations foster a culture of inclusion and connection.

Belonging surveys typically fall under descriptive analytics, as they are used to gather and summarize data about employees' current perceptions, experiences, and sentiments within the workplace. The data collected provides a snapshot of the present state of belonging, engagement, inclusion, or other workplace dynamics. However, depending on how the survey data is used, it can also extend to other types of analytics.

In short, we can leverage four types of data analytics to run a belonging survey effectively:

• Descriptive analytics answers the question, “What happened?” by summarizing past survey results, identifying trends, and highlighting key patterns in employee sentiment. This type of analytics provides insights into the current state of employee belonging, e.g. What percentage of employees feel included?.

• Diagnostic analytics explores “Why did this happen?” by analyzing relationships between different survey responses, uncovering root causes, and providing deeper insights into belonging gaps. It is used when survey results are analyzed to understand why certain issues exist, e.g. Why do employees on a specific team feel less sense of belonging?.

• Predictive analytics anticipates “What might happen in the future?” by using historical data and trends to forecast potential shifts in workplace inclusion and engagement. This historical survey data is analyzed to forecast future outcomes, e.g. If belonging remains low, how might this impact retention?.

• Prescriptive analytics guides “What should we do next?” by recommending actionable strategies based on data-driven insights to enhance belonging initiatives and improve workplace culture. This is used when survey insights are combined with other data sources to recommend actionable strategies, e.g. Based on survey results, what initiatives should we implement to enhance belonging?.

By applying these analytics, organizations can gain a comprehensive understanding of belonging, address challenges proactively, and create a more inclusive environment.

Why should organizations leverage belonging surveys?

Employee surveys play a vital role in enhancing workplace belonging by encouraging honest feedback. The anonymity of surveys creates a safe space for employees to share their true experiences without fear of judgment, leading to more authentic feedback. Their scalability allows organizations to efficiently gather input from a large workforce across different teams, departments, or regions.

Surveys generate measurable insights by uncovering trends, identifying strengths, and highlighting areas for improvement, making it easier to track progress over time. By incorporating both quantitative and qualitative questions, surveys provide a well-rounded understanding of employee experiences through sentiment analysis, revealing patterns while capturing deeper context. Ultimately, the insights derived from survey analysis empower organizations to implement targeted interventions that strengthen workplace belonging, enhance inclusivity, and foster a culture where employees feel valued and connected.

Implementing an employee listening strategy via surveys is crucial. Regularly assessing belonging through surveys helps cultivate an inclusive culture and addresses concerns promptly.

How often should you run belonging surveys?  

Determining the optimal frequency for conducting belonging surveys is not a one-size-fits-all approach; it depends on your organization’s culture, specific goals, and existing practices. Organizations with a strong survey culture may benefit from frequent assessments, while others might need to explore alternative methods, such as focus groups or one-on-one interviews, to complement or replace surveys.

For global organizations, local cultural nuances play a crucial role. For example, in cultures where direct feedback is less common, alternative methods like facilitated discussions may yield more honest and valuable insights. Additionally, understanding how different regions perceive and experience belonging can help tailor the timing and approach to surveys.

Survey frequency should also align with organizational goals. For example: strategic planning  may require comprehensive annual surveys to establish a baseline and set long-term objectives; ongoing improvement  benefits from bi-monthly or quarterly surveys to monitor progress and identify emerging challenges; and change management  may call for more frequent pulse surveys or feedback mechanisms to ensure employees feel supported during transitions and adjustments.

Striking the right balance between comprehensive belonging assessments and timely check-ins is key to fostering an inclusive workplace. Here are three tailored approaches to measuring belonging effectively:

Approach 1: Baseline and progress surveys

• Baseline belonging survey: Conduct a full-scale assessment at the start of a belonging initiative to establish a benchmark. Skipping this step can limit an organization’s ability to track meaningful progress.

• Annual belonging surveys: Build on the baseline with yearly assessments to identify cultural shifts and long-term trends in inclusion and belonging.

• Bi-monthly or quarterly pulse checks: Use shorter, targeted surveys to monitor progress, measure the impact of belonging initiatives, and address emerging challenges.

Approach 2: Rapid feedback during change

During organizational shifts such as mergers, leadership transitions, or policy updates, more frequent surveys (e.g., monthly or bi-weekly) help gauge employee sentiment and ensure a smooth transition.

Approach 3: Event-specific belonging surveys

Assess the impact of key moments like team restructures, onboarding, diversity training, or cultural initiatives on employees' sense of connection and inclusion.

Fostering lasting belonging through meaningful insights

Cultivating a sense of belonging within the workplace is integral to organizational success. Regularly measuring this sentiment through well-designed surveys allows organizations to identify strengths and address areas needing improvement. By avoiding common pitfalls in survey implementation and actively promoting inclusive behaviors, both at the organizational and individual levels, companies can create an environment where every employee feels valued and connected. Such an environment not only enhances employee well-being but also drives engagement, productivity, and overall organizational performance.

Belonging surveys are easy to run and cost-effective, making them an accessible tool for organizations of all sizes. However, it’s important to ensure that the questions included are scientifically validated and reliable. Applying scientific rigor to survey design ensures the data collected is accurate and meaningful, and can be used to make informed decisions that genuinely enhance belonging in the workplace.

Time to get hands-on!

Ready to take action? Try our Your Belonging Survey in just 3 minutes and gain actionable insights to improve your sense of belonging today!