(Credit:Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com)

In his book, "Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival ofAmerican Community," Robert D. Putnam discusses the differencebetween the "bonding" and "bridging" models of socialconnection. Our initial tendency is to exclusively "bond" viashared similarities rather than to inclusively "bridge" betweenpeople who think and feel differently. A newly released reportdetails an approach to the workplace that comes down squarely onthe side of the "bridging" model, calling it "belonging."

In "The Power of Belonging: What It Is and Why ItMatters in Today's Workplace," researchers at theCenter for Talent Innovation discuss the results of two recentsurveys analyzing the "belonging scores" of nearly 3,800college-educated professionals across a broad range ofdemographics, and how companies can foster a sense of belonging by"co-creat[ing] company cultures informed by all perspectives."

Related: Diversity, inclusion and belonging: How do we getthere?

The report defines a sense of "belonging" as beingcomprised of four elements:

• Feeling seen for your uniquecontributions
• Being connected to yourcoworkers
• Being supported in yourdaily work and career development
• Being proud ofyour organization's values and purpose

In the first survey conducted in February, CTI researchers foundthat on their ten-point scale, half of the respondent workersscored between 6.25 and 8.54, with a median score of 7.40. Thesescores corresponded with positive career indicators. Workers in thehighest quartile of belonging scores were far more likelythan those in the lowest to say they were very engaged at work,very loyal to their organization, and intend to stay with theirorganization for at least two years. Respondents who fellinto the lowest quartile of belonging scores were overfour times as likely to say they felt "stalled" in their careerscompared to those in the highest quartile.

Examining median scores across race and gender, the researchersfound White men and White women scored the highest. According tothe survey, nearly one in three Black employees and one in fourAsian employees said they have felt out of place at work because oftheir ethnicity or race. More than one in seven Latinx employeessaid the same. Black women and Asian women scored the lowest medianbelonging scores.

A follow-up survey in May found that the median belonging scorerose from 7.40 to 7.71. A significant majority of respondents saidit was easy to open conversations with coworkers about how theirlives have changed during the pandemic. The ability to bevulnerable with one another increases feelings of connection andbeing seen, according to the researchers. Most employees also felttheir employers' approaches to work schedules have been supportiveand/or flexible, and many said they felt proud of their companies'responses to the pandemic. This upward tick in the scores over justa few months underlines how important it is for business leaders toconnect authentically with employees, researchers say, and may evenshow a way forward as the nation comes to grips with systemicracism.

"We're engaged in a new way of being together at work–andemployers shifted to remote work incredibly quickly," said JuliaTaylor Kennedy, CTI executive vice president and co-lead researcheron the report. "If that radical change was possible, manyare saying, fixing racial inequality is also possible. Of course,the two issues–working from an office building and addressingsystemic racism–are different, but our society's swift reaction tothe threat of COVID-19 does indicate we are capable of change."

The report describes an ideal culture of belonging asan organization that celebrates its employees,with senior leaders rising in the organization because they liveout the organization's values. Such a culture prioritizes buildinghonest, open connections with the larger workforce,while fostering inclusivity among their owndirect reports. "Managers throughout the organizationreward their direct reports with due praise, acknowledgement,decision-making power, and regular feedback," the reportgoes on to say. "And colleagues throughout theorganization, regardless of level, praise each other'swork, take each other's personal commitments seriously, and defaultto providing support and honest feedback for oneanother."

"Belonging means you think of your company as 'us,' not 'them,'"said Pooja Jain-Link, CTI executive vice president andco-lead researcher. "To build company cultures that are inclusive,and that boost diversity, we know how important co-creation is. Toget those co-created cultures, we need people to be a part of the'us'—we need them to belong."

This report is the first in a planned four-part series. Thepanel of advisors on the project includes john a. powell, Professorof Law, African American Studies, and Ethnic Studies at UCBerkeley; Michael Welp, co-founder of White Men as FullDiversity Partners; and Lynne Oldham, Chief People Officerat Zoom.

Read more: 

• A tipping point for LGBT policies in theworkplace
• Despite diversity efforts, half of LGBT workersstay closeted
• Will Google tie executive pay to workplacediversity?