Transforming workplace culture: Moving beyond job security to true belonging

Woman looking left - belonging at work

by Lisa Mai | Published on December 5th, 2025

Our Employee Experience report shows that satisfaction doesn’t guarantee loyalty. Nearly half (45%) of employees who feel valued still intended to apply for other roles at the time of the research. Currently, many workers are deciding to stay, but not because they are committed to their companies, their decision is driven by economic uncertainty in a stagnant job market. There are warnings that this practice of “job hugging” can create negative feelings of being stuck, and I asked myself how can we turn this passive retention into real engagement? For me, the answer lies in belonging…

What we get wrong when talking about belonging

Belonging is an increasingly popular buzzword in companies, but some of the literature around it is fuzzy in articulating what it means for a person to belong, equating it with “fitting in”.

Example: “We all know what it feels like to belong, or to fit in with others” (Qualtrics)

Example: “Generations of company executives turned a blind eye to how well people – that is, people of diverse backgrounds – fit in with their culture.” (Great Place to Work)

Forbes notes that “fitting in is scanning the room to see how people act and finding the cracks in between to connect”, and Inclusive Employers point out that trying to find connection by following the crowd is nothing but “performative self-abandonment”.

True belonging, on the other hand, is being accepted as you are and being able to bring your authentic self to work without fear of judgement or being excluded.

What we ignore when researching belonging

And that’s not just a feel-good factor, studies tell us how important belonging it is for the bottom line: It makes people up to 3.5x more engaged, which can result in up to 56% higher job performance, 50% lower turnover risk, and 75% fewer sick days. The literature also explains what drives belonging, such as business leaders, company culture and DEI training, and it provides all kinds of stats around those drivers.

But that’s where the data stops. It tells us why belonging matters, but not what it truly feels like to belong – or what’s emotionally at stake when that need goes unmet.

What peoples’ experiences reveal about belonging

So, I went down a rabbit hole: reading through Reddit threads and watching TikTok reels about (the lack of) belonging.

What I found weren’t just isolated anecdotes, but a chorus of lived experiences that reveal the subtle, everyday dynamics shaping belonging at work. These are the insights missing from mainstream thought leadership.

Exclusion from chats/ emails & belonging 

  • Feeling excluded from work chats is not trivial. Whether the exclusion is imagined or real, intentional or accidental, the impact is the same: people feel unseen, undervalued, and out of the loop. Over time, this can lead to self-doubt, disengagement and a reluctance to contribute, especially for those already navigating marginalisation. Belonging isn’t just built through big gestures; it’s sustained through everyday inclusion. So, organisations must pay attention to who’s being looped in, who’s being left out, and how that shapes the culture.

Imposter syndrome & belonging 

  • Imposter syndrome is a manifestation and catalyst of low belonging. When people don’t feel accepted or valued as their authentic selves, they’re more likely to doubt their competence and fear being “found out”. When they internalise those doubts, they often withdraw: masking parts of themselves, overworking to prove worth, or avoiding visibility, which in turn reduces connection and reinforces isolation. When imposter feelings surface, they point to a deeper cultural problem, which companies must address by creating environments where psychological safety is non-negotiable.

Being different & belonging

  • For many, the struggle with belonging starts with being different. Whether it’s race, gender, age, neurodivergence, or other aspects of identity, many people enter workplaces knowing they’ll be perceived through a lens of difference. And while some parts of identity are visible, others are masked – not out of choice, but necessity. This ongoing effort to manage how one is seen, understood, or judged is emotionally exhausting and can lead to withdrawal, burnout, and a deep sense of disconnection. Organisations must recognise the weight of this experience and bring a human lens to their DEI approach.

From being or feeling left out of everyday work conversations to the confidence toll of imposter syndrome and the emotional strain of masking identity, these examples show how belonging is built or broken in micro-moments.

Addressing belonging

Those moments remind us that belonging is critical part of the employee experience, and if we get it right it can make even disengaged job huggers embrace their role. But our employee experience report tells us there is a lot of work to do.

For example, while recognition is a powerful lever of belonging, efforts aren’t reaching everyone equally. Only 53% of entry-level employees and 45% of individual contributors say they feel valued. These groups matter because entry-level roles are becoming scarcer with AI-driven transformation, and individual contributors make up a large share of the workforce where competition is fierce. If these employees feel overlooked, they’re more likely to stay for security rather than commitment.

Manager relationships are also key with 74% of employees saying their relationship with their manager is very or extremely important in their decision to stay. Equipping managers to spot when someone is job hugging, and to have meaningful, empathetic conversations about what would improve their experience, can help transform passive retention into active commitment.

At Havas People, we talk with employers all the time about the significance of employee experience and how they can improve it. You can count on us to help embed a bigger EX focus within your organisation, or to help share your employer brand story with the world. It’s a space we pride ourselves on knowing, inside and out.

To learn more about The Employee Experience Gap, you can download our report here. And if you’d like to hear more about how we can help you with your own talent challenges, Let’s Talk.