Creating a Culture of Belonging — Framework

Brandon Hall Group’s Culture of Belonging Framework outlines a four-phase approach to building organizational belonging: Assessment and Planning, Structure, Implementation, and Sustainability. The framework emphasizes belonging as a strategic imperative that impacts business performance through talent attraction, innovation, and competitive positioning.

Key components include governance structures, cross-functional teams, communication strategies, pilot programs, feedback mechanisms, and measurement frameworks. Success indicators include employee psychological safety, connection and community, equitable access to opportunity, organizational agility, leadership authenticity, and holistic well-being. Each indicator has specific tracking mechanisms such as pulse surveys, organizational network analysis, demographic promotion analysis, and innovation metrics.

The framework is research-based and designed to transform organizational culture by addressing belonging beyond traditional diversity metrics, creating sustainable change through infrastructural support, tangible experiences, and enduring influence. The approach is holistic, interconnected, and focused on concrete business outcomes.