Employee engagement is falling in 2025 – is it time for a workplace reset?
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
The data paints a clear picture of a workplace under pressure. Strategy & Insights Director Tor Radford explores whether this could be the reset moment we need.
Let’s face it, the state of the nation and the world is pretty dire right now. Every which way we turn, there are reports of uncertainty over jobs, the rising cost of living and how unhappy, stressed and lonely we are.
Each year, Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report provides an important snapshot of how people are feeling at work. It’s no surprise that this year it paints a troubling picture. Engagement is down. Manager wellbeing is seriously declining. There is an emotional cost of work. And the underlying cracks in the employee experience are coming harder to ignore.
But Gallup’s findings are only part of the story. Insights from Accenture Life Trends 2025, Randstad Employer Brand Research, and GWI’s Redefining the Workplace show a wider shift underway. People aren’t just rethinking how they work. They’re rethinking what work means.
What people want from work is changing
To understand where engagement is heading, we need to understand what people are really looking for in their working lives.
Randstad’s global data shows employees are no longer driven by salary alone which is surprising in itself given how much costs are rising. Work-life balance, wellbeing, purpose and values are just as important – especially for younger workers.
Work-life balance now tops the list of reasons people leave a job. Gen Z and Millennials rate mental health support and flexible working as key priorities. And while most employers believe they’re delivering on these needs, employees don’t always agree. There’s a growing gap between the promise and what employees actually experience.
Work isn’t just a contract anymore
Accenture describes this change as a shift from transaction to relationship. As they put it, “work has to earn its place in people’s lives now.”
People want roles that fit around life, not the other way around. They want to feel involved, understood, and part of something meaningful. And they expect their managers to reflect that by being human and leading with empathy and clarity.
In this context, Gallup’s reported drop in engagement – from 23% to 21% – is more than just a decline. It’s part of a much larger cultural shift of how we are seeing the role of work in our lives.
“We believe that leaders who see the value of effecting positive change and creating the conditions that naturally raise enthusiasm in their teams will emerge as winners. Those who ignore what’s happening will increasingly notice a lack of dignity at work, resulting in poor culture, work and motivation—and worse outcomes for customers and business growth”
Accenture Life Trends 2025
Managers are struggling to hold it all together
Gallup’s data points to one particular group under growing pressure: managers.
Engagement among managers has dropped to 27%. The decline is even more significant for younger managers and for women.
Managers are expected to drive performance, care for their teams, adapt to change and absorb stress, often without the clarity, support, training or capacity they need.
Why does this matter? Because managers are still the single biggest factor in team engagement – Gallup attributes around 70% of the variance of employee engagement outcomes are down to manager effectiveness. They are the glue that often holds teams together. When they’re disengaged, it cascades. And when they’re unsupported, they struggle to carry both performance and people.
The emotional impact is becoming clear. Life satisfaction is falling. Stress, sadness and loneliness remain high, particularly in hybrid and remote teams. For many managers, the pressure is becoming even harder to sustain and something has to give.
Meanwhile, Gen Z are rewriting the rules
GWI’s Redefining the Workplace report offers another lens. Gen Z haven’t just entered the workforce. They’re reshaping it.
They’re less focused on climbing a corporate ladder and more likely than other generations to value side hustles, creative projects and autonomy. They’re actively seeking connection and community at work, not just a role or salary. And they’re choosing balance over burnout.
They also expect a say in how work works. They want to co-create their role or experience, not just be given a handbook. In that sense, they’re echoing Accenture’s observation: Gen Z employees aren’t just looking for a leader in the workplace, they’re looking for partnerships.
The disconnect is growing, but it’s not just about work
Taking a wider view, this isn’t only a workplace issue. It does seem to be societal.
According to recent reporting in The Guardian, over five million UK adults are now facing financial, housing and health insecurity all at once. That includes many in work. These overlapping pressures will affect how people show up, how they cope and how they engage.
When external stress is high, the internal support systems of work become more important. And when they don’t hold up, employees switch off – emotionally and mentally.
Where do we go from here?
The message across Gallup, Randstad, Accenture and GWI is consistent. Start with people. Rebuilding engagement isn’t about new initiatives or a complete rebuild of your internal structures. It’s about strengthening relationships and routines that shape the everyday moments for employees.
That includes:
Support for managers. Many haven’t been trained. Helping them lead conversations, give feedback and recognise what they need in the moment could be a simple way of creating quick impact and help them feel better supported.
Clearer expectations. Employees need clarity – on what’s expected of them, how their work connects to purpose and what success looks like. That applies just as much to a desk-based employee as to someone on the frontline.
Making wellbeing real. Employees are discerning. Wellbeing can’t just live in a policy or on an intranet page. It has to show up in how people are managed, supported and recognised day-to-day – not like a last resort.
Personalised experience. EVP can’t be one-size-fits-all. Different generations, job types and life stages value different things. Communications and touchpoints need to flex accordingly.
Space to lead, not just deliver. Managers can’t engage others if they’re constantly firefighting. That means protecting their time, wellbeing and ability to support and lead their teams – not just hit targets.
What this means for internal communicators
For comms teams, this moment in time is about more than getting messaging right. It’s about helping businesses reconnect with employees – with clarity, consistency and care.
That might mean:
- Helping leaders speak more empathetically
- Creating moments for listening and dialogue, not just updates
- Making the EVP visible in daily experiences
- Designing comms that build trust, not just awareness
- Creating channels that build connection, not just cascade information
Because when expectations are this high, the way we communicate has to evolve too.
This could be the reset we need
The signals are everywhere. Engagement is dropping. Expectations are shifting. People are tired, but they’re also clear on what they want. And whilst the data may look bleak, it also points to a clear path forward. If this IS the reset moment, I’m not sure we can afford to ignore it.
If you’re rethinking how to connect with your people, you’re not alone. We help organisations translate insight into communication strategies that support culture, engagement and change. Ready to reset how you communicate? Let’s talk.
