2027 Global Culture Report
Employees are looking for workplaces that amplify their ideas, talents, and potential, not simply help them adapt to change.
This year’s report examines four areas where organizations can create multiplier effects: embedding compassion, building growth cultures, practicing active trust, and unlocking innovation. Organizations that thrive will be those that amplify behaviors that create value.
Employees are looking for workplaces that amplify their ideas, talents, and potential, not simply help them adapt to change.
“An innovative workplace is one that’s willing to try things—even if they fail. You keep pushing forward, pivoting, and finding what works. That’s what keeps companies alive.”
Jacob, Focus Group Participant
organizational Compassion
01
Growth Cultures
02
Active Trust
03
Unlocking Innovation
04
“An innovative workplace is one that’s willing to try things—even if they fail. You keep pushing forward, pivoting, and finding what works. That’s what keeps companies alive.”
—Jacob, Focus Group Participant
Turn research into action with practical recommendations and exercises designed to help you amplify your team’s potential.
Researchers at the O.C. Tanner Institute surveyed 25,832 workers at companies with 500+ employees in 23 countries.
25K+
Employee
perspectives
23
Countries
The Talent Magnets™
The current state of six essential elements that define thriving cultures.
Organizational Compassion
As change accelerates, compassionate cultures help people thrive while amplifying performance and resilience.
Compassion is the capacity to understand the need of others and take meaningful action to meet those needs. Organizational compassion is a significant predictor of employee retention, especially in high-pressure and competitive industries.
Organizational compassion and integrated recognition amplify outcomes, leading to substantially higher odds of
confidence in company financial stability
growth
“Compassion is having grace for someone's situation, understanding that they're going through a rough patch, and not seeing people as robots and expecting them to work and work and work. Having that compassion is important because we're all human.”
—Amanda, Focus Group Participant
Growth Cultures
People crave meaningful growth, not just training. Great cultures make development personal, continuous, and human.
Organizations chasing high performance are turning to skill building, but learning is not the same as growth. When growth is a partnership between employees and organizations, it drives lasting personal success and amplifies cultural and business outcomes.
When recognition is integrated into growth cultures, employees are
more likely to innovate
more likely to respect the organization’s values
more likely to trust the organization
“You want to feel valued, not just like a number, because everybody plays an important role, no matter how big or small. It's got to go hand in hand. You care about me, I'll care about you.”
—Stephanie, Focus Group Participant
Active Trust
In uncertain times, trust grows when leaders consistently act with transparency, credibility, and employees' interests in mind.
Disruption is rampant in today's workplace, with market uncertainty, shifting employee expectations, and the growth of AI eroding employees’ sense of security at work. Trust has become one of the most critical—and fragile—foundations of performance.
“When leaders are willing to prioritize trust over performance, performance almost always follows.”
—Simon Sinek, Author and Speaker
Employees are notably skeptical of abstract systems like AI. When employees lack trust, either in people or systems, there is
decrease in odds workers will want to stay with their company another year.
decrease in odds workers will produce great work
Unlocking Innovation
Innovation flourishes when organizations reward curiosity, experimentation, and learning, even when ideas don't succeed.
Organizations struggle to drive innovation while managing risk. To support a culture of innovation, leaders must create an environment where employees have safe pathways to think, share ideas, and act.
Increased odds of acting on new ideas
My leaders are supportive and provide assistance when employees implement new ideas.
When something new doesn’t work, the focus is on learning rather than assigning blame.
My direct leader has encouraged me to keep trying to innovate even if I tried something that didn’t work.
“Companies say they want innovation, but then they stay stagnant because ‘it’s always worked this way.’ You have to take chances—(make) even small changes—to keep up. Employees are the voice because we’re living it.”
—Matt, Focus Group Participant
Organizations that thrive are intentional about what they amplify. We see this when they create environments where compassion strengthens wellbeing, growth creates opportunity, and trust fuels connection and innovation. Together, these practices elevate what already creates value and foster the conditions that allow your people to thrive.
—Scott Sperry, CEO, O.C. Tanner
