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Let’s talk about culture. Not the company values framed in reception or the quirky Slack emoji set your team uses. We mean real culture - the kind that shapes how people feel, act, and connect at work. In today’s world, culture isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a business essential. And if you want to attract and keep great people, you need to build a workplace where everyone feels they truly belong.
Why belonging beats buzzwords
It’s easy to throw around terms like "inclusive," "supportive," and "collaborative." But culture can’t be copy-pasted from another company's handbook. It’s something you actively create - through your people, your practices, and your daily decisions.
When people feel they belong, they don’t have to waste energy trying to fit in. They show up fully, share ideas freely, and support each other naturally. Belonging boosts innovation, morale, and even retention.
And the data backs it up. According to a 2019 study by BetterUp, employees with a strong sense of belonging are:
- 56% more productive,
- 50% less likely to leave, and
- 167% more likely to recommend their employer to others.
That’s why culture is more than snacks and social events. It’s the foundation of how your workplace feels every day—and it has a very real impact on performance and business outcomes.
Culture isn’t a perk. It’s a practice.
Culture lives in the little things: how feedback is given, how wins are celebrated, how conflicts are handled. It’s in who gets recognised, who gets promoted, and whose voice gets heard in meetings. You can’t fake culture with a foosball table or a branded hoodie.
So, how do you actually build the kind of culture where people want to belong?
Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Listen like you mean it
You can’t build a strong culture without listening to your people. Regular feedback loops - whether it’s surveys, suggestion boxes, or open office hours - show your team that their voices matter.
But here’s the key: act on what you hear. It doesn’t mean every idea gets a green light, but showing responsiveness builds trust and makes people feel safe to speak up again.
To make listening more effective and consistent, consider using tools that integrate with your team's workflow. Platforms like CultureAmp (and their Slack-compatible versions) allow you to run weekly pulse surveys, collect anonymous feedback, and spot trends in engagement and wellbeing. For a more Slack-native solution, Polly is a great option - it lets you create short, engaging polls and surveys directly in Slack, so feedback feels like a natural part of the workday, not another task to complete.
2. Make Values Visible (and Useful)
Company values aren’t just for your About page. If you have values like "collaboration" or "curiosity," they should show up in your hiring, onboarding, and performance reviews.
Use tools like Juno Shoutouts to tie recognition to values in real-time. When someone lives a core value, make it known - not just to them, but to the whole team. That visibility helps values feel less like posters and more like guiding principles.
And here’s why it matters: recognition tied to company values doesn't just make people feel good - it makes them stay. According to a Gallup/Workhuman report, employees who receive meaningful recognition are 4x more likely to be engaged and 5x more likely to see a path for growth. Furthermore, high-recognition cultures have been shown to reduce turnover by up to 31%, while organisations that fail to recognise good work see higher instances of disengagement and so-called "quiet quitting."
When employees can clearly see how their contributions align with the company’s mission and values - and feel appreciated for it - it creates a virtuous cycle of motivation, loyalty, and belonging.
3. Create Micro-Moments of Connection
Culture doesn’t happen in all-hands meetings alone. It’s built in the micro-moments: casual chats, team rituals, inside jokes, and shared challenges. These seemingly small things create the emotional glue that holds teams together.
Encourage teams to build their own rituals - like a weekly win share, virtual coffee roulette, or a GIF battle to start meetings. You’d be surprised how much connection these light touches can create.
If you’re interested in spicing up your morning standup meetings, check out our article for some pro tips!
4. Put Belonging on the Agenda
Don’t leave belonging to chance. Make it something you talk about in leadership meetings. Measure it, track it, and invest in it. If you’re not sure where to start, look at your engagement survey through the lens of inclusion. Are certain groups feeling less connected or less heard? Why?
Belonging isn’t just about DEI initiatives (though those matter!). It’s about making sure everyone - regardless of role, background, or location - feels they have a place in your story.
One example comes from the product team at Atlassian. Facing a tough product launch deadline, leadership doubled down on psychological safety and peer recognition. They held weekly feedback sessions, openly discussed roadblocks, and used Slack to regularly shout out small wins. The result? The team delivered ahead of schedule with fewer bugs and reported higher satisfaction than any previous sprint. The cohesion they built through active listening and shared celebration became a long-term cultural asset.
5. Celebrate People, Not Just Performance
Performance is important. But so is personality. Celebrate the human side of your team - birthdays, life milestones, hidden talents, and random acts of kindness.
Recognition tools like Juno make it easy to shout out great work and great people. Because when people feel seen for who they are - not just what they do - they’re more likely to stick around (and thrive).
Real-World Culture Builders
Some light-touch ideas we’ve seen work wonders:
- "Culture Champions": Rotate this role monthly. Give one team member the task of starting conversations, suggesting fun activities, or sharing shoutouts.
- "Voice It" sessions: Monthly open mic-style Zooms or in-person huddles where anyone can bring up an idea, frustration, or celebration.
- "Values in Action" wall: A digital (or physical) board where employees post examples of colleagues living the company values.
Start Where You Are
You don’t need a VP of Culture or a six-figure budget to make people feel like they belong. Start small. Pick one initiative, try it out, and see what happens. Culture isn’t built overnight, but it is built one moment at a time.
Final Thoughts
Culture isn’t something you have. It’s something you do.
And when you do it right, you don’t need gimmicks to keep people engaged. You have a team that feels safe, supported, and inspired to bring their full selves to work.
Welcome to the Culture Club. Membership: everyone.