What Is Workplace Community Building And How It Fosters Diversity And Inclusion

In this blog post we’ll first define Workplace Community Building and Diversity and Inclusion. Then we’ll explain how they link together and why every organization needs to get up to speed with rethinking Diversity and Inclusion through community building in the workplace. We’ll end with 5 ways to build workplace community so that you can assess your own team/ workplace and identify gaps where there’s room for improvement!

Workplace community building is intrinsically linked with Diversity and Inclusion and when both are prioritized it leads to a thriving workplace culture that fosters a sense of belonging for all.

Workplace community-building is an emerging workplace culture and people strategy addressing the need for the modern workforce to experience more intentional connection, purpose and functional synergies at work.

Workplace community-building offers companies a unique opportunity to tackle retention issues by showing them the path to unlocking the power of togetherness, diversity and collective fulfillment. A thriving workplace culture strengthened by community building is only possible when Diversity and Inclusion are part of the picture.

Diversity and Inclusion is any action, practice, process, policy or strategy that helps an environment foster equal opportunities, respect and celebration of individuals’ uniqueness.

Diversity and Inclusion is a common term to talk about actions that help:

• Make a group of people in a given environment (e.g. workplace, school, family, society as a whole, politics, academia, etc.) more heterogeneous (be inhabited by groups of people diverse not only from a demographic perspective, but also through their identity and background experiences).
• Leverage the uniqueness of every individual and transform it into a strength within a group or an organization.
• Ensure that everyone has equal opportunities regardless of their background and identity.
• Supporting people to do their jobs as best they can by ensuring they have any access needs met e.g. by making existing frameworks adaptable to suit different needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Diversity and Inclusion is a continuous process. It’s an ongoing effort to build, maintain and improve an environment where everyone feels they have a place.

“As organizations adjust to a new era of work, connection is a big challenge. Successful organizations reconnect with their people by adopting a community mindset where employees find meaning in their work, believe that they belong, and feel more fulfilled” — 2023 Global Culture Report

Workplace community building helps people feel connected to something greater at work.

“When employees feel connected to something greater, rather than isolated on an island, they are more engaged and ingrained in the culture”. — Forbes

The world of work is changing. People don’t show up at work because of money or status. They seek meaningful connection, a sense of purpose and functional synergies with other people at work.

Furthermore, in an increasingly remote and globally distributed world of work, people value quality relationships that help them grow, exchange knowledge, and feel more exposed to diverse personalities at work.

Connection, purpose and synergy are also foundational enablers of Diversity and Inclusion practices.

When people are given opportunities to come together, learn to adjust to each other’s differences and unique traits, and shape workplaces together from a place of collective spirit and interest, they are more likely to make a very personal experience of Diversity and Inclusion values and show up in solidarity for their coworkers.

“By any measure, the workplace is a natural community. And the strength of it determines how well organizations can attract, engage, and retain top talent. The good news is that most employees do not aspire to jump from one workplace to another. On the contrary, they prefer their community to be a place where they can stay and grow. The Great Resignation may have met its match”. — 2023 Global Culture Report

If we had to find one strategy that helps companies engineer connection, purpose and synergy all at once, we wouldn’t hesitate to say: community-building.

Community building strengthens the connection and synergy amongst people. By bringing people together, it helps people play an active role in advancing the company’s goals, projects and co-creating the culture and the business.

We design workplace community solutions to help your teams work better together and create experiences that deliver whilst fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging.

Check out our 10+ Tips To Build A Thriving Workplace Culture in 2023.

Read our “Culture & Experience Labs For Team” Offer to learn more and schedule a call to design a unique workshop experience for your team!