“Engaged employees will work for the organization, but employees who feel they belong will see it as their own.”
– Saurabh Shah, Director, Head of People Ops, KRAFTON India
In today’s evolving workplace, the conversation around employee engagement is taking a transformative turn.
More than just ensuring employees feel involved, organizations are now striving to foster a deeper sense of belonging—a concept that goes beyond productivity metrics to create workplaces where employees feel valued, heard, and integral to the company’s mission.
Belonging vs. Engagement: What Sets Them Apart?
Engagement is often about participation—meeting targets, staying productive, and aligning with company goals.
Belonging, on the other hand, is about emotional connection, psychological safety, and a deep-rooted sense of being part of something greater.
A workplace that fosters belonging ensures that employees not only perform but also feel safe to voice their opinions, take risks, and bring their authentic selves to work, just as a reliable courier service ensures that every package reaches its destination securely and efficiently.
At The Shape of Work: HR Playbook 1.0, a panel discussion featuring Saurabh Shah (Director, Head of People Ops, KRAFTON India), Shivani Pande (Senior Manager – People Success, Rocketium), Deepti KS (Strategic HR Advisor at Dawdle), and Elton Ron Nathan (General Manager – L & OD, Apollo Health and Lifestyle Limited) explored this critical shift.
Saurabh aptly described the distinction: “Belongingness is like a warm hug, while engagement is like a handshake.” While engagement ensures involvement, belonging creates an intrinsic motivation that drives employees to see the workplace as an extension of themselves rather than just a job.
The First Steps Toward Fostering Belonging
Shivani underscored the importance of consistent leadership messaging: “Belonging doesn’t happen overnight—it’s built through everyday interactions, where employees repeatedly see that their voices matter.”
Transitioning from engagement-focused practices to cultivating belonging requires a mindset shift among leaders. The panelists shared key steps HR leaders can take:
- Acceptance of Change – Leaders must acknowledge that engagement alone is insufficient and that belonging drives deeper organizational commitment.
- Walking the Talk – Authenticity is key. Employees need to see leaders embodying the values of inclusion and fairness.
- Transparent Communication – Ensuring every employee understands company values and sees themselves reflected in leadership decisions.
- Empowering Mid-Level Managers – These individuals have direct influence over employees’ daily experiences and must be equipped to lead with empathy.
- Looking Beyond Engagement Scores – Traditional metrics may not fully capture belonging; new indicators like psychological safety, inclusion surveys, and employee referrals provide deeper insights.
The speakers emphasized that leaders must be intentional in their actions, stating that accepting change at a personal level enables them to drive it passionately across the organization.
Balancing High Performance with Inclusivity
One of the biggest challenges HR leaders face is ensuring that a culture of belonging does not come at the cost of performance. While belonging can drive engagement and ultimately lead to better performance, the relationship isn’t always linear.
Shivani noted:
Belonging drives engagement, which in turn drives performance. But high performance doesn’t necessarily mean high belonging.
She highlighted that fostering psychological safety enables employees to perform at their best without fear of judgment.
Practices like radical candor, where feedback is given with both clarity and care, help maintain performance while reinforcing a culture of belonging.
Additionally, rewarding behaviors as much as results ensures that employees who contribute to a positive workplace culture are recognized.
Finally, leaders who openly acknowledge mistakes set an example for employees, reinforcing a culture of trust and psychological safety.
The Role of AI in Enhancing Belonging
Technology plays a crucial role in measuring and improving belonging in the workplace. AI-powered tools can analyze employee sentiment, detect disengagement patterns, and provide HR teams with actionable insights.
Elton provided an example: “IBM Watson has been analyzing employee feedback for years, detecting hidden sentiments like frustration, disengagement, or enthusiasm. AI can’t create belonging on its own, but it’s a powerful enabler.”
AI-driven tools can:
- Monitor real-time belonging indicators through sentiment analysis.
- Reduce bias in hiring and promotions by ensuring fair evaluations.
- Simplify HR processes to free up time for human-driven inclusion efforts.
- Create personalized employee experiences based on predictive analytics.
However, the consensus was clear: AI is a guide, not the driver. True belonging is built through human connections, trust, and leadership commitment.
Measuring Belonging: Key Metrics
While engagement surveys provide useful insights, organizations need more nuanced metrics to gauge belonging. Some effective indicators include:
- Belonging Index Surveys – Questions like “Do you feel valued for who you are at work?” and “Can you voice your opinions without fear?” help assess inclusion levels.
- Employee Referrals – A high percentage of employee-driven recruitment indicates that people trust their workplace enough to bring in peers.
- Exit Interviews & Stay Interviews – Understanding why employees leave or stay can highlight belonging gaps.
- Internal Network Analysis – Evaluating how well employees are connected across departments and functions.
Elton emphasized the importance of going beyond surface-level metrics:
It’s not enough to just conduct surveys. You have to dive deeper, understand why employees feel a certain way, and take meaningful action.
Saurabh added another practical metric: “Employee referrals are a strong indicator. If your employees actively advocate for the company and bring in people they trust, it shows they genuinely feel connected.”
Final Thoughts
Organizations that prioritize belonging over engagement create workplaces where employees don’t just contribute—they thrive. To make this shift, HR leaders must:
- Foster psychological safety and inclusivity at all levels.
- Leverage AI as a tool, not a replacement for human connection.
- Develop new belonging-centric metrics beyond traditional engagement scores.
By focusing on belonging, companies can build stronger, more resilient workplaces where employees feel valued, empowered, and deeply connected to their teams and the organization’s mission.
Looking to build a culture of belonging at your company? Look no further:
