In recent years, many organizations have invested in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs—hiring more diversely, adjusting policies, offering training, and so on. Yet even with these efforts, many individuals still don’t feel they truly belong. The missing piece? Belonging: not just being included, but being seen, valued, and connected.
This article outlines a blueprint for rethinking DEI around belonging—why belonging matters, the barriers in current models, and how to build systems, culture, and practice so that everyone can feel they belong.
Why Belonging Matters
Belonging is more than a “nice to have.” It’s essential for:
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Psychological safety: People who feel they belong are more willing to speak up, share ideas, and engage. Without belonging, even well-meaning DEI initiatives can fail because voices remain unheard.
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Retention, engagement, performance: Employees who feel they belong are likelier to stay, be productive, and go beyond minimal expectations.
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Innovation and creativity: Belonging allows for authenticity. When people don’t feel they have to hide parts of themselves, they bring fuller perspectives—leading to richer solutions.
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Authentic inclusion: DEI efforts focused only on representation or compliance often miss the human layer. Belonging addresses relational, emotional, and identity dimensions.
Common Shortcomings in Traditional DEI Models
Before laying out the blueprint, it helps to recognize what often goes wrong in existing DEI efforts:
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Focus on numbers, not feelings
Hiring or demographic goals are important, but if underrepresented people continue to feel isolated, tokenized, or unheard, representation alone doesn’t fix much. -
One-off interventions instead of ongoing culture shift
Workshops, trainings or events are useful, but without sustained effort and reinforcement, old norms reassert quickly. -
Top-down mandates without grassroots engagement
When DEI is driven only from leadership, but people on the ground aren’t given voice or agency, it can feel like control rather than collaboration. -
Superficial or symbolic efforts
Using diversity imagery in marketing, or making statements without structural changes—these can be hollow, even counterproductive. -
Insufficient measurement of belonging
Many organizations lack metrics that capture whether people feel psychologically safe, valued, or part of community. Surveys might ask “Do you feel included?” but seldom “Do you feel you belong?” -
Disconnection between policy and lived experience
Policies may exist, but without attention to how people experience them in daily life, inequities persist: microaggressions, subtle exclusion, etc.
Belonging Blueprint: Key Components
The blueprint to ensure belonging in DEI has several interlocking parts. Each one reinforces the others.
| Component | What It Means in Practice | Example Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership & Vision Commitment | Leaders must articulate belonging as a core purpose, not a side program. They must model inclusive behavior and invest resources. | Set belonging as a strategic goal; include belonging metrics in leadership evaluations; leaders openly share their own stories of feeling out of place or inclusion. |
| Psychological Safety & Authenticity | Creating safe spaces for people to bring their full selves—flaws, differences, doubts—without fear of judgment or retribution. | Regular check-ins; feedback loops; anonymous channels; encouraging vulnerability; ensuring mistakes are treated as learning, not needing cover. |
| Inclusive Infrastructure & Policies | Structures, rules, workflows that support belonging in recruitment, onboarding, day-to-day operations, promotion, etc. | Blind or structured hiring; diverse selection panels; mentorship/sponsorship programs; flexible work policies; accommodating interfaces for disability; ensuring policy language is inclusive. |
| Meaningful Connection & Community | People need relational connection—peer support, shared identity or interest groups, cross-group interaction. | Employee Resource Groups (ERGs); buddy systems for new joiners; shared projects across departments; identity-affirming celebrations; peer mentoring. |
| Continuous Learning & Unlearning | Biases, blind spots, exclusionary norms exist in all of us. Learning must be ongoing; unlearning harmful practices is essential. | Regular training; cultural humility; workshops on micro-aggressions; inclusive communication training; storytelling and lived experience sharing. |
| Measurement, Feedback, & Accountability | You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Crucial to track metrics not just for representation, but for belonging & inclusion. Hold people (especially leadership) accountable. | Surveys about belonging and psychological safety; retention data by demographic; exit interviews; publish DEI/belonging reports; tie metrics to performance review; adjust what isn’t working. |
Overcoming Barriers & Resistance
Implementing belonging is not without friction. Some challenges, and how to navigate them:
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Pushback or fatigue: Some will see belonging efforts as “extra work” or politically charged. Mitigate this by making the case that belonging improves business outcomes, mental health, creativity, retention.
