Creating a Positive Work Environment in 2025

Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets, and we’re running out of buckets. If you're leading teams through #AI adoption, navigating #hybrid work, or just steering through the tempest that is 2025, there's a crucial factor that could make or break your success: #trust. And right now, it's in free fall. Edelman's Trust Barometer showed an "unprecedented decline in employer trust" -- the first time in their 25 years tracking that trust in business fell. It's no surprise: midnight #layoff emails, "do more with less," #RTO mandates, and fears of #GenAI displacement given CEO focus on efficiency are all factors. The loss of #trust will impact performance. The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) research shows high performing organizations have 10-11X higher trust between employees and leaders. Trust impacts #engagement, #innovation and #technology adoption, especially AI. My latest newsletter gets beyond the research and into what leaders can do today to start rebuilding trust You can't command-and-control your way through a complete overhaul of how we work... Trust is a two-way street. Leaders need to go first, but we also have to rebuild the gives-and-takes of employer/employee relationships. Three starting points: 1️⃣ Clear Goals, Real Accountability. Stop monitoring attendance and start measuring outcomes. Give teams clear goals and autonomy in how they achieve them. 2️⃣ Transparency with Guardrails. Break down information silos. Share context behind decisions openly - even difficult ones. Establish guardrails for meaningful conversations internally (instead of rock-throwing externally). 3️⃣ Show Vulnerability. Saying "I don't know" isn't weakness–it's an invitation for others to contribute. The word “vulnerability” seems anathema to too many public figures at the moment, who instead are ready to lock themselves in the Octagon with their opponents. But what’s tougher for them: taking a swing at someone, or admitting to their own limitations? This isn't just about CEOs. Great leaders show up at all levels of the org chart, creating "trust bubbles:" pockets of high performance inside even the most challenging environments. If you're one of those folks, thank you for what you do! 👉 Link to the newsletter in comments; please read (it's free) and let me know what you think! #FutureOfWork #Leadership #Management #Culture

Disengagement is NOT an employee problem. (It's a leadership problem.) I once sat through a companywide meeting where an HR leader responded to low engagement survey results with: “Just park your cynicism and get on board.” 😳 In case you're wondering, that’s not how engagement works. Recent research from Gallup (January 2025) shows that employee engagement in the U.S. has hit a 10-year low. Shocking? Not really. The biggest drops (by 3+ points) in 2024 tell the story: ✔️ Clarity of expectations – Just 46% of employees clearly know what’s expected of them at work (down from 56% in March 2020). ✔️ Feeling cared about as a person – Only 39% of employees feel strongly that someone at work cares about them (down from 47% in March 2020). ✔️ Encouragement for development – Just 30% strongly agree that someone at work encourages their development (down from 36% in March 2020). Let’s be clear: Employees can’t fix this. They can’t force someone to clarify expectations, care about them, or invest in their growth. That’s on leadership. The problem isn’t just employees—it’s managers too. Only 31% of managers are engaged. So the people responsible for driving engagement are just as checked out as everyone else. So, what should leaders actually do? Gallup recommends: 👉 Define the culture you want – Align it with your purpose and value to customers. 👉 Clarify expectations and upskill managers – Equip them to build stronger bonds through clear priorities, ongoing feedback, and accountability. 👉 Select the right managers – Find people who can engage and inspire others—not just the ones who hit their KPIs. At the end of the day, leaders need to stop blaming employees for disengagement and start asking themselves: “Am I proud of how I’m showing up for my team every day?” Or are you just telling them to “buck up and get on with it”?

Employee well-being isn’t just a trend—it’s a crucial component of business success. Yet, Gallup reports that 60% of workers are struggling with engagement, and 1 in 5 feels lonely at work. These statistics are more than numbers—they’re signals that demand action. Leaders must be proactive, empathetic, and intentional in their team conversations. A recent article featuring insights from experts like Emma Seppälä and Steven Rogelberg highlights the power of thoughtful, open communication. They emphasize that building trust starts with genuine care and asking the right questions in the right setting. Here are six impactful questions to consider during your next 1:1 meeting: 1) How are you showing up today on a scale of 1-10? 2) What’s something you’re excited about right now outside of work? 3) Do you derive meaning from your work? If not, what changes could help? 4) What could make this job or organization more compelling for you in the long run? 5) What makes you feel depleted at work, and how can I support you? 6) What are your career goals, and how can I help you move toward them? These questions go beyond surface-level check-ins—they build connection, drive engagement, and create a culture where team members feel seen and valued. Remember that conversations like these aren't just for uncovering challenges—they’re for fueling purpose and potential. The key takeaway: It’s not about having all the answers—it’s about showing up, listening with intention, and reinforcing that each team member’s voice matters. #EmployeeWellbeing #Leadership #Engagement #MeaningfulWork

