Along with diversity, equity and inclusion, belonging is among the top areas of focus for human resources professionals. A culture of belonging not only contributes to employee wellbeing but is a key factor in attracting and retaining talent. Cultivating a sense of belonging also brings a return on investment: employees who feel a sense of belonging at work are more engaged, more productive and more likely to stay in their jobs.
Easily Manage Large Quantities Of Data
Identifying problem areas, defining priorities and making meaningful changes requires a lot of information. HR tech platforms automate data collection and analysis at scale. Manually culling and poring over employee data is inefficient and unproductive. With the right technology, HR teams can quickly transform large volumes of raw data into easily digestible reports or visual models about the composition of your workforce, pay disparity, turnover rates and more.
Make Meaning From Employee Feedback
Employees are one of the best sources of data regarding company culture. Use technology to send surveys employees can respond to anonymously and quickly turn employee feedback into actionable insights. Then, HR teams can use that data to drive decision making, allocate resources and measure the progress and success of your efforts.
Identify Hidden Patterns
In order to combat harassment, exclusion and other toxic elements that threaten belonging, HR professionals must identify where these issues exist at their companies. In-depth data analysis can map communication, networks, and information flow within an organization. With the use of technology, HR professionals can identify potential leaders within their organization, find out if certain individuals or groups are being left out of critical conversations, and uncover communication breakdowns that threaten the sense of belonging among coworkers. Similar tools can analyze patterns regarding promotion, performance reviews and feedback to identify potential biases.
Foster Collaboration and Communication
Communication is key to creating a culture of belonging and HR technology plays a role here as well. In cultures of belonging, employees reach innovative solutions through collaboration and forge personal connections with their team members. But, today's workforce is usually dispersed as remote, hybrid or deskless and often siloed. Remote or deskless workers often get left out of the loop. HR professionals can leverage technology such as mobile apps and intranet platforms to foster digital communities that allow colleagues to stay connected no matter where they work.
Onboarding the Right Way
First impressions matter. A poor onboarding experience not only weakens an employee's connection to their new job but also results in costly inefficiencies and performance problems. Make a strong first impression about your organizational culture and make new hires feel included from day one with effective onboarding and welcome processes.
Digital platforms and dashboards can give new hires access to the information they will need to be successful, connect them with their team members and colleagues across departments, introduce them to the people they'll be working most closely with and help others get to know them.
Learning and Professional Development
Among the most common reasons employees leave their jobs for other opportunities is the lack of room to grow. When employees feel their employers are invested in their success and their goals, they are more likely to feel a sense of belonging within their organization. Technology like learning management systems, virtual training modules and career pathing software can make it easier to implement professional development plans for your employees.
Learning management systems and virtual training sessions can be used to help graphic designers hone their UX/UI skills or help sales teams develop and refine their negotiation skills. Talent management and performance metrics tools can also aid employee development by identifying "star" workers and potential candidates for promotion.