3 Workplace Culture Challenges - and How Communication Can Solve Them
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
The workforce is burning out, disconnecting and craving more meaning – here’s how communication can help.
There’s a lot of noise about the state of work right now. If your people are coasting, quitting or quietly burning out – it’s not a mystery. It’s a message. The way we work is out of sync with what people need. Disconnection, overwhelm and a lack of purpose are showing up everywhere – and communication can either fuel the problem or be part of the solution. We’ve identified the three biggest forces shaping the workplace in 2025 – and how communication can help you face them head-on.
Harmony: How we connect our lives with our work
For many employees, work has become overwhelming – bleeding into every corner of their lives. What was sold as flexibility has morphed into an always-on, hyper-connected culture. Are we working from home, or just living at work?
In 2024 we saw headlines about ‘quiet quitting’ claiming that those working from home were lazy and taking advantage of being invisible from their managers. They were skiving off. This year we’ve seen headlines framing the challenge as ‘the great detachment’. This isn’t about being people lazy, of course any journalist or manager can find the one who has tuned out and is working the system, disengagement is still rife. No, this is about a bigger challenge. That of boundaries.
In 2024, headlines about ‘quiet quitting’ painted remote workers as lazy, taking advantage of being out of sight from their managers. Workers were said to skiving off and doing the bare minimum. This year, the narrative has shifted to ‘the great detachment’. But really this isn’t about people being lazy. What we’re really seeing is a bigger challenge: a struggle with boundaries.
Organisations that deserve it – the ones that show appreciation, invest in culture and prioritise wellbeing – have always seen discretionary effort from their people. And they still do. It just looks different now. Managers used to be able to see the early starters and the last ones to leave the office in the evening. In a hybrid world, discretionary effort hasn’t disappeared, it’s just showing up in new ways. Employees are staying connected, replying to messages and taking calls well outside working hours, often blurring the line between commitment and burnout.
But here’s the thing, our employees need their rest and downtime as well. Right now, 80% of employees globally feel at risk of burnout stating the main contributors as financial strain (43%), exhaustion (40%), and excessive workload (30%). The workplace is being described as ‘draining and impersonal’. 37% of people say work stress has taken such a toll on their mental health that it’s contributed to substance use or even thoughts of suicide.
Given an organisation is only as healthy, innovative, productive and ultimately successful as its people, this is an urgent problem. Employees are no longer seeking work and life balance; they’re looking for a harmony between the two. They’re offering up discretionary effort and flexibility with their employers, on the condition of having healthy boundaries.
What’s the role of communication in workplace harmony?
Information and communication overload is a real threat. While tech tools like instant messaging are great, they should come with a massive health warning. We’re busy creating not only an always on, hyper connected, hivemind culture, but also one where we appear to be competing with super computers in our thirst for knowledge. Communicating everything, all the time, to everyone. We can see the funny side of influencers who can’t eat their food before photographing it, or families who plan days out around the perfect Instagram photo. But the workplace has become just as noisy. Relentless meeting schedules, fragmented communication channels, and expectations for instant replies constantly distract employees – making it harder to focus, concentrate, and do deep work.
Like a car in the wrong gear, the machine is burning out while also not going as fast as it could.
This is a huge opportunity for communicators to step up and lead the way. From managing channels – and even closing some down – to setting clear communication protocols and etiquette everyone can follow. From protecting time for deep work to upskilling teams in more effective communication and smarter use of tech. The goal? To reduce the noise, not add to it.
Reducing communication overload and cutting through the noise isn’t just good practice – it’s a chance for communication leaders to be seen as true enablers of productivity, helping get the organisation back in gear.
Loneliness: How we connect with those around us
Despite this always on, hyper connected world we’re in, loneliness is at an all-time high. Globally, 20% of employees report feeling lonely during much of their workday, with younger employees feeling this the most. You’d be forgiven for thinking this is connected to the increase in working from home, however this doesn’t appear to be the case. In fact, mandatory back to the office protocols have magnified this sense of loneliness for many by demonstrating the culture gap. Employees say they feel less lonely at home with a pet companion than they do in an office where they don’t feel they belong.
Like ‘quiet quitting’, the rise in loneliness has deeper societal roots. A fragmented work culture, overwhelming workloads that leave little time for human connection, an ever-increasing pace of work, digitised interactions and frustration with slow progress on inclusion all contribute to employees feeling more disconnected from their organisation – and each other.
Employees need to feel seen, heard and connected in a meaningful way. Despite some suggesting the contrary, the business case for inclusion and belonging has never been stronger. The gap between senior leaders and the frontline continues to plague cultural tensions and has widened post-pandemic, and so organisations need to be taking proactive steps to reduce this disconnect.
What’s the role of communication in workplace loneliness?
Communication has always had the power to shape positive, connected workplace cultures. But today, with rising levels of loneliness, that role is more urgent – and more critical – than ever. The call for communicators to step in is loud and clear.
There are three key priorities communication leaders should be actively focusing on:
1. Shift from monologue to dialogue
Move away from top-down messaging and create more two-way communication across the workforce – through employee voice platforms, ERGs, surveys, listening forums, and more.
2. Create meaningful moments for connection
Build real opportunities for people to come together – from cultural anchor office days to company conferences and team events.
3. Drive inclusion and belonging
Keep working to build a culture of equity, respect, and appreciation where everyone feels they truly belong.
Communications leaders have a powerful opportunity to bring their organisations back together in a meaningful way. By helping teams reconnect, they can ease the tensions surrounding hybrid working and return-to-office mandates, many of which have been driven by a focus on visibility, rather than productivity or culture.
Purpose: How we connect with the world around us
Work must be more than a means to pay the bills. If employees are going to devote so much of their lives to their work, they want to feel connected to something meaningful. Aligned values and making a difference is no longer a nice to have for employees, it’s a growing necessity. 48% of employees say that connection to their work impacts their decision to stay or leave a job. It’s clear that purpose is not simply a nice idea but a commercial imperative for businesses and employees, who are expecting the opportunity to make a positive impact through their work.
