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Written by Kayla Roux
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Tuesday, 24 May 2011 09:40 |
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 A sense of belonging – feeling like a part of a team, being welcomed and ‘fitting in’ – is integral to employee performance in the workplace. Here are ten tips toward making your employees feel more at home – and reaping the rewards.
In a 2007 study performed by Stefan Thau of the London Business School, Karl Aquino at the University of British Columbia and Marijn Poortvliet at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, it was noted that employees who felt a sense of belonging in the workplace performed better at team exercises, showed notable improvement at cooperating with others and were less likely to make decisions that would harm or hinder their colleagues. Follow these ten tips to make your own employees feel at home in the workplace.
1. Welcome newcomers
New or unfamiliar situations can often cause nervousness and a sense of isolation. Make it an imperative task of your entire team to combat this problem by making newcomers feel at home – ask questions about them, show them the ropes, and keep the lines of communication open. You could even implement a buddy system!
2. Be aware of workplace dynamics
The formation of in-groups or socially exclusionary circles is inevitable when a people spend an increased amount of time together. Use the sense of social cohesion that leads to this phenomenon to your advantage – identify similarities between your employees, and talk about their differences.
3. Discourage exclusionary behaviour
Certain kinds of behaviour in the workplace can have a devastating impact on employees’ sense of belonging. From teasing to exclusion, from bullying to ‘inside jokes’, the workplace can often feel like an old school playground. Make it clear that this is childish and unacceptable.
4. ...but do not patronise those being excluded
When children get bullied on the playground, they often hide this fact from their mothers because their interference would only worsen the situation. Don’t admonish the perpetrator and patronise the victim of exclusionary behaviour, as this will widen the rift between them.
5. Encourage participation
When employees know that their input is expected and valued, this increases their responsibility and commitment to the team and its projects. This sense of ownership is essential to combat the problem of detachment and apathy that often surfaces in the workplace.
6. Engage with people, not employees
Getting to know more about the person who is working with you and not just the employee that he or she is, is vital to creating a sense of belonging in the workplace.
7. Be fair
Always be fair and just in your treatment of all the members of your team. If there is a sense of inequitable or discriminatory treatment, this may cause employees to feel isolated and insecure concerning their place in the team.
8. Create a safe environment
Make it clear that you are willing to spend time and engage with your team members to ensure that they feel confident enough to discuss problems or concerns with you.
9. Be honest
Never tip-toe around important issues or allow yourself to be caught in insincerity or hypocrisy – this will break employees’ trust in you.
10. Embrace diversity!
Rather than look the other way or pretend that everyone in your team is exactly the same, search for their differences and find constructive ways to celebrate them. For example, you could offer a platform to gay employees to discuss concerns they might have, or you could implement technology for sight- or hearing-impaired employees in the office.
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