07th October 2025
Top 20 Articles on Workplace Culture: September 2025
Welcome to the Inspiring Workplaces Top 20 Articles on Workplace Culture for September 2025.
We want to help inform and inspire you from some of the best content out there. Each month we will consolidate these articles for you to help give you a quick and easy snapshot. To help drive you and your organisations forward.
The articles will be underpinned by seven key elements that are reflected in our bespoke COMPASS methodology, that also underpin the Top Inspiring Workplaces worldwide. They are:
- Wellbeing
- Culture & Purpose
- Leadership
- Inclusion
- Employee Experience
- Communication & Voice
- Society & Sustainability
Top 10 Learnings for Modern Leadership & Workplaces
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Purpose must be lived, not stated.
Successful organisations move beyond mission statements — they embed purpose in daily decisions, leadership behaviours, and employee experiences. -
Human connection is strategic infrastructure.
Belonging, trust, and interpersonal relationships drive engagement, creativity, and retention — they’re not “soft skills” but business-critical assets. -
Leadership must evolve from control to empowerment.
Modern leaders provide clarity, trust, and autonomy — creating psychological safety where teams feel heard, supported, and inspired to act. -
Gratitude and recognition fuel retention and performance.
81% of employees say they’d work harder if their boss showed more gratitude — appreciation must be personal, consistent, and authentic. -
Culture is built through daily actions.
Real culture isn’t defined by values on the wall, but by what leaders model, reward, and tolerate every day. -
Connection combats burnout and complacency.
With 1 in 5 employees reporting workplace loneliness and 85% of Gen Z feeling complacent, connection, purpose, and tailored engagement are essential. -
Human sustainability outperforms traditional wellbeing.
Energy, self-leadership, and proactive rest are becoming the new metrics for long-term performance and resilience. -
AI and technology must serve humanity, not replace it.
Poorly managed AI creates “workslop” and mistrust; leaders need to balance efficiency with ethics, human judgment, and skill development. -
Courage, empathy, and vulnerability define the next generation of leaders.
Leaders who model openness, emotional intelligence, and brave decision-making build cultures of innovation and trust. -
Change leadership is now people-first.
The best leaders don’t just manage transformation. They create shared ownership, communicate purpose and guide teams through uncertainty with empathy and clarity.
The articles are as follows…
Loneliness Is Reshaping Your Workplace
Source: HBR
Authors: Kristin Gleitsman and Luis Velasquez
IW COMPASS point: Wellbeing
Key Takeaways
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Loneliness Is a Systemic Workplace Issue: It undermines trust, team cohesion, and performance—quietly but powerfully.
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Remote Work Amplifies Disconnection: The loss of spontaneous, in-person interactions has deepened feelings of isolation.
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Connection Drives Performance: Belonging and interpersonal relationships enhance creativity, resilience, and productivity.
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Two Layers of Connection: Focus on social cohesion (shared identity) and meaningful relationships (trust and emotional safety).
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Everyday Leadership Choices Matter: Meeting structures, communication styles, and recognition rituals all shape connection.
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Five Key Practices:
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Build shared identity through team storytelling and rituals.
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Design collaboration to build trust and break silos.
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Model vulnerability to normalize humanity and emotional safety.
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Operationalize belonging via systems (onboarding, check-ins, cultural calibrations).
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Lead from the top by addressing your own need for connection.
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Connection Is Strategic Infrastructure: Not a “soft” add-on—it’s vital for engagement, retention, and innovation.
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Leadership Must Evolve: The future belongs to leaders who make connection a core part of how work gets done.
Read the full article here
How To Create A Purposeful Culture That Empowers Teams
Source: People Management
Author: Claire Croft
IW COMPASS point: Culture & Purpose
Key Takeaways
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Purpose vs. Purposeful: A purpose is a statement; being purposeful means aligning everyday actions and decisions with that mission.
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Empowered Leadership: Empowerment isn’t hands-off; it requires clear expectations, support, and a tailored approach for different team members.
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Shift in Leadership Mindset: Leaders must ask what their team needs from them, not just what they need from their team.
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Shared Ownership Builds Culture: Culture grows from collective responsibility, open dialogue, and shared clarity—not from top-down control.
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Clarity Prevents Overwhelm: Without clear priorities, teams become disengaged; focus and alignment are essential to prevent burnout.
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Everyday Culture: Culture is shaped by daily decisions, not just values painted on walls or spoken at off-sites.
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Trust Is Foundational: Trust and psychological safety are crucial, especially in a world where some trust AI more than their managers.
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Real Empowerment Creates Impact: Leaders who foster safe, clear, and collaborative environments create teams that thrive and feel part of something meaningful.