Purpose-led organisations focus on the ‘why’ of their existence – like Tony’s Chocolonely who aim to end exploitation in cocoa. It’s a simple statement that encompasses why they make and sell chocolate delivered through a fairer supply chain as well as enabling other organisations to use their equitable and slave-free cocoa supply chain. Tony’s might be a trailblazer in purpose and many organisations have evolved out of necessity or a gap in the market – like Toys ‘R’ Us, whose founder capitalised on the post war baby-boom by selling baby furniture and soon after, toys. Despite this commercial driver for starting out in business, Toys ‘R’ Us had a fundamental brand belief that ‘children should be allowed to be children’ a clear opportunity to connect their employees to a job beyond stacking shelves and selling toys, their role was really to make their stores feel magical.
What’s the role of communication in purpose?
Clear communication of an organisation’s vision, mission, beliefs and values is nothing new. There isn’t an Internal Comms leader who hasn’t tackled the classic ‘values refresh’ project. But today, it’s not just about articulating commercial goals, we need to help employees connect with the bigger picture. That means showing the real-world impact the organisation is striving to make on society and the planet.
What difference is the business trying to create in the world? How is that purpose tied to the organisation’s everyday role in its industry? What isn’t working in that industry – and how is the company stepping up to lead change? And how does its CSR or charitable work play into that wider ambition? These connections are what bring values to life – turning them from posters on a wall into a shared sense of meaning and motivation.
Most organisations deliver CSR activities, donate to charities and offer paid for volunteering days but the benefits in employee morale and retention only come when we connect the workforce with this work and inspire them to get involved. Communications leaders have a great opportunity here to unleash this missed potential for their organisations.
How we can help you build connection, clarity and meaning through communication
At Something Big, we know from experience that communication has the power to solve some of today’s biggest workplace challenges – from blurred boundaries and burnout, to loneliness and disconnection, to lack of meaning and motivation. Here are three ways we can help:
Activator – Storytelling and creative services
You’ve got a message that matters – we help you bring it to life. Whether you’re setting new boundaries, supporting wellbeing or bringing purpose to the forefront, we create campaigns, brands and internal content that inform, inspire and connect.
Pathfinder – Tools and resources
You’re working to create a more connected, human workplace – and we’ve got the tools to support you. From culture diagnostics to comms audits, practical guides and peer learning spaces, we’ll help you take steady, confident steps forward.
Co-creator – Advisory services
You know culture and connection matter – but you’re not always sure where to begin. Our team of strategists bring deep insight and hands-on experience to help you shape clear, practical communication strategies that support balance, belonging and purpose.
Workplace communication as a catalyst for inclusion and racial equity
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
Discover how intentional communication can drive real inclusion and racial equity in your workplace.
To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in partnership with Race Excellence we hosted a powerful conversation exploring how communication can drive inclusion and racial equity in the workplace.
The session offered valuable insights into the role communication plays in creating fairer, more inclusive environments – where everyone feels heard, respected, and empowered.
Here are some of the key takeaways:
Make space for timely conversations
Having open, honest conversations at the right time matters. When significant events happen – globally or within your own organisation – your team are affected. Proactive communication helps people feel supported and creates space for reflection, empathy, and action.
Bring the right voices into the room
Involving senior leaders, subject matter experts, and individuals who can influence others ensures conversations lead to action. To create meaningful change, the right people need to be in the room – especially those with the authority to make decisions.
Prioritise active listening
Sometimes the most powerful part of a conversation is the silence. Good communication isn’t just about what you say – it’s also about how well you listen. Give people space to think. Avoid jumping in with answers. Create opportunities for reflection and let quieter voices be heard.
Choose your channels carefully
Communication isn’t one-size-fits-all. Consider how best to reach your audience – whether it’s workshops, one-to-ones, shared documents, or live conversations. Be thoughtful about the tools and platforms you use.
Keep your messaging clear and constructive
Whether you’re talking about policy change, allyship or team culture, everyone should leave the conversation knowing what comes next. Avoid jargon, lead with clear questions and make sure conversations end with actions.
Maintain respect
Respect should sit at the heart of every conversation. Even when opinions differ, it’s possible to challenge constructively and keep doors open. Communication that focuses on shared goals, solutions and unity is far more effective than blame or defensiveness.
Communication shapes inclusion
Words matter, so when language is restricted or policed, the impact can be exclusion, disconnection, and fractured identities. In many workplaces, race is still seen as too complex or risky to talk about – leading to silence, self-censorship, and missed opportunities to understand each other.
Communication done well, though, can flip that script. It can become a tool for liberation – making space for lived experiences, validating identity, and giving employees permission to bring their full selves to work. Inclusion doesn’t come from silence, it comes from stories, language, and meaningful dialogue.
Telling isn’t enough
Workplace communication often defaults to telling – issuing updates, sharing top-down messaging, or rolling out policies. But simply telling people what to do or believe isn’t enough to create change. It can even do more harm than good if it overlooks how people are really feeling.
To make a real impact, communication needs to do more than inform. It needs to listen, educate, inspire, and reassure. It needs to raise awareness in a way that connects with people’s emotions – not just their inboxes. It needs to make space for difficult conversations, reflection, and vulnerability.
Say the thing. Don’t dodge it.
One of the biggest communication challenges in DEI is avoiding “the elephant in the room.” Whether it’s a disbanded ERG, a delayed strategy, or an external event that’s affecting your teams, silence creates space for mistrust and disengagement.
Filling that silence with open, honest, human communication – even when the message is tough – builds credibility and trust. Employees are adults. Treating them as such by being transparent about decisions, even when there’s no perfect solution, goes a long way.
Surface the human library
Your organisation is full of unseen stories. These lived experiences are powerful, personal, and valuable. When people share them, they create connection, understanding, and culture change. But those stories don’t surface on their own. You need to make space for them, and ensure people feel safe and supported to speak up.
