Belonging at work boosts everything 

The Achievers Workforce Institute (AWI) defines belonging as an experience of connection, security, and community – feeling at home in one’s place without reservation.

More than a buzzword, a strong sense of belonging nearly triples employee outcomes, including engagement, productivity, job commitment, and well-being.  

How belonging impacts your business 

Employee belonging matters more than you might think. According to the latest AWI report, organizations whose employees have a higher sense of belonging see improvements in key areas of the business. 

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Business outcomes

Employees with a high sense of belonging vs. low sense of belonging

Psychological safety

x5

Employee advocacy

x12

Engagement

x6

Well-being

x12

Productivity

x7

Physical safety

x3

Job commitment

x9

Resilience

x4

Welcomed

Welcomed

Introduced to and incorporated within the organizational culture and community

Known

Known

Understood, motivated, and celebrated as an individual

Included

Included

Valued and accepted without reservation

Connected

Connected

Developing and maintaining relationships across a diverse population

Supported

Supported

Consistently and meaningfully nurtured and developed

Discover concrete steps on how to activate all five pillars to help you drive belonging at work. 

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BELONGING MODELâ„¢

A framework to activate employee belonging

So how do you practically foster belonging at your workplace? Through primary research, the Achievers Workforce Institute developed the proprietary Belonging Model demonstrating five actionable and measurable pillars of belonging.

Activating any one of the pillars doubles the rate of belonging at work. When you activate all five, belonging triples.

BELONGING MODELâ„¢

A framework to activate employee belonging

So how do you practically foster belonging at your workplace? Through primary research, the Achievers Workforce Institute developed the proprietary Belonging Model demonstrating five actionable and measurable pillars of belonging.

Activating any one of the pillars doubles the rate of belonging at work. When you activate all five, belonging triples.

Discover concrete steps on how to activate all five pillars to help you drive belonging at work. 

Learn moreright arrow
Welcomed

Welcomed

Introduced to and incorporated within the organizational culture and community

Known

Known

Understood, motivated, and celebrated as an individual

Included

Included

Valued and accepted without reservation

Connected

Connected

Developing and maintaining relationships across a diverse population

Supported

Supported

Consistently and meaningfully nurtured and developed

The key driver to belonging? Recognition. 

The data tells us that recognition drives all 5 pillars of belonging, and the more frequently an employee is recognized, the more likely they are to have a strong sense of belonging. 

Employees recognized weekly

vs. never receiving recognitions 

welcomed

2x

known

2x

included

2x

supported

3x

connected

2x

Outcomes:

Almost 4x overall sense of belonging

Employees recognized monthly

vs. quarterly are more likely to feel

welcomed

46%

known

29%

included

34%

supported

21%

connected

38%

Outcomes:

74% more likely to feel an overall sense of belonging

AEXP platform

One-of-a-kind features built on the science of belonging 

The Achievers Employee Experience Platform (AEXP) is the only platform that leverages the Belonging Model to drive belonging across all 5 pillars.

Each platform feature is designed to activate one or more of the 5 pillars helping you drive belonging through a powerful set of engagement and recognition tools. 

welcomed

Welcome Recognition

Culture Onboarding

Employee Connections

known

My Page

Pronouns

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

Personalized Recognition

included

Pronouns

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

Feedback (heard and valued)

supported

Manager Empowerment

Engagement Measurement (VoE)

connected

Employee Connections

Cross-functional Recognition

Resources, reports, and real-world tools 

Dig deeper into practical ways you can activate the 5 pillars of belonging – and how that might impact business outcomes at your organization. 

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Belonging at work 

Our premier report highlighting ways to cultivate a culture of belonging in the workplace.

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DEIB essentials and the role of belonging 

How and why belonging drives productivity, well-being, and reduced employee turnover. 

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Activating the five pillars of belonging 

Learn how to nurture a sense of belonging at work that enables positive business outcomes. 

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How your recognition program can help 

Discover how to optimize your existing employee recognition program to drive belonging. 

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Putting the pillars into practice 

Watch a fireside chat from Achievers ACE customer event on how belonging impacts everything.

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Unlock employee belonging today

Stay informed with the latest insights, events, and webinars, all aimed at cultivating a culture of belonging at work.

From Day One

Recognition and Retention Tour

Join us on our From Day One US tour to learn how frequent, meaningful recognition drives not only connection but business results like retention, productivity, and engagement.

Achievers Workforce Institute

Achievers Workforce Institute

Get research and insights on employee engagement, recognition, culture, and more – all backed by workforce science.

Live and On-demand Webinars

More science-backed resources

We’ve got a curated collection of live and on-demand webinars to get you started.