The extant literature suggests that belongingness is a human imperative, and a necessary element of a fulfilling life. Whereas belongingness and its proximate constructs have been explored in a variety of contexts, an understanding of its essence remains elusive in organisational contexts. This qualitative research explores employees’ experiences of belongingness at work. Data were collected from in-depth interviews of twelve participants in the United States and New Zealand. A grounded theory approach was utilised to develop three theoretical categories identified as the unveiled self, the relational self, and the seen self. These dimensions of self illuminate the importance of authenticity, meaningful workplace relationships, and recognition as unique contributions to belongingness at work. The data further reveals the ways in which employees covertly survey the organisational environment for cues of belongingness and moderate their behaviour accordingly.
