Belonging Is a Hiring Standard, Not a Culture Bonus

In a hurry? Start here.

Belonging isn’t something that happens after someone joins.

At Encore Recruitment, it’s built into every stage of our recruitment process, from first contact to feeling part of the team.

Because when people feel like they belong, they contribute more, stay longer, and grow stronger teams.

Scroll for the full story or ask: what would hiring look like if belonging came first?

Belonging Is a Hiring Standard, Not a Culture Bonus

When was the last time someone truly felt they belonged before a potential employer hired them?

Not just capable. Not just qualified. But understood.

Belonging shouldn’t be something people have to earn after joining.

It should be part of the recruitment process, from first contact to feeling part of the team.

What We Mean by Belonging

At Encore Recruitment, belonging starts with how we listen.

From the first conversation, we focus on understanding more than just the job title or responsibilities.

We explore how the role fits within the team, the support someone will need to thrive, and how your culture shows up daily.

• In Stage 1, we spend time learning how your business works and the personalities, expectations, and environment that shape success.
• In Stage 3, our candidate interviews explore motivations, mindset, and what gives someone a sense of purpose, not just whether they can do the tasks.

We look for a fit that feels natural, where someone can contribute with confidence and grow into the role.

Because when people feel understood from the beginning, they’re more likely to stay, contribute, and thrive.

Belonging isn’t about blending in. It’s about standing out in the right place.

When Belonging Leads the Way

One of the most evident signs of belonging is when a client sees one of our candidates for who they are and what they offer, not just what they’ve done.

We recently supported a fashion graduate who kept hearing the same message:

“You don’t have enough experience.”

They had the drive, the ability, and the ambition but without a long CV, they kept hitting walls.

Through our process, we worked together to:

• Uncover where their skills could add value
• Build confidence through interview coaching
• Position their potential in a way that employers understood

The result? They secured their first role in fashion; not by ticking boxes, but by showing who they are and how they fit.

And more importantly: They walked into a role where they felt they could belong. Read about their story (link here).

We’ve helped dozens of female graduates take their first steps into the fashion industry, turning potential into progress.

From Bonus to Baseline: The Shift We Stand For

FROM:

Belonging as a post-hire outcome; something that develops over time if the culture allows it.

TO:
Belonging as a lens; something that quietly shapes every decision, every conversation, and every shortlist.

This shift is subtle but it changes everything.

Belonging should be standard. But often, it’s assumed, not built in.

We’ve made it part of how we hire every time.

We see and treat belonging as a hiring standard:

• Candidates don’t just feel able to do the job, they feel like they’ll be part of something
• Teams don’t just gain skills, they gain cohesion and momentum
• Retention improves because people know they’re in the right place

It’s not about finding someone who can fit in.

It’s about recognising when someone will feel at home and build from there.

How We Build Belonging Into Every Hire

At Encore, we’ve designed our process to make belonging practical not just aspirational.

• We invest time upfront to understand your team’s rhythm, expectations, and energy
• We assess candidates for attitude, alignment, and long-term fit not just technical capability
• We stay close through onboarding because belonging isn’t a phase, it’s the foundation for long-term success

We haven’t added steps. We’ve just made each one count.

Because when people belong, they contribute more, stay longer, and feel proud of where they are.

What Would Hiring Look Like If Belonging Came First?

It’s not a bonus. It’s a baseline. And it’s how we recruit, every time.

Explore our process (link here), client process FAQs (link here) and canddiate process FAQs (link here) 

 

CREDITS

Content: This content was developed with assistance from ChatGPT for ideation and Grammarly for refinement.

Photo: @ NoSystem via canva.com