Culture and communication go hand in hand
If you want honest conversations, you need a culture that supports them. That means:
- Being clear on the purpose of conversations
- Making sure the right people are in the room – especially those with decision-making power
- Building psychological safety so people feel confident to speak up
- Leading with questions, not assumptions
- Ending with action, so people know what’s changing and why
When we use communication intentionally, we create momentum. When we pair that communication with inclusive culture, we create change.
We’d like to thank Ann and Gifford from Race Excellence for sharing their insight. Race Excellence partners with organisations to embed diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging into the heart of their business – supporting CEOs, Boards, employee networks and HR leaders to take a sustainable and innovative approach to inclusion. Learn more about Race Excellence.
If you’re looking for support with harnessing the power of communication to create a more equitable workplace, then talk to us.
Watch the webinar: Communications – a catalyst for inclusion and racial equity
The key trends shaping happy and high-performing teams
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
To celebrate B Corp Month, our CEO, Sally Pritchett, joined a panel of B Corp leaders and industry experts at Uncommon Holborn to explore just that. In conversation with Bleddyn Harris, Head of People and Culture at B Lab, the discussion revealed key trends shaping the future of work and what businesses can do to create thriving, engaged teams.
Rethinking workplace culture
Too many businesses are still stuck in an outdated industrial mindset – viewing employees as cogs in a machine that need to be optimised and replaced when they break. But workplaces are ever-evolving living ecosystems, filled with diverse identities, ideas and experiences.
To create a culture where employees thrive, businesses must:
- Listen deeply – go beyond surveys to understand the real undercurrents shaping employee experience.
- Make change an engaging process – design change communications to be creative, inspiring and participatory.
- Enable flow states – consider how workspace design, communication styles and celebrations contribute to culture.
- Embrace conscious leadership – leaders should create a positive and collaborative environment where everyone can thrive.
Tackling loneliness
Loneliness has become a big and unfortunate trending topic, but it is important to know that it is not caused by remote work – it’s caused by fractured cultures. Return to office mandates are part of the loneliness problem; what could be lonelier than feeling disconnected from your colleagues while sitting in a buzzy office? Communication plays a vital role in bridging that gap.
Valuing feedback
Surveys, suggestion boxes and employee groups may seem like standard tools – but they only work when they are inclusive and transparent.
Key principles of effective feedback include:
- Providing multiple ways to contribute – recognising potential language and other barriers, offering different ways to feedback.
- Appointing spokespeople – ensuring non-native speakers and those not comfortable with speaking up can have a voice.
- Creating a genuine feedback loop – sharing all survey results, addressing difficult feedback and being honest when changes aren’t possible.
- Targeting disengagement – where you are seeing signs of disengagement, for example low survey response rates, investigate the cause. Would tailored training or perhaps surveys in multiple languages or formats help?
Communicating through change
During times of change, clarity and consistency are everything. Strong leadership voices, regular updates and a visible presence – with an example given of a CEO spending time working from reception – can create a sense of stability.
Humans are natural storytellers. If leaders don’t shape the narrative, employees will create their own – and that’s where misinformation can spread. Tapping into the stories that drive purpose fuels both innovation and productivity.
Creating human-centric work environments
A desk and chair are no longer enough. The spaces we work in play a crucial role in collaboration, focus and connection. The venue itself, Uncommon’s Holborn location, is a perfect example of how human-centric design, greenery and calming aesthetics can enhance workplace wellbeing.
Modern workplaces need to provide flexibility, offering spaces that support both deep work and collaboration. Thoughtful design can create an environment that facilitates productivity and meaningful interactions.
Supporting volunteering programmes
Businesses offering paid volunteering days is on the rise, but offering the benefit doesn’t automatically result in take-up – businesses need to actively encourage participation.
Volunteering isn’t just good for the individual – it strengthens engagement, productivity and workplace culture. It tackles loneliness, builds community and enhances wellbeing. The key is making it easy for employees to get involved.
Want to see how we helped a client inspire over 120,000 employees to volunteer? Find out more here.
Overcoming communication overload
Communication tools like video calls and instant messaging were meant to streamline work. Instead, they’ve created a culture of constant communication – where employees are drowning in notifications, meetings and distractions. The workplace is now like a crowded room where everyone is talking at once. It’s affecting productivity, wellbeing and relationships. To fix this, businesses must:
- Set clear communication guidelines – establish expectations for response times and message urgency.
- Encourage mindful communication – leaders should model concise, purposeful messaging.
- Reduce unnecessary noise – assess which platforms are essential and eliminate redundant ones.
Communication: the key to workplace happiness and performance
At the heart of all these trends lies communication. Getting it right means understanding what, when and how to communicate – ensuring efficiency without overload. Talk to your teams, listen to what they need and create a workplace where communication fuels success rather than hinders it.
A happy, high-performing team isn’t built overnight. But with purposeful communication, inclusive culture and thoughtful leadership, businesses can create environments where people truly thrive.
At Something Big, we help businesses communicate with clarity, creativity and inclusivity – making workplaces fairer, healthier and happier. From shaping strategy and change programmes to fostering wellbeing and inclusion, we work with some of the world’s best workplaces to engage leaders, managers and frontline teams through impactful communication.
Ready to build a thriving workplace? Let’s talk.
Guide: How to create authentic, accessible and inclusive communications
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
Discover how to create communications that connect with audiences through authentic, accessible, and inclusive messaging in this essential guide.
Inclusive, accessible, and authentic communication has the power to connect, inspire, and drive meaningful change. This manual, How to Create Authentic, Accessible, and Inclusive Communications, is an essential resource for anyone striving to create messaging that resonates with diverse audiences and delivers real impact.
Packed with insights, guidance, and actionable tips, this guide will help you ensure your work is inclusive, accessible, and authentically representative. Whether you’re looking to deepen your understanding, refine your communication approach, or start embedding inclusion into your processes, this manual provides the tools and inspiration you need.