Read the full article here
The Untapped Power Of Reverse Mentorship And Cross-Generational Collaboration
Source: People Matters
Author: Kiran Yadav
IW COMPASS point: Leadership
Key Takeaways
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Reverse Mentorship Is a Two-Way Street: Junior professionals share digital fluency and modern insights; senior leaders provide experience and long-term vision.
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Mutual Respect Builds Culture: Successful programs create cultures of curiosity, inclusion, and shared learning across generations.
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Digital Fluency Is Crucial: Younger employees help senior leadership keep pace with technology, ESG trends, and consumer behavior.
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Formal Programs Boost Success: Structured mentorship frameworks help align goals and create meaningful, consistent cross-generational connections.
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Initiative Matters: Employees should feel empowered to seek mentorship—even informally—by identifying shared learning goals and initiating conversations.
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Leadership Buy-In Is Essential: Senior leaders must model openness and support to break down hierarchical barriers and foster psychological safety.
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Organisations Risk Falling Behind: Without fresh generational insights, businesses may innovate in isolation, missing key market expectations.
Read the full article here
Why Human Sustainability Is The Next Big Leadership Metric
Source: HR Leader
Author: Tim Jack Adams
IW COMPASS point: Society & Sustainability
Key Takeaways
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Human Sustainability Over Traditional Wellbeing: Move from crisis response to proactive, everyday energy management as the foundation of workplace health.
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Energy Is the New Performance Metric: Cognitive clarity, emotional regulation, and momentum are driven by individual and team energy—not just engagement scores.
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From Helplessness to Self-Leadership: Empower employees to take control of their wellbeing journey with tools, habits, and intentional daily practices.
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Proactive Culture Shift: Regular check-ins, pausing without guilt, and tracking energy trends help build cultures that prioritise sustainable performance.
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Beyond EAPs: Traditional support systems are reactive; sustainable leadership demands preventative frameworks rooted in personal agency.
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Energy Tools Create Awareness: Measuring energy across physical, mental, emotional, and social domains unlocks conversations that improve both performance and connection.
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Self-Leadership Sets the Tone: Leaders who model energy awareness create safe, high-performing environments where wellbeing and results go hand in hand.
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Leadership in the Future: The next generation will expect leaders who prioritise not just surviving work—but thriving through it.
Read the full article here
Cultures That Keep: How To Build Work Environments People Don’t Want To Leave
Source: Forbes
Author: Aditii Handa
IW COMPASS point: Culture & Purpose
Key Takeaways
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Retention Beyond Metrics: Employee turnover costs more than money; it erodes morale, trust, and collaboration.
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Trust & Psychological Safety: Openness and vulnerability foster creativity, commitment, and high performance.
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Purpose That Resonates: Employees stay when they see how their work connects to a greater mission.
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Genuine Recognition: Regular, sincere appreciation reinforces engagement and loyalty.
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Growth & Development: Career pathways, mentorship, and learning opportunities show employees they’re valued and evolving.
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Inclusion & Belonging: Diverse voices and perspectives strengthen culture, profitability, and authentic contribution.
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Well-Being Priority: Flexible policies and mental health support build resilience and help employees bring their whole selves to work.
Read the full article here
Now Is the Time for Courage
Source: HBR
Author: Ranjay Gulati
IW COMPASS point: Leadership
Key Takeaways
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Courage is Learnable: Bravery isn’t innate; leaders can build it through deliberate practice and mindset shifts.
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Positive Narratives: Reframing challenges into opportunities helps reduce fear and inspire action.
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Confidence Through Mastery: Deep competence, training, and diverse problem-solving tools boost self-efficacy under pressure.
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Small Steps Over Big Leaps: Gradual experimentation (sensemaking) builds clarity and reduces paralysis in uncertain environments.
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Connection Matters: Allies, mentors, critics, and resources strengthen leaders’ resolve and decision-making.
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Calm Under Pressure: Rituals, self-care, and reframing uncertainty help regulate emotions and sustain courageous action.
Read the full article here
The 5 Employee Experience Trends Redefining Work in 2025
Source: Qualtrics – 2025 Employee Experience Trends Report
Author: Antonio Pangallo
IW COMPASS point: Employee Experience
Key Takeaways
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Simplify Workflows: 2025’s best employers will reduce chaos, streamline processes, and remove red tape to boost productivity and employee satisfaction.
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Engage Young Talent: Employees under 25 are the most optimistic and engaged, but need career growth, benefits, and managerial consistency to stay.
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First & Last Impressions Matter: Poor onboarding and exit experiences damage retention and brand reputation, turning potential advocates into detractors.
