Workplace loyalty is dead — here’s what’s replaced it

Top-down corporate culture is breaking from the bottom up.

The ‘Great Resignation’. The rise of the gig economy. The wave of ‘quiet quitters’. 

The tides are rapidly changing for the traditional workplace — and fast. 

These new challenges have affected many businesses. In the year ending February 2022, 1.3 million Australians — or 9.5% of employed people — changed jobs. 

For those playing at home, that’s the highest annual job mobility rate in a decade. 

Across the board, so to speak, we’re seeing companies, businesses and organisations grapple with employees who are looking for something different — who want change. 

Gone are the days of the loyal ‘company’ person, who stayed for an age and put the needs of the organisation far before themselves.

Instead, we’re seeing more transactional workplaces emerging at pace. 

After all, this is the era of the gig economy. Short-term contracts are fast becoming the new norm, making it easier than ever to switch jobs with little notice or lasting workplace loyalty. 

To retain their talent, businesses need to adapt, respond and do better. Rather than simply reach for bigger salary packages and hope for the best, we need to take a more holistic approach. 

With workplace loyalty on the wane, what can we use to keep our teams intact and engaged?

Belonging

You read that right. In 2022, creating a sense of belonging within businesses and organisations has become a competitive advantage.

Today, organisations cannot simply expect arbitrary loyalty from their employees and teams. Instead, if they want to buck current trends, they must foster the sense that each member belongs, is valued, and is not just another cog in the machine.

It makes sense: when we feel like we truly belong somewhere, we naturally want to stay.

We feel encouraged to contribute. We feel recognised and valued. We feel more invested in the success of the organisation as a whole. And isn’t that what every organisation wants?

This kind of rapport doesn’t come from simply paying people more money, and it goes far beyond the odd team bonding afternoon at your local escape room.

Belonging starts with bringing your teams on the journey, seeking their views, understanding their challenges, and creating an environment that values all opinions.

For some, it’s a sense of being accepted, being part of something, and having a shared identity with others.

For others, it might be feeling heard or being presented with new opportunities and support.

By working with employees to see their crucial role in the bigger picture, leaders can create an environment where people feel they have a place – a place they don’t want to leave. The uniqueness of each contribution can become the collective potential, skill and competency.

So, how do we practically foster a sense of belonging at work?

If you’re a leader, ask yourself: What are you doing to make your team feel like they belong?

Forget the usual techniques — it might be time to roll up your sleeves, think differently, and put yourself in the shoes of your team.

If you were a new starter, a mid-level manager, or perhaps someone that has been in the team for decades, what would make you feel like you belonged?

Think back to a time when you felt you belonged. What contributed to that feeling for you?

Communicate openly

Recent research has shown leaders pay a price for not sharing enough. You don’t have to speak to hundreds of employees to understand that a lack of clear and timely communication from leadership is a key frustration point.

To foster a sense of belonging, put yourself in the shoes of your people-what do they know right now? What questions would they have? What would they be concerned about? What topics are causing misinformation to spread? 

Ensure your team knows where the organisation is headed, what its purpose is, and how their day-to-day efforts contribute- even if it’s just a small part. 

Take them with you, through the ups and downs. Communicate openly, and ensure everyone knows that their views not only matter but are being heard. 

And it’s not a one-way street: let them know what you’re thinking too.

Move beyond tokenistic lip service

A sense of belonging starts to develop when we feel like our voice matters and we have some control over our environment.

If you want to create a workplace where people want to stay, start by evaluating what processes or decision-making opportunities you can delegate or share with your broader team. It might be something small, like the power to choose which charity your organisation will support next year or how your team members can work more flexibly.

Whatever it is, ensure it’s not just a tokenistic effort. Your team should really feel like they have some skin in the game when it comes to decisions that affect them directly.

Treat all employees equally

Leadership is about more than simply managing; it’s about inspiring and influencing people to do their best work. A big part of that is treating employees fairly and equally.

It might sound like common sense, but in order for your team to feel like they belong, they need to trust that you have their best interests at heart and that you’re not playing favourites. A perception of favouritism quickly erodes trust and creates an environment where people feel like they’re not valued.

This doesn’t mean that you need to be best friends with everyone on your team, but it does mean being respectful and transparent in your interactions and setting a tone that suggests you value everyone’s contributions and are open to hearing different points of view.

Little things like greeting all team members by name (even if you don’t know them all that well), being approachable and taking the time to listen can go a long way in making people feel like they’re part of the team.

Encourage and acknowledge a mix of ages and cultures in the workplace

Remember to acknowledge the valuable work being done by all employees, no matter how long they’ve been with the company.

Whether they’re new, with new skills and ideas, or have been in the business for a long time, our capacity to harness and appreciate the talent in every team member will help them to feel like they meaningfully belong.

Help your team speak without fear of retribution

Rather, if you can create an environment where people feel safe to speak up, share their ideas and challenge the status quo, you’re much more likely to end up with a team that’s engaged and invested in the success of the organisation.

By putting ourselves in the shoes of our team, and creating an environment where they feel heard, understood and involved, we can break the cycle and keep talented people from leaving. It’s time to think differently about how we work, and start creating workplaces that value all contributions.

Through cultivating a sense of workplace belonging, we’re investing in our new talent – the kind you want to stick around and rise through the ranks — and retaining the incredible corporate knowledge of established employees.

So, while current trends and short-term gigs might offer short-term freedom, belonging creates a vital long-game for companies and employees alike. After all, it’s the sense of belonging that’ll keep us warm at night.