In this manual you’ll discover:
- Why inclusivity in communications matters and how it drives connection and impact.
- What inclusive communications should look and feel like with practical examples.
- How to foster diversity and authentic representation while avoiding tokenism.
- Practical tips for accessibility making sure your communications reach everyone.
- Advice on using AI ethically to support inclusivity and authenticity.
- How to build an inclusive mindset and embrace continuous improvement
Download the guide now and start creating communications that inspire change, connect with audiences, and make a lasting difference.
Choose the right version for you
We’ve created several versions of the manual, each with different accessibility features. Please choose the option that works best for you. If you need assistance navigating these options, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us hello@somethingbig.co.uk.
PDF version
A PDF that can be read out by a screen reader
Dark mode PDF
A PDF in dark mode, that can be read out by a screen reader
Audio PDF
A PDF with the option to be read aloud by an AI voiceover
Video audio
A video of the manual, read by an AI voiceover
Creating cultures of neuroinclusion
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
Diversity of thought and minds can bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas. According to Deloitte, “organisations that make an extra effort to recruit, retain, and nurture neurodivergent workers can gain a competitive edge from increased diversity in skills, ways of thinking, and approaches to problem-solving”. With an estimated 15-20% of adults being neurodivergent, businesses that fail to support neurodiverse individuals risk falling behind. It’s essential for businesses to support the neurodivergent community by making necessary accommodations for everyone, regardless of diagnosis.
We were delighted to have Becs Tridgell from Autism Unlimited join us for our most recent ‘Tune In’, session, where we tuned into the voices of the neurodivergent community, looking to learn practical steps and strategies to foster a neuroinclusive workplace culture that values and supports every employee.
Watch the video below for a full recap, and check out the session highlights and key insights below:
The benefits of a neuroinclusive workforce
Neurodivergent employees bring unique strengths that can transform workplaces. Skills like hyper-focus, creative thinking, innovative problem-solving, empathy, and detailed analysis are just a few examples of the value neurodivergent individuals can offer when supported effectively.
However, these strengths can only thrive when workplaces address the challenges neurodivergent employees face. By fostering a culture of neuroinclusion, organisations unlock not only individual potential but also greater collaboration, loyalty, and long-term success.
Common challenges faced by neurodivergent employees
Many neurodivergent employees encounter significant barriers in the workplace. Traditional recruitment processes, such as interviews that emphasise eye contact or sociability, often overlook the strengths of neurodivergent candidates.
Masking – where individuals consciously or unconsciously hide their neurodivergent traits to appear more “typical” – is another challenge. While masking can help individuals fit into workplaces that may not be inclusive, it often leads to exhaustion, burnout, and reduced engagement.
Sensory sensitivities, like difficulties with noise, lighting, or smells, can also make everyday tasks unnecessarily difficult. For example, an open-plan office might create challenges for someone with auditory sensitivities, reducing their ability to focus or perform at their best.
The power of effective communication
Communication is a cornerstone of neuroinclusion. By prioritising clarity, consistency, and compassion, organisations can create an environment where neurodivergent employees feel understood, supported, and empowered.
Clarity
Clear communication ensures that everyone, regardless of neurotype, can engage fully. This includes:
- Sending agendas in advance of meetings
- Chunking information into smaller, manageable parts
- Using visual aids to support verbal explanations
- Providing assistive technologies
Consistency
Consistency builds trust and reliability. Neurodivergent employees often thrive in environments where expectations and processes are supported and made clear. Examples include:
- Assigning a buddy to new employees for ongoing support
- Standardising accommodations, like offering quiet spaces or noise-cancelling headphones
- Implementing policies to create sensory-friendly environments, such as discouraging strong smells in open-plan offices
Compassion
Compassionate communication acknowledges individual needs and ensures everyone feels valued. Tailored adjustments might include:
- Allowing regular breaks for employees who need to manage energy levels
- Providing specific ergonomic tools, like supportive chairs or coloured overlays
- Offering flexibility in how tasks are completed, enabling employees to work in ways that suit their strengths
Practical steps to build a neuroinclusive workplace
Neuroinclusion requires thoughtful, tailored adjustments that enable everyone to thrive, not just the neurodivergent.
Some practical steps include:
- Rethinking job design: Tailor roles to individual strengths rather than expecting everyone to fit into rigid job descriptions.
- Creating dedicated quiet spaces: Offer areas where employees can decompress or work in silence.
- Normalising accommodations: Provide tools like noise-cancelling headphones, visual aids, or flexible schedules to support productivity.
- Improving recruitment processes: Redesign interviews to focus on practical skills rather than sociability or traditional cues like eye contact.
- Fostering a supportive culture: Encourage open dialogue about neurodiversity to reduce stigma and build trust, ensuring employees feel safe to share their needs.
While supporting neurodivergent employees is both a legal and moral obligation – it’s a strategic advantage too. Through education, adjustments, and open dialogue, we can create workplaces where every mind is valued, and every employee can thrive.
If you need support on your journey to building a more neuroinclusive working environment, we’re here to help. Whether it’s developing culture change programmes, creating communication campaigns that drive inclusion, or ensuring your communications are accessible to all, we can provide the expertise you need. Talk to us today to start making a meaningful difference in your workplace.
Webinar: Empowering workforces to be neuroinclusive
2025 Workforce Trends Every Communicator Needs to Know
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
We’ve reviewed insights from leading organisations, including Great Place to Work, Top Employer, Make Work Better, Gallup, Mercer, and more. We’ve identified the six key trends shaping workplace culture, and how communicators can play a pivotal role in supporting these trends.
1. Changing workforce demographics
As the workforce spans more generations than ever, the growing generational gap could lead to intergenerational tensions.
How communicators can help:
Earlier in the year we explored the communications challenges that can cause friction between different generations. Check out our practical guides on unravelling ageism, improving collaboration between generations, shifts in language, channels and communications format and hear from experts on how the multigenerational workforce can be united.