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Trust Over Short-Term Gains: Competence and integrity are not enough—leaders must demonstrate benevolence to build long-term employee trust and loyalty.
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AI Adoption Outpacing Organizations: Employees embrace AI tools faster than companies can manage; training, ethics, and guidelines are essential to avoid harm.
Read the full article here
Lead Boldly, Pivot Strategically: Redefine Change Leadership, Before It Redefines You
Source: Workplaces Insight
Authors: Jennifer Bryan and Louise Robey
IW COMPASS point: Leadership
Key Takeaways
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Accelerating Change: Change is constant and speeding up, demanding leaders rethink traditional change management.
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Human-Centered Leadership: People resist imposed change, not change itself; leaders must give agency, understanding, and involvement.
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Core Challenges: Technological disruption, UN Sustainable Development Goals, and societal shifts like loneliness redefine leadership priorities.
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World-Class Change Leaders: Exceptional leaders practice empathy, cultural intelligence, and emotional foresight to guide teams through transformation.
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Seven Practical Steps: Clarify the “why,” lead with empathy, invite diverse thinking, ask thoughtful questions, listen deeply, build relationships, and embrace complexity.
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A New Paradigm: Leadership now centers on creating connection, fostering belonging, and unlocking potential rather than controlling processes.
Read the full article here
Meet The Millennial Managers ‘Stuck Between a Rock And a Hard Place’: They’re Taking ‘Sanity Days,’ Dodging Layoffs And Trying To Stay Out Of The ER
Source: Fortune
Author: Nick Lichtenberg
IW COMPASS point: Culture & Purpose
Key Takeaways
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Millennial Burnout: Many millennial managers are reaching physical and emotional breaking points, with some facing hospitalisation due to stress.
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Lack of Training: Most were promoted without structured leadership training, creating a skills gap and lack of confidence in leadership roles.
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Blurry Boundaries: Striving to be “empathetic” or “cool bosses” has led to unclear roles and added pressure, making leadership more emotionally taxing.
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Missing Mentorship: Many managers report little to no guidance or development, leading to uncertainty and reluctance to pursue further leadership growth.
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Gen Z Expectations: Millennial leaders are juggling the expectations of younger employees who seek flexibility and purpose—but don’t want to climb the same ladders.
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No Clear Career Ladders: With career paths and succession planning unclear, millennial managers feel stuck without viable upward progression.
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Mental Health Signals: “Sanity days” and therapy are common coping tools, but reveal a system that’s pushing leaders to their limits.
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Structural Breakdown: The erosion of structured management programs and job ladders has left a leadership vacuum that organisations must urgently address.
Read the full article here
Chief People Officers Outlook 2025: Talent Strategy Amid Global Disruption
Source: World Economic Forum
Author: Isabelle Leliaert
IW COMPASS point: Leadership
Key Takeaways
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Short-term caution, long-term vision: Hiring and restructuring are on pause, but transformation is viewed as essential for future resilience.
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AI as both risk and opportunity: While AI offers efficiencies, leaders worry about skill gaps, ethical risks, and employee stagnation.
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Global talent scarcity: Demographic shifts and skills gaps are pushing organizations to adopt global, agile, and hybrid workforce strategies.
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Changing employee expectations: Flexibility, purpose, and wellbeing are now top priorities—especially among younger generations entering the workforce.
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Cultural and structural redesign: Organizations must rethink job design, company culture, and the integration of responsible AI to remain competitive.
Read the full article here
Waiting Isn’t A Bad Thing — It Can Actually Boost Your Wellbeing
Source: The Conversation
Author: Ayse Burcin Baskurt
IW COMPASS point: Wellbeing
Key Takeaways
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Self-control: Waiting helps regulate impulses, improving decision-making and long-term goal achievement.
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Reflection: Pauses create mental space for clarity, creativity, and emotional processing.
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Savouring: Anticipation itself can boost joy and prolong positive emotions.
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Gratitude: Waiting moments can be reframed to appreciate what we have.
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Meaning-making: Delays can become purposeful pauses instead of frustrations.
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Mindfulness: Using waiting as a cue for awareness reduces stress and enhances wellbeing.
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Cultural differences: Perceptions of waiting vary, shaping whether it feels passive, inefficient, or transformative.
Read the full article here
How Do You Change a Company’s Culture?
Source: Financial Times
Author: Stefan Stern
IW COMPASS point: Culture & Purpose
Key Takeaways
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Visible behaviour matters most: Culture change requires leaders to consistently model desired behaviours.
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Beyond messaging: Communication and slogans won’t shift culture without actions to back them up.