Here’s the hard truth for leaders: People don’t quit their jobs. They quit unhealthy environments. If you want a culture where your team can thrive, Focus on building workplaces people love being a part of. Here are 12 actionable ways to create a healthy work culture in 2025: 1/ Make growth a reality, not just a promise ↳ Your team wants to grow with you.  ↳ Give them the tools, mentorship, and clear paths for progression to actually do it. 2/ Address problems, don’t ignore them ↳ Toxicity spreads when bad behavior goes unchecked.  ↳ Be courageous enough to tackle it head-on. 3/ Respect time—and pay on time ↳ Timeliness is respect, whether it's deadlines or paychecks.  ↳ Value your team's time. 4/ Balance work and life, for real ↳ If you preach work-life balance, show it.  ↳ Encourage breaks and healthy boundaries. 5/ Build a culture of feedback and action ↳ Feedback is vital for growth, but only if you act on it.  ↳ Show your team their voice matters. 6/ Be clear, always ↳ Confusion breeds frustration.  ↳ Be clear, consistent, and compassionate in your communication. 7/ Show empathy beyond work ↳ Care about your team as people, not just their job titles.  ↳ A little understanding in tough times goes a long way. 8/ Celebrate progress, not perfection ↳ Big or small, celebrate wins.  ↳ Recognition is a powerful motivator. 9/ Involve your team in decisions ↳ Empowered employees feel ownership over their work.  ↳ Involve them in decisions, and they’ll commit. 10/ Lead by example, every day ↳ Your actions set the tone for your team.  ↳ If you want respect, empathy, and dedication, model it. 📌 Bonus tips for Remote Teams in the comment section below 👇 Don’t let great people slip away. Remote or on-site, the principles of great leadership remain the same: Respect. Support. Connection. The result? A team that’s engaged, loyal, and thriving! P.S. What’s one thing that keeps you motivated at work? — ♻️ Share this to inspire other leaders to create better workplaces. ➕ Follow Sandra Pellumbi for more.🦉

Employer branding content often spotlights perks like free snacks and foosball tables to attract people to their companies - while fun, truly magnetic cultures go deeper. Based on research from the Top Employers Institute, here are 4 culture-building practices certified Top Employers are embedding in their organizations in 2025 to drive exceptional outcomes: 1) Psychological safety: This should be table stakes for any company. But if companies don’t make this goal, it unfortunately might not happen. Google's research found psychological safety is THE top driver of high-performing teams. 93% of Top Employers train managers to create psychologically safe environments. 2) Purpose alignment: Connected employees stay longer. Top Employers with strong purpose have 19% higher revenue growth. 3) Trust & flexibility: Autonomy drives ownership. 82% of Gen Z prefer flex schedules that allow them to take more ownership of their work. 77% of Top Employers deliver, empowering staff to manage their work with a level of flexibility (even if remote, hybrid or in-office full time). 4) Holistic wellbeing: Caring for the whole human is non-negotiable. 81% of Gen Z expect employers to support physical wellness, and 83% expect mental health support. Top Employers deliver *comprehensive* wellbeing strategies that address the needs of a multi-generational workforce. Winning cultures cannot just be built on ping-pong tables and free snacks, you have to make sure employees feel seen, safe, and inspired holistically. At Top Employers Institute we exist to build a better world of work. We certify HR excellence for 2,400+ global multinational employers representing every industry and 124 countries helping them do 3 things exceptionally well: 1) Benchmark, measure, and track progress on their HR & People practices year-over-year; 2) Enhance their employer brand in key markets; 3) Improve HR Leader’s relationship with the board by correlating HR practice improvements to key business outcomes (like rev growth, profitability, & shareholder value gain). Question for you: what is one thing that you most love about your company’s culture? Drop your thoughts in the comments below. #WorkforceConfidenceIndex #GenZSkills #HR