2. Creating Neuroinclusive workplaces
With greater awareness of neurodiversity, organisations are recognising the value of different ways of thinking. To unlock this potential, workplaces need to become more neuroinclusive.
How communicators can help:
Explore how to create neuroinclusive work environments or sign up to this event on the 10 January with Autism Unlimited, to learn practical steps and strategies to foster a neuroinclusive workplace culture.
3. Adapting to evolving technology
While technology promises greater efficiency, it also risks overwhelming employees if not managed carefully. Adding new communication channels without retiring outdated ones can lead to digital overload.
How communicators can help:
Discover how to identify and address communication overload in your organisation. Read this article for practical fixes and insights into improving digital body language for more meaningful, productive interactions.
4. Focusing on sustainability and ESG
The climate crisis demands urgent action, and organisations need to actively engage employees in their sustainability and ESG efforts. There’s no room for “climate fatigue.”
How communicators can help:
In this research, we discovered how different generations talk about climate and sustainability so that we engage employees and create a culture of sustainability.
To carry on the conversation in 2025, join our Green Monday sessions to hear from sustainability and comms leaders on how they are engaging their communities.
5. Strengthening belonging and inclusion
Everyone deserves to feel safe, included, and free to be themselves at work. Accessibility plays a vital role in creating an inclusive environment where everyone can fully engage and contribute.
While progress in DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) has accelerated, there’s still much work to do – especially as rising workplace loneliness highlights the gaps in creating truly connected and supportive cultures. Accessible communication can help to ensure no one is left out, fostering a sense of belonging that goes beyond physical and digital barriers.
How communicators can help:
For communications to be impactful and inclusive, they must also be accessible. Give everyone the same access to your comms with our practical advice on levelling up accessibility in your communications
6. Prioritising health & Wellbeing
Declining employee wellbeing continues to raise alarm bells – from burnout and mental health challenges to rising cancer rates and reduced physical activity.
How communicators can help:
Take the first step in building a culture of wellbeing. Read our guide for practical strategies, or explore how to support employees living with cancer.
As we approach 2025, fostering a workplace culture that is healthy, safe, and inclusive has never been more critical. If you’re looking for expert support to develop internal communications strategies that engage and empower your workforce, we’re here to help.
How can we support employees living with cancer?
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
One in two people will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. This means cancer is likely to impact us all at some point – whether we receive a diagnosis or know someone facing cancer.
In the UK alone, 890,000 working-age people are living with cancer, and around 700,000 are balancing work while caring for a loved one with the disease. However, half of those living with cancer are afraid to tell their employers and over a third feel isolated at work during their cancer journey.
At such a difficult time, people should feel supported by their employers and colleagues – not afraid to share their diagnosis and left feeling like they aren’t receiving the support and flexibility they need.
Joined by Lindsay Bridges, Global Head of HR at DHL Supply Chain and Anna Dunn, Associate at Working With Cancer, our CEO, Sally Pritchett, started an honest and insightful conversation about how we can better support employees living with cancer.
What common challenges do those living with cancer face in the workplace?
One of the biggest challenges around cancer is the misunderstanding it creates, both for the person facing it and their employer. Until someone experiences diagnosis and treatment, it’s hard to know what recovery will be like. Cancer recovery isn’t linear – everyone responds in their own way and with different emotions. Understanding this can help create a more supportive and empathetic environment for those going through diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
What can employers do to better support employees facing cancer?
Understand that everyone’s situation is different
Cancer recovery isn’t the same for everyone. People with similar diagnoses can still experience very different emotions, treatments and challenges. This makes having a standard ‘one-size-fits-all’ policy difficult.
While it’s important to have a workplace policy, employers should also guide colleagues on who they can talk to and what processes are in place, and provide flexibility to meet each individual’s needs. Offering a clear, open line of communication can help reduce stress and create a supportive environment during an already challenging time.
Give your managers clear guidance
Equip line managers with the tools and information they need to confidently support team members facing a cancer diagnosis. Clarify what support your company provides, let them know their role in supporting the employee (versus the responsibilities of HR) and provide helpful resources. This not only ensures employees receive the support they need, but also helps them feel less like a burden, knowing managers are prepared to offer the right support.
Consider creating a guide for managers or running training sessions to help line managers within your company feel more confident handling these sensitive situations.
Support employees with their return to work
After cancer treatment ends, many people face a new set of emotions – loss of identity, a lack of confidence and fear of recurrence. While they may want to return to normality, navigating these feelings can be tough, and added pressure from employers can make it harder. Compassion and open communication are key during the return-to-work period.
When discussing an employee’s return to work, it’s important to ask how they’re feeling and what feels right for them. Let them lead the conversation so they can be honest about what feels right for them. Just like treatment, the post-treatment phase is not the same for all. A phased return to work period of at least 12 weeks can help employees ease themselves back into work and rebuild their routine without feeling overworked or overwhelmed.
How can employees better support their colleagues who are facing cancer?
Give people control
When someone is facing cancer, they may feel a loss of control. Asking how they’d like to discuss their diagnosis and treatment – or if they want to talk about it at all – can help them regain some control by setting their own boundaries. It’s important to respect their wishes and follow their lead on how open they want to be.
This conversation should continue after treatment too, so you can continue supporting them in the right way for them. Asking simple questions like “How’s your health?” allows someone to choose how much they want to share and whether they want to discuss their cancer moving forward.
Treat your colleagues as you normally would
Cancer doesn’t define a person, and many may not want to be seen only through that lens. Treat your colleagues as you normally would, while being mindful of their needs and how they’ve said they’d like to talk about their cancer.
A quick call or message to check in can mean a lot, but remember – there’s more to their life than cancer. Keep conversations balanced, acknowledging their interests and experiences beyond their diagnosis, so they continue to feel recognised for who they are beyond their diagnosis.
