QBE is to take stock of whether its employees feel a sense of belonging at the workplace to help create an inclusive working environment across gender, ethnicity, disability status and LGBTIQ+ identification.

Employees who feel like they belong are likely to be more engaged in their work and advocate for QBE as an employer of choice, it says, citing research indicating a high sense of belonging can halve employee turnover and is linked to a 56% increase in job performance.

The initiative builds on QBE’s inclusion and diversity targets, following on from goals such as its 2025 Women in Leadership target which has helped establish over 40% female representation on its executive leadership and board.

QBE Group Chief People Officer Amanda Hughes says QBE constantly works towards building a global workforce that is representative of the communities in which it operates.

“A sense of belonging is not only a key building block of inclusion but it has been identified as a key driver of retention and employee advocacy, which aligns with our strategy to be an employer of choice in a competitive talent marketplace,” she said.

“Our people underpin our success and by prioritising inclusion we can build and empower a sustainable and diverse pipeline of leaders.”

A QBE spokesperson tells insuranceNEWS.com.au the new “belonging” targets will be measured annually via employee experience surveys which will ask whether staff feel a sense of belonging at QBE.

The results will be overlaid with employee identity data, allowing QBE to gauge how diverse demographics feel across its workplace. The first round of results will be published in QBE’s next Sustainability Report early next year.

“Our targets are aiming for a minimal variation of less than 5% between each diversity cohort so we ensure everyone is feeling that sense of inclusion no matter how they identify,” the spokesperson said.

QBE says it’s “not just about being represented or counted, but about feeling included, which in turn leads to employees feeling valued and respected".

“These employees are also more likely to climb the career ladder … ensuring QBE talent is nurtured and supported to develop long-term careers,” the insurer said.

QBE employs more than 11,000 in 27 countries.

Each global division will drive the new belonging targets through regional action plans which profile diverse role models and develop policies designed to engage employees and drive accountability around an inclusive culture.