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Middle management empowerment: Engaging and giving managers a voice is critical in sustaining change.
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Structure + culture: Organisational design and team autonomy must align with cultural values.
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Lessons from case studies: Jamba Juice’s turnaround hinged on cultural reset and empowerment; Octopus Energy’s success shows culture and structure grow together.
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Urgency and buy-in: Change sticks when employees feel urgency and are emotionally invested.
Read the full article here
Companies Are Being Torn Apart by AI “Workslop,” Stanford Research Finds
Source: Futurism
Author: Frank Landymore
IW COMPASS point: Employee Experience, AI
Key Takeaways
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Workslop defined: AI-generated work that looks acceptable but lacks substance, requiring human correction.
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Productivity paradox: 95% of companies saw no revenue growth from AI adoption; coding assistants sometimes slowed programmers down.
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Workplace impact: 40% of employees received “workslop” in the last month; 15% of workplace content is now AI-generated.
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Trust erosion: 54% viewed AI-using colleagues as less creative, 42% less trustworthy, and 37% less intelligent.
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Collaboration burden: Workslop shifts effort downstream, forcing others to redo or correct tasks, damaging team dynamics.
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Leadership caution: Hype-driven adoption risks outweigh careful, strategic use of AI in the workplace.
Read the full article here
A Psychologist Explains The Surprising Truth About ‘Gut Feelings’
Source: Forbes
Author: Mark Travers
IW COMPASS point: Science
Key Takeaways
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Intuition vs. Insight: Intuition is gradual, experience-based knowing, while insight is a sudden “aha” moment.
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Authenticity: People often see intuitive decisions as more authentic than logical ones, especially in relationships, identity, and creativity.
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Anxiety’s impact: State anxiety disrupts intuition, making gut feelings less reliable during stress.
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Decision value: High-value decisions are often made more quickly and accurately, influenced by perceived importance.
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Distinguishing cues: Intuition feels calm, clear, and solution-focused, while anxiety feels urgent, cluttered, and fear-driven.
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Balanced decision-making: Combining instinct with logic leads to better, more meaningful choices.
Read the full article here
Most Gen Z Workers Admit To Workplace Complacency
Source: HR Magazine
Author: Emily-Rose Payne
IW COMPASS point: Employee Experience
Key Takeaways
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High complacency rates: 85% of Gen Z and 75% of all employees admit to complacency at work.
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Generational divide: Millennials (82%) also report high complacency, compared with 67% of Gen X and 51% of Boomers.
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Work settings: Hybrid (80%) and remote workers (77%) show higher complacency than fully office-based employees (72%).
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Sector differences: IT (83%), healthcare (80%), and HR (79%) report the highest complacency.
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Changing expectations: Younger generations seek purpose, flexibility, continuous development, and inclusive cultures beyond financial incentives.
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Flawed strategies: Traditional, one-size-fits-all engagement and reward schemes no longer resonate.
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Tailored approaches: Organisations should segment engagement strategies, invest in development, recognition, and create cultures where employees feel valued and inspired.
Read the full article here
Relationship Capital – Connection is Table Stakes for a Healthy, Engaged Workforce
Source: HR Director
Author: Dr Mary-Clare Race
IW COMPASS point: Communication
Key Takeaways
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Connection crisis: 1 in 5 employees globally experience workplace loneliness, eroding engagement, wellbeing, and performance.
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Generational challenge: 33% of financial services professionals feel like outsiders; 18% don’t see their workplace as a community.
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Employee outcomes: Connected employees are twice as likely to go above and beyond and significantly less likely to burn out.
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Business impact: Strong workplace bonds drive higher engagement, retention, customer satisfaction, and profitability.
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Systemic risk: Hybrid models, tech-driven talent shifts, and cultural clashes are deepening disconnection.
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Strategic need: Connection requires intentional investment, inclusive cultures, and leadership focus to become a true differentiator.
Read the full article here
The Leadership Practice That Dramatically Improves Employee Retention and Performance
Source:Entrepreneur
Author: Maren Perry
IW COMPASS point: Leadership
Key Takeaways
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Gratitude drives retention: 70% of employees say they’d feel better if bosses showed more gratitude; 81% would work harder.
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Beyond bonuses: Generic rewards and annual recognition often backfire—employees crave personalized, timely acknowledgment.
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Culture impact: Consistent appreciation fuels innovation, collaboration, resilience, and discretionary effort across teams.
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Leadership responsibility: Gratitude must be intentional, visible, and part of everyday leadership—not left to HR programs.
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Business advantage: Grateful organizations see higher profitability, stronger engagement, and stronger employer brands that attract and keep talent.
Read the full article here
