From where I sit, performance is rarely a question of capability. Most organizations are full of talented, well-intentioned people. The real question is whether those people feel safe enough to contribute fully; to question decisions, raise concerns, and admit uncertainty without fear.

The pharmaceutical industry has never been short on pressure. It is highly regulated, fast evolving, and defined by long development cycles where progress is often invisible for years. At the same time, the expectations of the workforce have shifted sharply. People want purpose, psychological safety, inclusion, and the ability to adapt to their careers as life changes. In this environment, one factor emerges as a decisive performance driver in pharma: Belonging. Not benefits. Not policies. Belonging.

Across industries, employees who feel a strong sense of belonging are more engaged, more resilient, and more committed to their organizations. Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey finds that younger workers increasingly seek growth, meaning, and well-being in their careers with nearly nine in ten saying purpose is central to job satisfaction, highlighting that belonging, not perks, is becoming an expectation, not an add-on (2025 Global Human Capital Trends – Deloitte).

This matters because our industry relies on deep collaboration and intellectual courage. Scientific progress depends on people sharing data openly, challenging assumptions, and raising concerns early. Mistakes are costly, and silence can be dangerous. Teams need to feel safe to speak up, especially when the answer is uncomfortable. In complex, high-stake environments, psychological safety enables better debate, faster learning, and more considered decisions.

Over time, those moments of shape something deeper: a sense of belonging. When people repeatedly experience being heard, respected, and taken seriously, they begin to trust not just the team, but the organization itself. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 research shows that higher engagement, closely tied to employees feeling they belong and can contribute meaningfully, correlates with stronger performance and a greater likelihood of staying with their organization, which in an industry built on long horizons is a critical advantage (State of the Global Workplace 2025 – Gallup).

Yet many organizations misunderstand what belonging is. They confuse it with diversity metrics, or assume inclusive language alone will do the work. Diversity and inclusion are essential, but they do not automatically create belonging. Others over-invest in benefits while under-investing in culture or operate hierarchical environments where early-career voices are quietly sidelined. In compliance-heavy organizations, people can also become risk-averse, fearing that speaking up will be penalized rather than valued. None of this creates conditions for trust.

Belonging is not a policy. It is leadership behavior, reinforced daily through how decisions are made, how feedback is handled, and how failure is treated. From my experience, line managers play a defining role. They shape whether teams feel heard, whether conflict is handled constructively, and whether people believe their growth matters. Listening mechanisms must exist, but more importantly, people must see that listening leads to action.

At Boehringer Ingelheim, our perspective on belonging has been shaped by operating across cultures and markets with very different realities. What connects us is a shared purpose, improving health for humans and animals but belonging is built locally, through trust, authenticity, and consistent leadership behavior. Learning pathways, mobility opportunities, and leadership programs that embed inclusive decision-making all signal to employees that they are seen and invested in. Our recent Top Employer recognition reflects that people-first mindset, but the recognition itself is not the goal. The lived experience is.

As science accelerates through AI, digital trials, and new therapeutic modalities, the human experience will become the differentiator. Technology may move faster, but people still need trust, connection, and meaning to do their best work. Culture cannot sit on the sidelines of strategy. HR, leaders, and managers must co-own it, model vulnerability, actively seek diverse perspectives, and recognize contributions consistently.

Belonging must be treated as a strategic priority, not a soft ambition. Innovation begins long before a lab or a molecule. It begins with people who feel they truly belong and who are therefore willing to commit, speak up, and stay the course when progress takes time. In an industry defined by long horizons, that may be our strongest competitive advantage.