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Superficial compliance: Sometimes organizations do things only for optics or to satisfy external expectations. To guard against this, align belonging with core values and strategy, not just with PR or legal compliance.
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Cultural differences: Belonging feels different in different settings. What works in one culture/community may feel foreign in another. Tailor approaches; engage local voices.
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Resource constraints: Budget/time/human resources are always limited. Starting small, piloting, scaling what works, and leveraging stakeholder passion helps.
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Measurement challenges: Belonging is partly intangible. Be thoughtful about how to design surveys/feedback mechanisms so they are inclusive, safe, and informative.
Case Example: Emerging Equity Scholars Program
One illustrative example is the Emerging Equity Scholars (EES) program for early-career researchers from historically excluded groups. It doesn’t just provide mentorship; it centers well-being, community building, honoring lived expertise, and power sharing. Results from its pilot show that such holistic belonging-intervention models help participants feel more than just “included.” They feel they matter, are seen, and belong. rti.org
The Roadmap: Steps to Implement the Belonging Blueprint
Here’s a practical roadmap organizations can follow.
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Assess Where You Are Now
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Culture audit: collect qualitative & quantitative data on belonging, inclusion, experiences.
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Listen to stories: focus groups, interviews, open forums to understand how people from different backgrounds experience belonging.
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Define What Belonging Means for Your Organization
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Engage stakeholders to co-define signals of belonging: what behaviors, norms, practices make people feel they belong.
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Create guiding principles or a belonging charter.
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Embed Belonging into Strategy & Leadership
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Make belonging part of the mission, values, and strategic plans.
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Leadership training specifically around belonging.
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Ensure budget, roles, responsibilities allocated.
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Design & Adjust Policies and Practices
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Audit existing policies for inclusion & belonging; fix or remove exclusionary elements.
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Revise hiring, onboarding, promotion with belonging in mind.
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Build support systems: mentor/sponsor, ERGs, safe spaces.
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Build Community and Authentic Connection
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Encourage peer networks, cross-group interactions.
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Celebrate diversity, shared identity, but also shared humanity.
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Ensure Psychological Safety & Ongoing Growth
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Encourage honest dialogue about mistakes and learning.
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Unlearning spaces: acknowledging bias, microaggressions, systemic issues.
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Measure, Report, Iterate
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Use mixed methods: surveys (quantitative), interviews (qualitative).
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Track both leading (process) and lagging (outcome) metrics.
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Be transparent about results—wins and areas needing improvement.
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Use feedback to iterate: what programs are working, what isn’t; adjust.
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Why Now Is the Moment
Several forces make now an important time to focus on belonging:
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Growing backlash/criticism of DEI programs (for example, framing them as politically charged or as quotas). Reframing toward belonging can help maintain core values while addressing concerns about equity and inclusion.
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Evidence suggests that organizations who merely check DEI boxes but neglect belonging lose in employee engagement, retention, and innovation.
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Increasing demand from younger generations: many want work environments where they are heard, supported, and allowed to be authentic, not just “ticking diversity boxes.
Conclusion
“Belonging” is not a buzzword or an add-on. It is the deeper outcome that makes DEI work truly matter. When people feel they belong, they are more likely to bring their whole selves, commit, innovate, and stay.
The Belonging Blueprint asks us to shift: from counting diversity to feeling it, from inclusion policies to belonging practices, from compliance to care. It’s a journey—challenging, imperfect, and ongoing—but essential if DEI is going to serve all people, not just some.
