Why was I so compelled, determined, some might say desperate, to work for Eventbrite, even after the rejection that followed several agonizing months of interviews? Why did I continue to follow up with their internal recruiter, even after accepting a new job? And finally, when the Eventbrite offer came, why was it so easy to leave my new workplace for them?

For better or for worse, whether you are committed to the mission or just showing up for a paycheck, our jobs are an integral part of our identities. And more than anything else, we are social beings who want a sense of belonging. We want to care about and be a part of something bigger than ourselves. While we can't always get that feeling from our workplaces, I believe we all deeply desire it from them. We spend too much time at work not to.

Young, successful companies are known for having a strong sense of community. At surface level, Eventbrite was no exception. Whether it was the recruiting video, the branded nickname for the people who worked there, or the promising founders' story– I was made to feel that being part of this company would make me part of their community. The hint of possibility made it worth leaving my job to find out if it were true. 

Communities are a big part of our day-to-day lived experiences. Think about your neighborhood, your school community, or your favorite hobbies. However, there is one space with tremendous opportunity for more robust community building: inside our workplaces.   

With the ongoing digitization of work, rise in remote work, and isolation at work (40% in a recent study), large companies see more value in creating thriving workplace communities to find shared belonging around a common interest and direction.

It’s a lot easier to make your organization perceived as a place that fosters community and positive culture than it is to actually make it a reality. It’s hard, especially as companies mature. As Henry Mintzberg states in Rebuilding Companies as Communities, “things slow down, politics builds up, the world is no longer their oyster.” But real examples do exist.

So, we want to share with you three organizations that have built workplace communities and brought people together in remarkable ways.

TEDxAlconR&D               

Sometimes bringing people together around an established brand and format can be a very powerful way to convene the community.

This has been the case since 2017 at Alcon, where leaders have built off the TEDx format of programming by organizing events around the world at Alcon offices that allow for Alcon employees to share their ideas authentically.

TEDxAlconR&D gives employees who are passionate about advancing ideas in the organization a reason to convene. At Alcon, the chance to give a TEDx talk, challenge others in the organization to act, and build skills as influential communicators is a powerful motivator. The success of TEDxAlconR&D increases the visibility of the company’s R&D community, democratizes access to org leaders, and continues to enhance collaboration between colleagues.

Communities of Belonging at GitHub

GitHub has “Communities of Belonging” in place of what many organizations call “Employee Resource Groups.” As part of GitHub’s commitment to supporting their talent, they support numerous CoB’s.           

The original CoB was Blacktocats, which focuses on recruitment and community-building, career development and retention, and open source and education.   

While their work includes recruiting and advancing Black talent, some of their most notable initiatives include the work they do outside of GitHub. For example, in 2019, they hosted a hackathon in Lagos, Nigeria. These types of engagements connect GitHub employees to a greater purpose.

Intuit               

At Intuit, design is at the center of all of their decisions. But as the company grew, it became evident that philosophy needed a community of stewards to help make sure it was brought to life in practice on a day-to-day basis. Enter: D4D Catalysts — a community of certified practitioners in Intuit’s “secret sauce” design philosophy.           

“D4D is our #1 secret weapon at Intuit. There is no #2.” – Scott Cook, co-Founder, Intuit Inc.       

This community of practice includes a cross-functional group of associates who apply annually to spend a portion of their time facilitating sessions, upskilling colleagues, and ensuring that Intuit’s design practices remain at the core of everything they do.

Workplace communities take many forms, including employee resource groups, communities of practice, learning communities, and other semi-formal communities organized around a specific project or initiative. 

But, it doesn’t really matter what they’re called. When done right, the power these communities share is an ability to connect employees who may otherwise feel lonely, isolated, or disengaged and expand each others’ skills & positive impact on the organization.

Learn more about our take on building communities at work by downloading Workplace Communities: Explained.

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