WORKPLACE CULTURE & ENGAGEMENT

Gallup & WorkHuman | The Human-Centered Workplace: Building Organizational Cultures That Thrive | The Gallup-Workhuman’s report Human-Centered Workplace emphasises the role of strategic recognition, feedback, and employee well-being in building resilient, agile organisations. It highlights the importance of recognising employees' contributions and promoting upskilling, leading to better retention, engagement, and overall workplace culture.

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Introduction

The report explores how organisations can build more agile and resilient cultures through a human-centred approach. It highlights the importance of strategic recognition, feedback, and well-being in creating workplaces where employees thrive, thus driving business success. The findings emphasise that, despite growing awareness of these practices, most organisations still need more room to improve their implementation.

Key Insights

1. Employee Recognition and Retention:

   • 51% of U.S. employees are actively seeking new jobs as of May 2024, yet research shows that high-quality recognition can reduce turnover.

   • Employees who receive recognition for fulfilling at least four of five strategic pillars are 45% less likely to leave after two years. These pillars include recognition that is fulfilling, authentic, personalised, equitable, and embedded in company culture.

2. Feedback and Engagement:

   • Only 25% of employees strongly agree that they receive valuable feedback. Meaningful feedback increases engagement and productivity, but 46% do not receive feedback often enough. Pairing feedback with recognition can significantly improve employee experiences and strengthen workplace culture.

3. Employee Wellbeing:

   • Emotional well-being remains low, with 49% of U.S. employees reporting stress daily. Strategic recognition significantly improves positive emotions and social connectedness, especially when fulfilling multiple pillars. Employees who receive recognition that meets at least four pillars are 66% less likely to experience loneliness.

4. Upskilling and Technological Change:

   • As AI transforms workplaces, 47% of organisations integrating AI offer no formal training. This leaves employees feeling unprepared, with only 6% feeling comfortable using AI in their roles. The report highlights a significant gap between leadership expectations and employee readiness for technological advancements, underscoring the need for more upskilling initiatives.

Recommendations

1. Implement Strategic Recognition Programs:

   • Ensure recognition goes beyond quantity to fulfil the five pillars (fulfilling, authentic, personalised, equitable, and embedded in culture). Start by surveying employees on their preferences for recognition and tailor programs accordingly.

   • Actionable Tip: Encourage managers to ask employees how they like to be recognised to boost personalisation. Recognition tied to individual accomplishments and preferences can increase engagement by 9 times.

2. Enhance Feedback Practices:

   • Provide frequent, future-oriented feedback and combine it with recognition to create a balanced culture of growth. Encourage peer-to-peer feedback to enhance team dynamics and reduce employee burnout by up to 57%.

   • Actionable Tip: Equip managers with tools to deliver high-quality feedback consistently. Small, timely feedback moments can significantly boost engagement.

3. Support Wellbeing Through Recognition:

   • Leverage recognition as a tool to foster emotional well-being. Ensure that recognition is linked to non-work-related factors such as personal attributes or contributions to team morale, which can increase engagement by 67%.

   • Actionable Tip: Promote regular, genuine recognition to alleviate stress and loneliness and make it part of daily operations.

4. Prioritize Upskilling for AI Integration:

   • Address the growing skills gap by offering structured training opportunities for employees at all levels. Use recognition to motivate learning, as employees who feel encouraged to upskill are 4.2 times more likely to be engaged and less likely to leave.

   • Actionable Tip: Recognise employees who learn new skills to embed a learning culture. Employees recognised for upskilling are 75% more likely to continue developing new skills.

Conclusion

Organisations prioritising human-centred strategies—like strategic recognition, meaningful feedback, and continuous learning—are better positioned to succeed in an evolving workplace. These practices improve employee retention and well-being and build cultures of innovation and resilience that will drive long-term business success.

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