Global corporate professionals are struggling to define workplace culture in an era where traditional office environments no longer anchor employee experience, according to a new workforce trends report.
DHR Global’s second annual Workforce Trends Report revealed a striking gap between how executives and entry-level employees perceive workplace culture. Whilst 77% of C-suite leaders described culture as “very important”, only 37% of entry-level employees shared that view.
Executives were 2.5 times more likely than entry-level staff to view their company’s culture as well defined, according to the report.
“Leaders may set the vision, but culture only thrives when employees buy in and actively participate,” the report read. “Even the most strategic cultural initiatives fall flat without that connection.”
Recognition and autonomy replace traditional perks
Nearly all respondents said their workplace culture was either somewhat (40%) or very (53%) important to their employee experience. However, only 36% believed their company culture was well defined and drove performance.
Many workers instead described their organisational culture as reactive and inconsistent across teams (46%) or vague and not actively shaped (15%).
Greater flexibility or autonomy in how employees work topped the list of desired cultural improvements at 34%, alongside recognition and reward systems that reflect company mission and values, also at 34%.
“Long gone are the days when most employees worked together in offices, where shared routines and spontaneous conversations shaped culture naturally,” the report stated. “Now, employees in more distributed work environments value meaningful recognition and autonomy over office perks or social events.”
Call for purposeful culture runs deep
Nearly one-third of respondents (31%) identified “a stronger, more purposeful workplace culture” among their top three desired improvements from employers over the next year.
The emphasis on recognition also appeared in burnout data, where the share of employees citing lack of reward or recognition as a top burnout driver nearly doubled from 17% to 32% between 2025 and 2026.
DHR Global CEO Priya Taneja wrote that organisations prioritising flexibility, investing in development, and leading with authenticity were better equipped to navigate complexity and build resilience.
“Culture is a powerful driver of engagement and adaptability,” Taneja highlighted in the report.
The findings suggested that lasting and scalable company culture requires active, meaningful employee participation beyond leadership vision.
DHR Global’s second annual Workforce Trends Report surveyed 1,500 corporate professionals across North America, Europe, and Asia to examine how workplace culture is evolving amid economic uncertainty, advances in artificial intelligence, and changing work models. Respondents comprised white-collar, desk-based knowledge workers aged 21 or older who were proficient in English.
Source – https://www.hcamag.com/ca/news/general/culture-gap-grows-inside-global-companies/561298