Belonging Starts with Culture
Updated: Sep 20
During Pride Month, there are important conversations about inclusion, representation and belonging.
The one we find ourselves coming back to is the impact inclusion has on people's energy at work.
The energy it takes to edit yourself
Every day, people make decisions about how much of themselves they bring to work. They decide whether to share parts of their life, whether to challenge assumptions, whether to speak up in meetings and whether it feels safe to be completely authentic.
That takes energy. When people are constantly editing themselves or trying to work out whether they belong, they have less energy available for everything else. Less energy to solve problems, build relationships, support colleagues and deliver great work.
The best workplaces understand this. They do not expect people to fit into a predetermined mould. They create environments where people feel comfortable being themselves and where differences are seen as strengths.
What changes when people feel they belong
Over the years, we have seen first-hand how much of a difference that makes.
When people feel trusted, accepted and valued, they show up differently. They contribute more ideas, take greater ownership and build stronger relationships with the people around them. The atmosphere changes because people are no longer spending energy protecting themselves. They are investing it in the team, the culture and the experience they create together.
Why it matters in guest-facing environments
This is particularly visible in guest-facing environments.
The people delivering exceptional service are rarely the people spending their day trying to be someone else. They are the people who feel confident enough to connect authentically, solve problems naturally and focus their attention on the guest rather than on managing how they are perceived.
Belonging is often talked about as a people issue.
For us, it starts with culture. When people feel they belong, everybody benefits.
How we build belonging at Hestia
It isn't a statement we put on a wall. It's built into how we run the business.
We hire for who people are. Warmth comes from personality and authenticity, so that is what we look for. We want people to bring themselves to the role, not a rehearsed version of someone else.
We trust people to use their judgement. We don't ask our teams to follow a script. We give them the space to take ownership and handle situations in a way that feels natural to them and right for the guest.
We invest in the people behind the desk. Their wellbeing, development and success matter to us, and strong leadership means they are supported long before something goes wrong.
We ask, and we listen. We ask our teams how things feel for them, not just how things are running. People contribute more openly when they know they will be heard.
