The Road Most Desired: Why Belonging Matters at Work
We’re at an interesting moment in the world of work.
Many companies are asking big questions about people: How do we keep talented people? How do we create a strong culture? How do we build workplaces where people not only show up, but actually want to stay and grow?
At Translator’s Consulting Group, we call this the “Road Most Desired.” It’s the path leaders want to be on, but often don’t know how to navigate. That path includes four big goals:
Delivering great solutions
Working with uniquely talented and engaged people
Building a culture that sticks
Maximizing and leveraging the strengths of every individual
All of these are about people. And people are complex. Each of us comes with a mix of history, identity, experience and culture. Bringing us together to do great work isn’t easy—but it’s worth it. Because when you get the people part right, everything else gets better.
Why Belonging Matters
One place to start is with retention. Keeping great people is key to success, and the research backs it up. According to Randstad’s 2025 Workmonitor survey, 62% of employees would leave their jobs if they didn’t feel a sense of belonging. When people feel like they belong, they stay—and when they stay, your organization thrives. In fact, replacing an employee can cost up to twice their annual salary. Retention isn’t just a people issue—it’s a business imperative.
Belonging is more than a buzzword. It’s a basic human need. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs reminds us that only when people’s physiological, safety and love/belonging needs are met can they move toward esteem and self-actualization. That’s where leaders come in. When you create workplaces where people feel safe and valued, you unlock the higher levels of human potential. In fact, leaders have a chance to create a gateway to genius for the people on their teams.
The Hard Part: Difference is Hard
Creating a culture of belonging sounds great—but it’s not easy. We don’t naturally do difference well. Humans are wired to stick with sameness. That means doing the work of inclusion and belonging takes intention and practice.
We live in a divided world. It can feel hard to get people to come together, let alone collaborate well. But we also know this: people want to work in places where they matter. They want to feel respected. They want the chance to grow and compete in healthy, supported ways. Belonging is the soil where that growth can happen.
Practical Tools for a People-First Workplace
So what can leaders do?
At Translator's Consulting Group, we offer a foundational course called Introduction to Inclusion and our Everyday Inclusion Toolbox eBooks, where we dig into what it really means to meet the universal human need of belonging. We also introduce a powerful framework called “SOMEbodiness” that helps organizations build cultures where everyone is seen, heard and valued.
“SOMEbodiness” is about designing your workplace from the spine—the structural support system that helps everything else function. In our course, we walk through how standards, opportunity, meetings and evaluation shape your culture and influence whether people feel they belong.
These pillars are the foundation of inclusion—and they can transform how your people show up and thrive at work.
The Road Ahead
The most successful organizations in today’s world will be the ones that know how to make everyone feel like somebody. Not just once a year, but every day. Not just in theory, but in practice.
If you want to start building that kind of workplace, you don’t need to wait. The “Road Most Desired” is already here. The question is: are you ready to walk it?