Think about what you say
It’s normal to feel unsure about what to say to someone facing cancer. A simple acknowledgement, like ‘I don’t know what to say, I’m sorry,’ can be enough. Avoid making assumptions about their journey or suggesting treatments, as everyone’s experience is unique.
Let the language that they use guide you – some people may feel empowered by using language like ‘battling’ or ‘fighting’ cancer, while others might prefer to say they are ‘living with cancer’. Respect their chosen language and be sure to support them in a way that feels right for them.
Advice for colleagues and employers who want to better support those living with cancer
There are lots of amazing resources available to help you better support someone living and working with cancer. Charities like Macmillan offer online communities and advice specifically for those supporting a loved one, friend or colleague through their cancer journey. Organisations like Working With Cancer can help employers and employees, employers to manage cancer and work.
For employers, offering training about cancer recovery can help teams better understand what someone may be experiencing. This awareness helps them offer more compassionate and informed support, creating a more understanding, supportive and empathetic work environment for everyone involved.
If you want to make your workplace fairer, healthier and happier by better supporting your employees living with cancer, we can help. Get in touch to find out how we can help you educate your workforce and create a culture of care and support.
Tune in: Supporting employees living with cancer
How communication overload is slowing organisations down (and how to fix it)
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
As passionate communications experts we love communication….when it’s effective. The problem is too often we’re communicating too much and instead of helping it’s hindering.
We all know how it feels to be constantly swimming against the tide, trying to keep up with an ever-increasing avalanche of emails, notifications and messages, flicking between channels and getting distracted by notifications pinging on multiple devices around us. This constant influx of communication is forcing us to multitask, distracting our concentration, preventing us from getting into productive flow states, and preventing us from achieving important tasks.
Has hybrid working made this worse? Possibly. While very few people are missing the busy, noisy and distracting environments of the pre-pandemic open-plan office, today’s equivalent is perhaps the increased instant messaging platforms pinging away. Sure, we can turn off notifications, but it doesn’t stop our colleagues having questions.
On top of simply not harming productivity, this communications overload is also impacting mental wellbeing, stressing employees out when they feel they can’t keep up no matter how hard they try, and creating a sense of dread that they’re missing important messages and tasks that get buried in the noise.
As professional communicators driven by making a meaningful difference, we want to help the organisations around us. Here’s what we believe are the main culprits are along with our tips for reducing the communications overwhelm.
Too many channels
It’s great that technology blesses us with better channels all the time, but we must be careful to ensure that these new channels aren’t just adding to the noise. Part of the communications overwhelm is purely maintaining and checking so many difference channels.
Our tip: Be brave and don’t be afraid to close channels down.
From closing X and Facebook accounts to turning off internal channels like Yammer or WhatsApp. Question if another existing channel could serve the same purpose.
Poor use of channels
“Email as become a counter-productivity tool” Justin Rosentein, ex-Facebook and co-founder of Asana
If you’ve ever experienced a school parent WhatsApp group when a child loses its blazer, or have been part of a ‘Reply all’ email frenzy, you’ll appreciate how quickly poor communication can do its damage. Unfortunately, poor communications etiquette is common practice in organisations because it’s rare that anyone has been shown how to communicate better. Like leadership skills, there’s an assumption that subject matter experts automatically know how to communicate effectively.
Our tip: Provide effective communications guidance to employees
Help employees to choose the right channel, understand the anatomy of an effective piece of communication and how to use AI tools effectively.
Whilst email isn’t quite dead yet, it is time to reset the way we use it. Email should be limited to 1:2:1 conversation or used as an ‘inform’ broadcast channel only.
Too much collaboration
Yes, we did just say that. It’s obviously great to involve people, engaging stakeholders on the journey is critical to success, but that doesn’t mean cc’ing the whole company every time there’s an update or getting feedback at every stage.
Whether we blame modern matrix management, shifting leadership styles or anxiety over making decisions, there’s no doubt that organisational decision making is slowing down and getting more complex.
Our tip: Increase clarity where possible
Be clear on roles, responsibilities and RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed). One of the most common reasons for looping in too many colleagues is not being sure who needs to know what, being clear on this can help reduce communications overwhelm.
Poor personal leadership
When we think leadership, we often look to the top of the organisation, but everyone can take responsibility for stepping up personal leadership within their roles and this extends to being concise and considerate in their communications.
Our tip: Empower champions
We can’t all absorb every topic all the time, divvying up projects, workstreams or topic themes provides a great way to funnel communications through individuals so they can filter and share updates when appropriate, reducing the constant overload.
‘Always on’ communications
With hybrid working came many flexibility benefits including a blurring of the general 9-5.30 workday, the challenge this brought for many is a culture of ‘always on’ communication which has added to the feeling of overwhelm.
Our tip: Set the ground rules around the ‘right to switch off’
While for some the ability to work outside of the usual workday helps flex around care responsibilities or other responsibilities, it can add pressure to colleagues to feel always available. Be clear on expectations and the ‘right to switch off’ and increase awareness of ‘send later’ features.
As passionate communicators with experience in supporting large organisations with employee engagement, we’re keen to make sure communication helps drive innovation, builds relationships and enhances productivity. If you think over communications is slowing your organisations down and aren’t sure where to start book a call with us here.
30 practical strategies for creating effective and inclusive internal communications
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
In a noisy world filled with countless channels and constant ads, internal communication can feel overwhelming for many. Being an excellent, effective and inclusive internal communicator requires a lot of skill and expertise.
In this article, we’ll explore the key areas that make organisational communications more effective and inclusive.
5 strategies to reduce the volume of communication
There’s no doubt that in all organisations communication has become overwhelming and the larger the organisation the more overwhelming this can feel.
‘Constantly talking isn’t necessarily communicating’ Charlie Kaufman
While instant chat channels like Teams and Slack have helped speed up collaboration they’ve also added to the noise and duplication. Already struggling to keep up with the hundreds of daily emails, instant chat messages now mean we’re expecting employees to hold several conversations concurrently. And rather than speed up productivity this multi-tasking is slowing organisations down and impacting employee wellbeing as they fight to prioritise and keep on top of their workloads.
