How do remote employees develop a sense of belonging?

It’s no secret that the pandemic has shifted how we perceive work. Work arrangements have evolved as people seek the flexibility and autonomy that remote jobs provide. However, despite the demand for remote positions, organizations show reluctance to fully embrace them, even scaling back on their hybrid arrangements. Notably, starting in September 2024, Canada’s federal public servants are required to be in office three days per week, compared to the previous two.

Nurturing belonging

One significant challenge that both organizations and remote employees face is the lack of connection to colleagues and the company. Working from home can pose risks such as feelings of isolation and loneliness, which can negatively impact the psychological health and wellbeing of employees. Therefore, finding ways to help people feel connected in remote and hybrid environments is essential. Specifically, building a strong sense of belonging can help mitigate these challenges.

A sense of belonging is generally defined as the extent to which a person feels as though they are accepted for who they are at work and feel valued as an individual human being. Fostering this sense of belonging encourages engagement and a positive work environment. Organizations that can successfully facilitate this sense of belonging gain a competitive advantage in motivating and retaining talent.

This prompts the question: “How do remote employees develop a sense of belonging?” I had the opportunity to participate in ADM 3998: Applied Research in Management, an undergraduate research course offered by the Telfer School of Management, as part of Professor Jane O’Reilly’s study exploring this very question. In collaboration with a fellow undergraduate research assistant, Yvonne Li, we completed interviews with recently hired remote employees to gain insights through their experiences and observe how their sense of belonging develops over time.

You know what they say about first impressions...

One key insight is that the first impression matters. For newly hired remote employees, the onboarding experience is crucial for making them feel welcomed and included from the start. Participants characterized a positive onboarding experience as one with organized training, opportunities to interact with colleagues, and an introduction to company resources relevant to their roles. A well-prepared onboarding experience makes employees feel invited and cared for.

A sense of belonging is further strengthened through interactions with colleagues and supervisors. Overall, remote environments promote efficient interactions where there is a general lack of spontaneous “water cooler talks.” Accordingly, building social connections becomes an active process in remote environments, but a worthwhile one. Interviewees expressed a stronger sense of belonging when there was intentional time set aside for non-work-related topics and to engage with colleagues. Simple exchanges like asking “How are you doing?” similarly contribute to feeling valued as an individual.

Additionally, significant work-related interactions play a role in fostering belonging. For example, when remote employees receive professional guidance from their colleagues, it reinforces the feeling that their colleagues want them to succeed. Opportunities to share each other’s work experiences also help inform newly hired remote employees about the organization’s culture and how their roles contribute to a larger vision. When the meaningfulness of their contributions is better understood, employees describe a stronger sense of belonging and perceive their roles as valuable. In contrast, those who lack these interactions describe a low sense of belonging, perceiving themselves as replaceable and believing they must first prove their worth before being further accepted.

All in all, gaining a deeper understanding of how to facilitate a sense of belonging is important to help mitigate feelings of disconnection and strengthen organizations’ confidence in embracing remote work. I am grateful for the opportunity to explore this topic through ADM 3998: Applied Research in Management under Professor Jane O’Reilly, where I learned valuable insights. I look forward to seeing how this research will shape a working environment fostering connection and wellbeing for us all.

This article was written by Adora Wang

Adora is a student at the University of Ottawa, pursuing an Honours Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in Finance. She is currently a research assistant for Professor Jane O’Reilly and the Triple-I Lab at the Telfer School of Management. She is helping to conduct qualitative research investigating how employees develop a sense of belonging, as well as studying interpersonal social dynamics in conflicts.