There is a real power in community. If organisations want to build inclusive, supportive workplaces where wellbeing is genuinely prioritised, they need to start by investing in it. That means fostering a culture where people feel seen, heard and connected, and where safe, supportive spaces allow individuals to show up as themselves and find belonging.
Read more: How to boost employees’ mental health
There’s no single formula for how to build that kind of culture. Every business has its own challenges, structures and starting points. What matters most is the intent behind the approach and the authenticity of the support. When initiatives grow from genuine conversations and are backed by compassionate leadership, they help create the kind of workplace where people feel like they belong.
At Ricoh UK, we’ve seen how powerful these kinds of spaces can be through our voluntary, employee-led ‘affinity group’ initiatives. Open to anyone who wants to take part, these groups act as open forums where colleagues can come together to explore shared identities, experiences and beliefs. They provide a platform for employees to speak openly about the challenges they face, to build support networks, and to influence the culture of the business from the ground up. Importantly, these groups aren’t just spaces for discussion, they are also channels for change. Ideas and feedback from the groups are communicated directly to senior leadership via executive sponsors, who champion each focus area at a strategic level.
With executive sponsors for groups such as LGBTQ+, gender, ethnicity, disability and neurodiversity, multi-generations and myself for wellbeing, this structure helps ensure that what’s shared in these communities isn’t just heard, it helps shape future policy and practice up to board level.
Read more: Enhancing mental wellbeing on the frontline
I’ve been closely involved in developing our 'Wellbeing Champions' programme, with a selected employees from across the business trained to provide colleagues with mental health first aid and general wellbeing support.
It’s in these spaces that culture really takes root. One of the most consistent truths in wellbeing is that people cope better when they feel they’re not alone. When individuals are connected to others through shared experience or understanding, they’re more likely to feel secure, supported, able to speak up when they need help and, crucially, to perform. That sense of community is often what makes the biggest difference to someone’s day, or even their decision to stay with an employer.
Leadership has a crucial role to play in making that possible. The presence of senior leaders, especially when it’s consistent, can help build trust in these communities. But what matters most is what those leaders do next. Mentorship, in our experience, is most effective when leaders are engaged for the right reasons: when they care about the cause, when they take time to listen, and when they help create space for others to speak. It’s not about steering the conversation but being part of it.
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For organisations looking to enhance wellbeing and inclusion, the path forward doesn’t have to start with a big strategy. Often, it starts with asking where your people already feel connected and how you can support those moments of connection to grow. From there, enabling leadership to engage meaningfully with those communities can help turn isolated efforts into something more lasting.
Community isn’t created overnight. It’s nurtured, shaped, and sustained through listening, through shared effort and through leadership that truly understands the power of showing up. When leaders and communities grow together, the result is not just a healthier and higher-performing workplace, it’s a more human one.
By Marco Pezzani, director of customer service and executive sponsor for wellbeing at Ricoh UK
