Remote, Hybrid or In-Office: Fostering a Sense of Belonging

The Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) has a free online community, built for HR professionals at all stages of their HR career, that has grown in less than two years to include members representing 153 countries and territories. These practitioners connect to exchange strategic advice, trends and solutions, but also to share career milestones, make introductions and celebrate one another’s wins. What strikes me most is how practitioners consistently show up for their colleagues. The result is a genuine sense of belonging that spans borders, time zones and career levels.

In contrast, fostering a deep sense of belonging across the full organizational workplace remains challenging. Several years post-pandemic, employers still struggle with how to engage remote workers and overcome in-office-versus-hybrid barriers while increasing productivity. The reality is many organizations hold onto old models that don’t serve the modern workforce. Our 2026 State of HR research makes that abundantly clear.

For example, the research showed:

47% of survey respondents said remote work reduces identification with a team or company;
54% reported feeling a reduced sense of belonging; and,
42% said remote models reduce collaboration.

Access additional articles in this Workspan Daily series:

Creating Community in Your Workplaces

Falling back on traditional approaches — what I like to refer to as “old solutions to new problems” — seems to be the norm, as:

Around 67% of respondents suggested regular meetings help with belonging;
59% said the solution is to communicate across channels; and,
56% advocated using collaborative technology.

Some said the solution was reducing the number of remote employees, others enacted a return-to-office policy despite a solid majority saying these policies negatively impact employee morale and 24% said these negatively impact productivity.

It’s an interesting conundrum. How can you, on one hand, have successful online communities and, on the other, the fits-and-starts experienced by so many employers across their workforces? True, a community like HRCI’s consists of like-minded professionals, albeit from vastly different countries and cultures. Can that same ethos exist in the general workplace? It can, with the help of three things:

A clearly defined and articulated strategy;
The right tools that enable engagement, recognition and collaboration; and,
Thoughtful frameworks that support peer-led interactions to share interests and expertise.

Belonging at scale also requires leadership that is comfortable accepting and modeling new ways of recruiting and retaining talent. Providing equitable opportunities consistently to workers — whether they are remote, hybrid or in-office — likely will help deepen a culture of belonging.

Lastly, none of this happens overnight. It’s crucial to have a long-term commitment to belonging and scalable connection programs that evolve with the needs of the business.

Workers want to know if they’re making meaningful contributions to the organization while building long-term careers. Organizations that invest in the rigor that ensures belonging — such as preparedness, purpose and relevance — will build resilient workplaces. That’s because where you work is less important than why you work.

Editor’s Note: Additional Content

For more information and resources related to this article, see the pages below, which offer quick access to all WorldatWork content on these topics:

Remote, Hybrid or In-Office: Fostering a Sense of Belonging

Creating Community in Your Workplaces

#1 Total Rewards & Comp Newsletter