Belonging at Scale: Designing Programs for a Distributed Workforce

Hello Trailblazers & Changemakers,

Happy Black History Month! And if you caught the Benito Bowl, I hope you enjoyed Bad Bunny’s historic halftime show at the Super Bowl this weekend.

While return-to-office mandates have seemingly swept the workforce, distributed teams remain very much a reality. As companies grow and teams spread across offices, homes, countries, and time zones, employee engagement can start to feel like a game of whack-a-mole.

People still want to connect. They want community, shared purpose, and to feel like they belong. But many of the approaches we’ve relied on in the past weren’t designed for today’s scale or complexity—and it shows.

This week, we’re digging into what it actually looks like to design for belonging in a distributed workforce, and how to make your programs more inclusive, energizing, and sustainable as your organization grows.

Why One-Size-Fits-All Doesn’t Work Anymore

You might be familiar with the standard playbook: monthly Zoom events, a Slack channel (that may or may not be active), and a cultural calendar shared across the company. For a while, this worked well enough. But as teams span multiple regions and time zones, that approach starts to crack.

Do these pain points sound familiar?

• Live events that unintentionally exclude entire regions

• Burnout from programming that assumes constant availability

• ERG leaders stretched thin trying to meet every need, everywhere

Belonging starts to erode when people feel like the programming wasn’t designed with them in mind. At that point, it’s no longer just about what you offer—it’s about how, when, and for whom you offer it.

To make belonging scalable, teams need to move from default engagement to intentional experience design. That means planning with real constraints and lived experiences in mind, including:

• Time Zones: Stagger live programming, share recordings with thoughtful async prompts, and rotate “prime time” so HQ isn’t always favored.

• Cultural Norms: What feels natural in one region (open dialogue, camera-on culture) may feel uncomfortable or inaccessible in another. Localize when it matters.

• Energy Levels: Let go of the idea that engagement only counts if someone attends live. Offer lower-lift, asynchronous ways to participate—like playlists, podcasts, or idea boards.

What Scalable Belonging Actually Looks Like

If you’re thinking, This sounds great, but I already have too much on my plate, you’re not alone.

Here’s the good news: scaling belonging isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters most, better—and designing systems that work even when you’re not in the room.

A few examples of what this looks like in practice:

• ERG Hub Pages: Centralized spaces where members can find resources, replays, upcoming events, and discussion threads—without needing to ask or dig through old messages.

• Regional Pods: Local chapters that run programming aligned to a shared mission, but tailored to local context (e.g., Women at Company → Women at Company India).

• Moments of Care: Small, repeatable actions that build trust over time—welcome messages for new members, birthday shoutouts, or rotating regional spotlights.

When people feel seen without having to ask to be seen, they stay engaged—even if they’re not logging into every Zoom or Slack thread.

You don’t need everyone in the same place to build belonging. You need systems that make inclusion possible, regardless of where people are.

Onward and upward,

Dumebi

If you're interested in exploring how Chezie can enhance your Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), I invite you to schedule a demo. We also offer a wealth of resources to support your ERG initiatives:

• ERG Toolkit: Comprehensive guides and templates to help you establish and manage effective ERGs.

• Blue Pages: A collection of articles and thought pieces on best practices for ERGs.

• ERG Templates & Worksheets: Ready-to-use resources to plan, launch, and scale your communities.

Lastly, connect with me on LinkedIn for more insights and updates.