Beyond Orientation: How To Build a Culture of Belonging Through Learning and Development
Employee belonging isn’t just about feeling included—it’s a key driver of engagement, innovation, and business success. Yet, 75% of global workers report feeling excluded at work, according to the EY Belonging Barometer. This lack of belonging has tangible consequences: Gallup research finds disengaged employees are 18% less productive, contribute to 43% higher turnover, and cost companies up to 18% of their salary in lost productivity.
For HR and L&D leaders, the challenge is clear: how do we create an environment of belonging where employees feel valued, connected, and motivated to contribute? The answer lies in how we approach learning and development (L&D). By moving beyond one-time training and embedding social learning into workplace culture, organizations can foster stronger connections, boost engagement, and drive meaningful performance outcomes.
The Business Case for Belonging
A strong culture of belonging isn’t just beneficial for employees—it’s a competitive advantage.
Strong sense of belonging:
Increases Productivity: Employee engagement is one of the strongest predictors of business success. When employees feel connected to their organization, they work harder and contribute more. Engaged employees drive 21% higher profitability and employees who feel they belong are 56% more likely to be high performers.
Improves Retention and Cost Savings: Turnover is costly, and disengagement is one of its biggest drivers. The cost of replacing an employee can be as high as 50% of their annual salary.
Drives Innovation and Competitive Advantage: Companies known for innovation don’t just hire creative people—they build environments where employees feel safe to share ideas and take risks. Studies show that innovative companies are more profitable, but innovation doesn’t happen without a culture that nurtures it. Belonging fosters psychological safety, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration—all essential ingredients for innovation.
How To Build Belonging With L&D
Building a culture of belonging requires more than good intentions—it demands a strategic approach across multiple areas of the organization, particularly in L&D.
Move Beyond One-and-Done Onboarding
Orientation sets the foundation for an employee’s experience, but belonging is built over time. While many organizations focus heavily on onboarding, true integration into a company’s culture requires ongoing learning opportunities that reinforce values, encourage dialogue, and help employees build lasting connections. Regular learning sessions—whether through leadership panels, discussion groups, or lightweight courses—give employees ongoing opportunities to engage with colleagues and understand how their work fits into the broader mission of the company.
Leverage Cohort-Based Learning
Employees don’t just learn from content—they learn from each other.
Group-based learning fosters shared experiences, which, in turn, strengthen relationships and deepen connections within an organization. When employees take part in training sessions, workshops, or development programs as a cohort, they build bonds that can last well beyond the learning event itself. This is particularly beneficial in remote, hybrid, or distributed environments where opportunities for organic relationship-building may be more limited.
Beyond strengthening workplace relationships, cohort-based learning also plays a crucial role in creating psychological safety. When employees feel comfortable asking questions, sharing challenges, and discussing new ideas in a structured learning environment, they become more engaged and open to collaboration.
Plus, according to data from the Honor platform, learners are 3x more engaged when learning collectively together, maximizing the impact of L&D content.
Make Learning Social and Interactive
Belonging thrives in environments where employees feel heard, valued, and empowered to contribute. A key way to create this type of environment is by making learning a social, interactive experience rather than a passive one. Peer-led learning, mentoring programs, and knowledge-sharing communities allow employees to teach and learn from one another, reinforcing their expertise and strengthening workplace relationships.
Drawing from his time at Apple and the Yale School of Management, Honor CEO Joel Podolny believes one of the most impactful ways to achieve this is by empowering experts to teach experts. Rather than relying solely on external trainers or top-down instruction, organizations can create environments where leaders and employees across all levels contribute their expertise.
This approach democratizes teaching and reinforces the idea that everyone has something valuable to offer. Empowering internal experts to instruct and mentor others strengthens knowledge, belonging, and connection across all levels.
Measure and Improve
A data-driven approach ensures that L&D initiatives are not just well-intentioned, but effective in creating a more connected workplace.
Regularly assessing employee sentiment around belonging—through surveys, structured feedback loops, or real-time analytics—allows organizations to identify impact, gaps, and make meaningful improvements.
Beyond sentiment analysis, tracking engagement in learning programs, participation in peer-led initiatives, and interaction within learning communities can provide valuable insights into how employees connect. If certain learning experiences lead to higher retention or engagement, organizations can double down on those initiatives, ensuring L&D efforts actively contribute to a culture of belonging.
Belonging isn’t just an HR initiative—it’s a business imperative. When employees feel connected, they perform better, stay longer, and contribute more meaningfully to the organization’s success.
For HR and L&D leaders, the path forward is clear: rethink learning as a tool for building connection, not just capability. By embedding social, interactive, and ongoing learning experiences into the workplace, companies can create a culture where every employee feels like they truly belong.
