2022 Global Talent Trends

The Reinvention of Company Culture

Companies are responding to the new way employees want to work.

A watershed moment for company culture

Because of the pandemic, employees are rethinking their priorities and their relationships with employers. They’re seeking flexible work arrangements and more work-life balance. They want to work for employers who value their physical and emotional well-being. And they’re ready to walk away from those who don’t.

Companies are also thinking about how their cultures can evolve with employees. In order to attract, retain, and grow great talent, companies need to fine-tune — or overhaul — their culture to meet the expectations of professionals to be seen as human beings first.

Based on conversations with two dozen talent leaders from around the world and proprietary LinkedIn data, Global Talent Trends 2022 explores how flexible work, employee well-being, and the Great Reshuffle are changing company culture.

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Illustration of a woman working on a desktop computer.

Explore what's driving this change

Flexibility

Well-being

The Great Reshuffle

The evolutions of company culture

Company culture constantly changes. We don't work the same way we did in the 1950s — or

even how we did three years ago. Our current moment is another shift.

Flexibility

The old way of working is history as flex culture takes hold

In the future, one-size-fits-all is not likely to fit anyone.

Employees want flexibility in where, when, and how they work. This desire can be seen as a positive force, driving companies to focus on results rather than face time at the office as a metric for performance.

But flex work puts new demands on company culture, which must now deliver an equitable experience for every employee, no matter where or when they work. Strong, highly functional cultures will work well no matter what time zone you live in or what time of day you do your work.

Man working on a laptop with a child ini his lap.

When employees are satisfied with their company’s time and location flexibility, they are:

more likely to report being happy

more likely to recommend working for the company

Flexibility is becoming a key value proposition for employers:

increase in job posts mentioning flexibility since 2019

Bar graph illustrating a 83 percent increase in job posts mentioning flexibility

more mentions of flexibility in company posts since 2019

Bar graph illustrating a 343 percent increase in mentions of flexibility.

engagements when a company post mentions flexibility

Not since the industrial revolution have companies really had to think about work design, about what tasks get done and where do those tasks get done, and when and how do you deconstruct work so that it’s done in an optimal manner.

Nickle LaMoreaux

Chief Human Resources Officer, IBM

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Well-being

Trade burning the midnight oil for morning yoga

Companies are recognizing that the key to their own success starts with fostering a culture that prioritizes the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of their employees.

Today, employee well-being starts with care, compassion, and trust. It requires empathetic leaders who embrace and model flexible work arrangements and don’t glorify working on weekends and 1 a.m. emails. True well-being means companies are adopting new strategies to support employees' mental and physical health and ensure they have time to recharge.

Companies are recognizing that the key to their own success starts with fostering a culture that prioritizes the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of their employees.

Today, employee well-being starts with care, compassion, and trust. It requires empathetic leaders who embrace and model flexible work arrangements and don’t glorify working on weekends and 1 a.m. emails. True well-being means companies are adopting new strategies to support employees' mental and physical health and ensure they have time to recharge.

If employees feel cared for at work, they are:

more likely to be happy at work

more likely to recommend working for the company

Well-being content is resonating, especially with women

increase in company posts about well-being since 2019

Bar graph illustrating a 73 percent increase in company posts about well-being.

increase in the share of job posts that mention well-being since 2019

Bar graph illustrating a 147 percent increase in shares of posts mentioning well-being

more engagements with posts that mention well-being

more likely for women to engage with well-being company posts, compared to the average post

In the workplace, we shouldn’t value and celebrate the people who stay up all night and burn the midnight oil, because that doesn’t really produce great results for the person or the organization. It’s not a sustainable model.

Jen Fisher

Chief Well-Being Officer at Deloitte

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The Great Reshuffle

Employees are saying, ‘We can do better.’ Companies can too.

It’s clear that the pandemic has led to a big shift in what matters to everyone — and that’s having major consequences for the labor market. We call it the Great Reshuffle, a phenomenon taking place in many parts of the world. While employers are rethinking their culture and values, employees are seeking flexibility, care, and work-life balance — and demonstrating unprecedented willingness to look for new opportunities if their needs aren’t satisfied.

But while the Great Reshuffle presents challenges, it also offers opportunities. Organizations that rethink and renew their cultures — and their employer branding — can win big in the new battle for talent.

Job shopping is on the rise

increase in job posts viewed per application in 2021 compared to 2019

Candidates are more engaged when companies talk about culture

engagement boost when posts mention culture

Company culture is swiftly evolving, and to keep up, organizations must innovate and think progressively. We have this singular opportunity to create the culture and circumstances that will allow each employee to do their best work and to lead their best life.