11. Conclusion

The benefit of the pandemic was that it provided the realization that people, their skills, training, and education are not only responsive but highly valuable. While many organizations previously based their bottom lines on tangible assets for guiding strategy forward, to recover from a destabilized industry facing a talent tight position, intangible assets such as R&D, ideas, content, data, and most importantly, human capital are the way back. As the greatest question of the pandemic calls leaders to the task of building the next generation of workers and succession planning effectively, a belongingfirst culture is on the precipice of emergence and collective intentionality. Perhaps for the first time in history, leaders are acknowledging the importance of connection, contribution, comfort, psychological safety, and wellbeing as the five key indicators of belonging that will drive their recovery and growth forward. While the research has only just begun, the impact and dedication of 13 TSX Listed Canadian Mining Companies and their 3508 employees, Women in Mining Canada, and Adler University is certainly palpable. Organizational belonging-first culture is a powerful concept. It reshapes the psychology of organizational membership while inviting equity, diversity, and inclusion as upholding principles into organizational strategy and development. Belonging-first culture is an emerging field providing means to bind employees to each other, to the organization, and to themselves in ways that would not be achievable through other means, consequently enhancing their performance, engagement, and the furtherment of the mining industry.

To acces the Belong-First: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Course, click here.