Building a sense of belonging at work starts with intentional effort. It’s shaped through consistent moments of connection, shared ownership, and a clear focus on community.

In this episode, Vanessa Brulotte sits down with Lee Rubin, Co-Founder and CEO of Confetti. They explore practical ways HR leaders can move beyond surface-level engagement and create a stronger culture. Lee shares how to simplify employee participation, support managers in leading culture, and use feedback to show real impact.

Key takeaways:

• How to design engagement that feels personal
• Why culture should be owned beyond HR
• Ways to show the business value of connection

Key topics:

(01:12) Introducing Lee Rubin

(02:41) Common mistakes in engagement strategy

(05:03) Rebranding engagement as true belonging

(10:26) Revamping engagement ideas for established companies

(13:25) Virtual events that build connection

(17:19) Connecting burnout to a lack of engagement

(21:00) Securing leadership buy-in for engagement

(25:08) How better engagement drives business success

(29:49) Redefining success for employee programs

(32:21) Advice for building a more connected workplace

Key links:

Download BambooHR’s guide, “Discover the 10 Best Ways to Measure Employee Engagement”:

https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/ebooks/how-to-measure-employee-engagement

Download BambooHR’s guide, “Are You Experiencing HR Burnout? Know the Signs”:

https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/ebooks/hr-burnout

Download BambooHR’s guide, “HR Company Culture Checklist”:

https://www.bamboohr.com/pl-pages/company-culture-checklist

Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/

Join HR Heroes Slack Community:

https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw

BambooHR Homepage:

https://www.bamboohr.com/

Connect with Lee on LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rubinl/ 

Learn more about Confetti:

https://www.withconfetti.com/