Belonging Beats Perks: What New Research Across 26 Countries Means for How Teams Actually Connect

Belonging Beats Perks: What New Research Across 26 Countries Means for How Teams Actually Connect

A perk can brighten a day. Belonging can shape how people experience work.

That distinction comes through in SHRM’s Q3 2026 Global Employee Monitor, based on responses from 5,107 workers across 26 countries. Pay remains the primary factor in whether people join, stay with, or leave an organization. But among workplace characteristics, a sense of belonging was the only one SHRM identified as a statistically significant predictor across all four outcomes it examined: engagement, retention, turnover intent, and job search.

One finding is especially hard to ignore. Among employees dissatisfied with their sense of belonging, 61% said they had seriously considered quitting in the past year. Among those satisfied with their belonging, the figure was 18%.

That is a striking difference. It is also worth reading carefully: the survey shows an association, not proof that a team activity, or any single workplace initiative, causes employees to stay. But it does give people leaders a useful prompt. If belonging matters across several important workplace outcomes, what helps people experience it in everyday working life?

[Read SHRM’s Q3 2026 findings](https://www.shrm.org/about/press-room/shrm-global-employee-monitor-finds-belonging-is-key-to-engagemen).

Belonging is felt in the everyday

Belonging is not simply being invited to a calendar event or receiving a branded mug. It’s the sense that your presence matters, your contribution is noticed, and you can take part without having to pretend to be someone else. That experience is shaped through everyday interactions: how managers listen, whether colleagues make room for different voices, and whether recognition feels fair and specific.

Those foundations cannot be replaced by a party, a perk, or a single annual team-building day. Nor should events be expected to solve larger problems like poor communication, inconsistent management, inequitable practices, or workloads that leave people with no room to connect.

Still, the way coworkers spend time together can play a role. A shared activity creates a different setting from the meeting room. People can see each other trying something new, laughing at a small mishap, or cheering someone on. Those ordinary, unpolished moments can make it easier to talk and build familiarity, especially for people who don’t often work side by side.

The key is not to assume that everyone connects in the same way. Some employees enjoy a lively group challenge; others prefer a quiet conversation, a volunteer shift with a clear purpose, or the option to sit out. An inclusive program gives people genuine choices and avoids making participation a test of team spirit.

Shared experiences are one practical tool

A volunteer day can bring colleagues together around a common contribution. A cooking class can make conversation easier when there’s something to do with your hands. A trivia league can offer low-stakes fun across teams that rarely overlap. Wellness sessions can give people a chance to pause and participate at their own comfort level.

For some teams, a more unusual option might be a Mobile Rage Room brought to the workplace lot as part of an employee appreciation day or wellness program. In a controlled, supervised environment, participants can choose whether to try a playful, high-energy activity while coworkers cheer them on. Yo! Crash describes its mobile service as an event experience and sets safety requirements for participants; organizations can [learn more about the Mobile Rage Room]

The point is not that breaking items builds belonging on its own. It’s one possible activity, alongside many others, that can give people a memorable shared moment. Some employees may find it fun; others may not want to participate. It should be presented honestly as an optional, supervised experience, not therapy, a clinical intervention, or a replacement for workplace support.

Whatever the format, the useful ingredients are similar: a clear invitation, an easy way to participate, space for people to choose their level of involvement, and a welcoming atmosphere that doesn’t reward only the loudest or most outgoing colleagues. When an activity involves physical participation, organizations should also consider accessibility, safety, scheduling, and alternatives for employees who prefer not to join.

From event to everyday connection

An event can start a conversation, but belonging is built through what happens after it. Does the experience open the door to more interaction across teams? Do managers make space for quieter colleagues to contribute? Are new employees included, not just the familiar group? Are people recognized for what they bring, not only for showing up to a social event?

This is where people leaders can connect programming with workplace habits. A shared activity might be followed by a brief, voluntary reflection: What surprised you? Who did you get to know better? What would you like to do together again? Keep it light; the goal is not to turn a fun afternoon into a survey or a forced bonding exercise.

Then look at the broader environment. SHRM’s findings point to belonging as an important predictor, but the same report notes that pay remains the strongest factor in employment decisions. It also identifies meaningful work, opportunities to use skills, recognition, job security, work-life balance, respectful workplaces, and manager relationships as relevant factors in engagement and retention. A well-run event matters most as part of a wider commitment to people’s experience at work.

A practical takeaway for people leaders

Start by asking employees what kinds of shared experiences they would actually welcome. Offer a mix of options, communicate that participation is voluntary, and make sure every activity has an accessible alternative. Be clear about the purpose: appreciation, connection, or simply a chance to enjoy time together. Avoid promising that one event will improve retention or solve a culture challenge.

Afterward, pay attention to the small signals. Did people meet someone outside their usual circle? Did the format make participation comfortable for different personalities? Did anyone feel excluded or pressured? Use those observations to shape the next opportunity, and keep listening to employees about the everyday conditions that help them feel respected and included.

Belonging isn’t a perk to hand out. It’s something people experience in how work is organized, how colleagues treat one another, and whether there’s room to show up as a real person. Shared activities can help create those moments, especially when they’re thoughtfully chosen and backed by everyday practices that make people feel they count.

Sometimes connection starts with a conversation. Sometimes it starts with a volunteer project, a trivia question, or a team trying something completely different together. The activity is only the beginning; the feeling of being welcome is what people take with them.