How Are We Fulfilling the Human Need for Social Belonging in the Workplace?

Social belonging is an essential human need, deeply ingrained in our nature. However, 40% of individuals report feeling isolated at work, leading to decreased organizational commitment and engagement. In the U.S., businesses invest nearly $8 billion annually in diversity and inclusion (D&I) training, yet these efforts often fall short by overlooking the crucial need for genuine inclusion. In this paper we review the importance of belonging and evolution of various methods and research studies in this field.