Reshaping Employee Experience and Organizational Culture 2022

Given a potential US recession, leaders need to be aware that the events of the past two years (e.g., health, economic, & social crises) have changed the world of work and had a profound influence on all employees. In addition, in March 2022, The Conference Board’s fourth Reimagined Workplace study found that 64% of the responding US HR leaders claimed their organizational culture had changed since the onset of the pandemic.

The Conference Board interviewed seven organizations that thrived during the first year of COVID-19 and recommends six steps to reshape employee experience and organizational culture:

1. Trust and Offer Flexibility. Flexibility, grounded in trust, will foster productivity while engendering employee good will.
2. Communicate Frequently and Transparently. Leaders should go beyond the script by authentically sharing challenges, inviting employees to ask questions, and allowing themselves to be seen on camera as real people—rather than solely as polished executives.
3. Make Genuine Caring a Priority. There’s an old adage that employees leave managers, not organizations—how can your managers demonstrate genuine caring for employees?
4. Commit to Inclusion. Recognizing the diverse needs and experiences among employees allows leaders to consciously develop both equitable and inclusive solutions.
5. Amplify Mission and Purpose. Recognize the power of a common purpose as a unifying force.
6. See Opportunity in Crisis and Be Agile. Rather than pausing internal transformations during a crisis, rise to the challenge with agility and decisiveness.

For a deeper dive, see Reshaping Employee Experience and Organizational Culture: Lessons from the Tumultuous Events of 2020 and 2021.