The Building Blocks of Belonging at Work

"When I started at my current job, I was hired into a brand new unit. There were only three of us, and we each operated mostly in our own silo. There was no hostility or toxicity, but there wasn't much connection, either. We had all lived in the area for a while and already had our own friends, families, hobbies, and routines outside of work. None of us really prioritized building relationships within the unit."

"Stacey later told me those get-togethers mattered more than I had realized. She didn't know many people in the area, and work had become her main source of social connection. Those informal moments helped her feel like she belonged. Unfortunately, Stacey didn't stay for long. Within a few months of joining the unit, she received an offer back in her home state and no one tried very hard to convince her to stay. She left, but her impact didn't."

Three colleagues in a new work unit initially operated in silos with minimal connection despite no hostility or toxicity. Onboarding was bare-bones and no formal peer-mentorship existed. A newly hired out-of-state colleague, Stacey, began meeting for coffee or lunch and other unit members joined, turning casual breaks into semi-regular gatherings. Those informal moments became Stacey's main source of social connection and helped her feel like she belonged. Stacey later left, but the habit endured; nearly ten years later the unit still gathers in various formats, including organized lunches, happy hours, and Zoom coffee. Small, ordinary actions can create lasting workplace belonging without formal permission.

Read at Psychology Today