A new report from BetterUp shows that universal remote working may not be the best option for productivity, workplace culture, and the employee experience.

“There’s a cost to this diversification of work arrangements,” said Erin Eatough, a research scientist at BetterUp. “That cost comes in sense of community, sense of connection and belonging.”

In fact, BetterUp’s report shows that many of the top reasons why employees leave their jobs, such as compensation, flexibility, and aligning values, are all intertwined with the feeling of not belonging.

The sense of belonging and community that existed before the massive shift to remote working has diminished over the last two years, and Zoom virtual happy hours are not enough to supplement this loss.

In any type of work arrangement, there are highs and lows, but they can be adjusted to accommodate workers if leadership has the goal of inclusivity in mind.

More specifically, the report identifies three factors that can impact a sense of belonging and subsequently improve retention rates: promoting psychological safety for underrepresented groups, providing support for women and parents, and prioritizing overall wellbeing.

Ensuring workers from all walks of life feel included at work is crucial. While this may be more challenging to navigate with a distributed workforce, setting goals and intentions can alter the way a company performs in the future.