- Pledge to reduce duplication, making communication engaging and effective the first time prevents having to send it multiple times.
- Proactively segment audiences so you can personalise and increase relevancy.
- Increase self-serve information, letting audiences consume information when they’re ready.
- Give your channels a clear purpose, audience and content strategy so the right information is going through the right channels.
- Ditch the routine, if a newsletter is going out weekly because it always has and the deadline is driving the content, it’s time to ditch the deadline and publish on demand instead.
5 strategies to increase the clarity in your communication
There’s an irony to Blaise Pascal’s quote ‘If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter’ because, of course, we would have more time if we were consuming less communication. In organisational comms, one of the best things we can do is respect our workforce’s limited time.
- Work hard on your subject lines / headings, these are your headlines so think like a journalist.
- Use AI tools to keep your comms concise. AI can be great for getting started, but they can also be quite verbose. write prompts carefully and consider giving a challenging word count.
- Structure your comms thoughtfully: start by setting the topic, add depth in the middle, and end with a clear call to action.
- Reduce company jargon; it complicates communication, especially for newcomers or those in a hurry. Avoid acronyms when possible.
- Set word count limits. If you regularly publish newsletters or intranet articles, be clear on your limits and challenge yourself to stay within them.
5 strategies to increase accessibility in communications
The most creative communications in the world won’t be effective if they don’t enable people with different abilities to access them. All workforces will have employees with differences in visual, hearing, learning and cognitive processing as well as those with limited literacy proficiency.
In the UK, accessibility regulations have been in force for the public sector since 2018 ensuring comms tools like websites, mobile apps and intranets all follow accessibility guidelines. There are no regulations for organisational comms, but that doesn’t need to be a barrier for driving accessibility in your communications.
- Focus on readability, with the average reading age in the UK being 9 years old. Consider using tools like Hemmingway Editor to help simplify your communications.
- Format your text based on its intended use. As most content is consumed digitally, consider how it will be viewed and adjust accordingly. For example, if it’s likely to be read on a desktop screen, use a landscape layout instead of portrait..
- Ensure compatibility with screen readers, this means formatting your documents with consideration.
- Check your colour contrasts as employees with colour blindness may struggle with certain colours or contrasts.
- Get your typography right because font choices and sizes are crucial for making communications effective and accessible.
For a deeper read on accessible comms check out our recent blog or watch our webinar.
5 strategies to use imagery inclusively
The human brain typically processes images significantly faster than written text, making imagery a potential fast track to creating effective communication – when used correctly. Often, however, imagery is also used to break up text, fit existing templates or to make communication ‘look better’. This is where the challenge comes, forcing audiences to process images that add nothing to the overall purpose of the communication.
- Make sure images add to the content, try to avoid bland library shots that add no value.
- Try to avoid overly surreal images unless this is part of your brand identity.
- Authentic representation is vital. If you’re using library images, try adding prompts like ‘diverse’ or specific attributes to result in a wider selection.
- Aim for a balanced representation of people over time to avoid bias towards certain parts of your workforce or reinforcing stereotypes.
- Consider using animation or illustration to provide more options if authentic or appropriate photography isn’t available.
5 strategies to making your communications more audience centric
While it may seem obvious, it’s easy to focus on your own priorities and accidentally overlook how your audience will perceive your communications.
- Consider different job roles and aim to make communications resonate with the frontline. Before sending or approving, put yourself in your audience’s shoes to make improvements.
- Workplaces are diverse with cultural nuances, avoid idioms or complex expressions that could hinder inclusion.
- There are up to five generations in the workforce for the first time, stop and think how communications could be perceived by different ages of your workforce.
- Using audience insights is critical for your messaging to resonate. If the organisation is struggling due to challenging times, staff shortages, or seasonal peaks, ignoring this in your communications can alienate your audience. Instead, acknowledge the organisation’s current situation and ensure your communications are appropriately positioned.
- Stay attuned to how your audience responds, including their preferred channels, formats, and language, to maintain effective communication.
Tiny wording tweaks like replacing ‘lunch breaks’ with ‘rest breaks’ can make more difference than you think if your front line includes out of hours or night shift workers.
For a deeper exploration on embracing multi-generational workforces, check out our webinar.
5 strategies for building trust in your communications
Effective communication is not about saying what you want to say correctly but enabling it to be heard correctly. To inspire action from your audiences, trust and believability play a huge part.
‘The idea is to write so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart’ Maya Angelou
- Consistency is key to building trust. Whether guiding the workforce through a complex transformation or engaging them in a new strategy, keep a consistent dialogue on rationale and goals.
- Tone of voice should be authentic, open, honest and human to be believable.
- Avoid vague phrases, if there’s important information, share the facts openly.
- Don’t ignore difficult topics: if there’s a question on the workforce’s mind, address it directly. Avoiding it won’t make it go away; it just reduces trust.
- Provide feedback loops and create psychologically safe opportunities for audiences to share concerns, questions, or feedback.
Top tip: To ensure you comms are human, read them out loud, if you sound like a robot you probably need to create a warmer, more conversational tone.’
How would your audiences answer?
Employees go through a mental checklist when receiving communications. Their response – whether, how quickly, and how they engage – depends on how they answer these questions:
- Is this aimed at me?
- Is this relevant to me?
- Do I trust this?
- How do I feel about who this is from?
- Do I care about this enough to prioritise it?
- Do I understand what this is about, or does it require me to stop and think?
- Is it clear what action is expected of me?
- Is there a clear deadline for responding or actioning?
Bringing the value of creativity
As passionate communicators with experience in supporting large organizations and hard-to-reach frontline audiences, we use creativity to simplify messaging, bring stories to life, and inspire action.
Want to find out more? Book a call with us here.