Imagine a workplace where the smiles of greeting feel real, Zoom meetings crackle with energy, and every voice truly counts. In a world rich with diverse talents, fostering connection is the X-factor that can transform company culture.
Genuine inclusion—via genuine connection—is a critical factor in employee engagement and retention. While many organizations have made strides in promoting diversity and inclusion, surface-level efforts alone are not enough to create lasting engagement.
“Authentic connections are the key to unlocking the full potential of a diverse workforce,” says Teresa Hopke, President of Talking Talent Americas. “When employees feel truly included and valued, they are more likely to stay with their company and go above and beyond in their work.”
Understanding the Limits of Surface-Level Inclusion
We’ve all seen it: companies posting rainbow flags during Pride Month, sharing Black History posts, or featuring diverse models in ads. While these actions can raise awareness, they lack the depth needed for true inclusion.
What’s the difference?
- Surface-level inclusion is about representation without real change. It’s the photo on the website, diversity hiring events, or the occasional cultural celebration. While valuable first steps, these practices generally fall short of creating inclusive environments.
- Deep-level inclusion is about creating a culture where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives. Deep-level inclusion occurs through personal interactions, when we get to know people’s personality, experiences, and values.
Note that diversity metrics themselves can be a surface-level activity. While metrics are helpful for tracking progress and informing decision-making, it’s equally important to prioritize employee experience.
Diversity metrics often focus on surface-level characteristics like race, gender, orientation, and age, neglecting deeper aspects of diversity such as socioeconomic background, disability, neurodiversity, and worldview. This can lead to a narrow understanding of diversity and inclusion.
When organizations prioritize numbers over people, employees may feel tokenized, undervalued, and unsupported. Plus, focusing solely on representation numbers can create a false sense of progress without addressing underlying issues.
The Evolving Workplace: A Challenge to Connection
And yet, fostering deep-level inclusion may be one of the biggest management problems of our age. Employees are simultaneously lonely and yet increasingly disinterested in traditional team-building activities. The same people who desire connection may resist coming into the office.
The shared bonds that once held teams together have weakened, and there’s a reduced willingness to accept simple solutions.
The problem:
- Remote Work Isolation: The physical distance created by remote work can hinder the development of deep, meaningful relationships.
- The Decline of Spontaneous Interaction: The serendipitous encounters that fueled workplace camaraderie have diminished, replaced by scheduled meetings and digital communication.
- Short Tenure, High Turnover: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average job tenure in the U.S. is only about four years. For many employees, this can make investing in workplace relationships feel less rewarding.
- Changing Attitudes: Half of workers between ages 18-25 said workplace friendships were “not at all important,” or “minimally important,” according to a survey by Capterra.
So how can organizations create genuine inclusion and a sense of belonging among employees when attempts to build basic connections—even within homogenous groups—are often met with challenges?
Strategies for Building Authentic Connections in the Workplace
“That’s the nut organizations need to crack,” said Race. “And bringing people back into the office won’t cut it. We need strategies that reach beyond the surface to build connections that are real, impactful, and lasting.”
It begins with leaders, as culture efforts must. Leaders need to set the tone and model the way to a connected workplace. If you have the resources, survey your employees to get the pulse on connection, psychological safety, and belonging. Small group discussions can also help you learn about culture strengths and weaknesses.
As you make your plans, consider the following, in terms of both leadership habits and programming:
- Foster Transparency and Open Communication: Create opportunities for open dialogue between leadership and staff. Regular feedback loops help employees feel heard and valued.
- Invest in Relationship-Building: Create programs that encourage employees to build meaningful relationships. Mentorship, peer networking groups, volunteer days, and team-building activities allow employees to interact outside the normal work environment, helping build stronger personal relationships.
It’s true that finding the right team-building activity has gotten harder. Try different things, survey team members, and keep at it. Keep inclusion in mind—in other words, schedule some activities during normal work hours, some that don’t involve alcohol, and some that are quieter in nature.
- Coach for Inclusive Leadership: Help leaders learn to model authentic behavior, practice empathy, and activate inclusion on a day-to-day basis. This includes learning how to develop teams that welcome candid feedback and tolerate disagreement.
- Provide Group Professional Development: Offer opportunities for team members to learn and grow together. Employees want to feel like you’re investing in them. At the same time, shared learning can strengthen bonds and foster a sense of shared purpose.
- Mentorship and Sponsorship: Encouraging leaders to mentor and sponsor diverse talent ensures that underrepresented employees receive support and opportunities to connect with people of influence.
Building the Path to Belonging
Fostering real connections remains one of the biggest management challenges. From overcoming remote work isolation to combating short tenures and bridging divides, creating authentic relationships demands intentional effort.
But building those connections is critical for organizational success and wellbeing. By investing in connection, organizations can help employees feel seen and supported—not just by leaders, but by their peers as well. That’s what it takes for people, and companies, to thrive.
