Transform Your Organizational Culture in Three Steps

Employee expectations keep rising, and organizations must cultivate cultures that engage and energize employees, support well-being and foster growth.  

The gap between employee expectations and available work resources pushes employees towards burnout. Mentions of burnout by employees on job-review site Glassdoor jumped 32% in the first quarter of 2025, hitting its highest level in nearly a decade. 

It is more important than ever before for leaders and organizations to foster a culture that supports employees both personally and professionally. It’s a big job, but one that is worth the investment, including strong employee engagement scores and improved recruitment and retention rates. But where should you start? Let’s jump in. 

1. Engage and Energize Employees

While leaders can lay the foundation and demonstrate the organization’s desired culture, employees are ultimately responsible for bringing culture and values to life every day. Companies increase the likelihood of successful culture-shaping initiatives by engaging employees in the process of improving organizational culture. Leaders also increase the willingness to participate with openness and positivity by involving employees early in the process, and finding ways to engage and celebrate their contributions regularly. 

Involving employees in the overall planning and nurturing of the organization’s culture helps leaders to see the opportunities and challenges from an employee perspective. This helps to uncover potential gaps between promises made and the everyday employee experience. It also helps employees to see that their feedback is valuable and that they are heard and seen by leaders. 

There are many ways an organization can demonstrate appreciation for its employees. Beyond providing competitive salaries and traditional benefits, companies can show appreciation by rewarding employees who embody the organization’s values by creating recognition programs. Through this reinforcement, employees help the culture to grow organically from within through adapted behaviors based on what is being rewarded and recognized. 

2. Invest in Employee Well-Being

Investing in holistic well-being, especially for diverse employee groups, is now a business necessity. The 2025 State of Work-Life Wellness Report found that 88% of employees say wellbeing support is as important to them as their salary. 

Investing in well-being reduces burnout and supports a happier, more engaged environment where employees are more inspired, creative, strategic, productive and resilient. As a result, your organization will be more likely to attract and retain great employees. 

Here are a few ways organizations can promote a happier and healthier culture: 

• Reinforce business hours, encourage employees to honor them and have leaders model the behavior 

• Designate one meeting-free day each week 

• Encouraging employees to schedule breaks and time off, providing recommendations for how to let colleagues know when they’re unavailable and who to delegate requests to 

• Share ideas for informal colleague connections through digital channels 

• Provide education, tools and resources that encourage self-care 

3. Support and Offer Growth and Development Opportunities

Employees want to sharpen professional skills and learn new ones, especially as technology continues to accelerate the way we work.  

When growth paths are unclear, employees are more likely to leave. LinkedIn research found that 94% of employees say they would stay at their job longer if their employer invested in career development. Organizations can provide employees with professional development opportunities and greater ownership of their work to help improve employee engagement and retention rates. 

Employees look for clear advancement paths that support development. Organizations can embed learning into culture by activating professional development frameworks that provide financial support, time allocations, coaching and internal advancement programs. 

By investing in employee well-being, engaging and energizing employees, and supporting their growth and development opportunities, organizations can create a culture that supports and inspires employees.