For newcomers, belonging is an entirely different experience from fitting in, feeling welcome, or being accepted.
Belonging means the new team member is treated as an “insider” and they can be themselves by speaking candidly without the fear of rejection.
When new team members belong, they feel valued as a person, not just for the role they play or the skills they possess.
Those who truly belong are remembered, included, and taken seriously. Their voice carries weight and can influence decisions.
They no longer perform to “fit in,” but show up authentically because they are considered a permanent part of the place.
If socialization, fast traction, and immediate contribution define a successful onboarding process, then making people feel that they belong is a huge difference maker.
As a rule, organizations are certainly apt to welcome or accept newcomers, but seldom work hard to make them feel that they are an integral part of the team from the get-go.
Research shows that the sooner people feel they belong, the more likely they are to engage fully, commit to staying, and perform to their highest potential.
Great organizations intentionally create a feeling of instant belonging for new team members. They achieve this with a variety of best practices, all aimed at making people a “part of the place” from the outset.
First, they give new team members some autonomy over the onboarding process.
Instead of a highly structured process of acclimation, good organizations give new hires a menu of onboarding activities and let them choose what to prioritize (shadowing, process, product or service deep dives, organizational history, customer or client calls).
By making the onboarding process somewhat self-directed, the organization signals that the new team member has instant influence over how things happen. This helps to make them an “insider.”
Belonging requires validation, so another best practice is to pair up new team members with other recent hires so they can share their integration stories. When newcomers learn how quickly others become an integral part of the organization, it bolsters their own sense of inclusion and attachment.
Lastly, leaders who want to create a sense of belonging with new hires assign them to a low-risk decision or improvement to show that they can shape the system. Those who truly belong can have immediate influence over others. This assignment demonstrates that.
Even in the workplace, people search for a place they can call home. When they find it, the organization benefits from a newfound loyalty and commitment. It’s up to leaders to create it.
When team members are treated like they belong, then they do.
