Top Workplace Culture Shifts to Focus on in 2025
As we wrap up 2024 and step into 2025, I want to thank you for being part of the Culture Circle community. Your curiosity and commitment to building better workplaces are truly impactful.
The workplace is evolving faster than ever—becoming more multigenerational, multidimensional, and increasingly dynamic. 2025 presents a unique opportunity to redefine what company culture means and how it impacts people and businesses.
To kick off the new year, here’s an article to inspire your workplace culture goals. Let’s make 2025 a year of intentional growth and thriving, human-centered cultures.
Culture Add vs. Culture Fit
Culture fit is a myth—a pre-determined box that expects people to conform and assimilate, and by design, it’s exclusive. Your culture is constantly evolving. What fits now may not fit later. Culture add, on the other hand, invests in the evolution of your culture and the success of your company.
When you shift from culture fit to culture add, you open up space for your company to be more eclectic and innovative. Companies that embrace culture add find growth in all areas.
Once you’ve embraced culture add, the next critical step is to set your team up for success through thoughtful onboarding.
The Onboarding Experience
Onboarding is your first opportunity to deepen emotional commitment, establish expectations, and truly engage the people you’ve brought on. You never get a second chance at a first-day experience, and how you onboard significantly impacts retention.
Companies with structured onboarding processes see a 50% increase in new hire retention (source: SHRM). Starting new hires midweek—on Wednesday or Thursday—can be ideal. A Wednesday start ensures the onboarding experience is smoother, with people engaged and settled into their week. This shorter initial workweek minimizes stress and provides a proper transition into the work environment.
Meeting Efficiency
Meetings are essential for information exchange, decision-making, and brainstorming, but when they lack structure, they can double workloads and drain productivity.
How to Improve Meeting Culture:
Create agendas to ensure focus.
Avoid back-to-back meetings by adding buffer times.
Assign roles like facilitator and note-taker to enhance accountability.
Using tools like Fireflies for note-taking or frameworks like “Should This Be a Meeting” can help reclaim valuable time for your team.
Leveling Up Leaders
2025 is the year of the Wise Leader. While experience is essential, cultures need leaders who go beyond traditional methods to lead effectively.
A Wise Leader:
Actively listens and diversifies communication styles.
Practices emotional intelligence and self-regulation.
Prioritizes self-care to lead from a place of balance.
Leaders today navigate a multigenerational and multidimensional workforce. The old excuses—"this is how it’s always been"—don’t fly anymore. Employees want leaders who are kind, collaborative, and genuinely invested in their growth.
Appreciation Before Engagement
Before your people feel engaged, they need to feel appreciated. Appreciation is about recognizing the human behind the work—their efforts, contributions, and individuality. Gone are the days of “deep fake” perks and workshops that don’t impact real change. It’s time to go back to basics.
Appreciation fuels the psychological connection that drives productivity and commitment. Engagement may get the attention, but appreciation is the foundation of a human-centered workplace.
To get started, check out the Appreciation Guide I created to help you identify and implement meaningful appreciation practices. I also highly recommend reading The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace to deepen your understanding of how to make your team feel truly valued.
Humanity as an Anchor
At the heart of every thriving culture is the principle of humanity. Every person in your organization wants to be seen and treated as human first. Humanity means recognizing strengths and vulnerabilities and treating each person with kindness, compassion, and understanding.
Humanity isn’t just about individual actions—it’s about looking at your systems and ensuring they align with fairness, empathy, and inclusion.
In 2025, consciously use a humanity lens in your decisions, systems, and interactions. It’s the anchor that keeps your culture grounded and thriving.
Next Steps
Your next chapter of company culture is ready for a shift. Start small: pick one focus area from this article and have an open conversation with your team about how to make meaningful changes.
Interested in diving deeper? Join us every third Wednesday for Culture Circle’s Culture Chat & Virtual Tea, where we explore culture topics and answer your questions live. Register here.
May Your Company Culture Thrive in 2025!
About Culture Circle
Culture Circle is your partner for all things company culture. We collaborate with growing companies to create thriving, human-centered workplaces where people and businesses flourish.
Our holistic approach blends strategic insights, tailored solutions, and a deep understanding of humanity in the workplace. From advisory services and workshops to long-term culture partnerships, we’re here to guide you in navigating every step of your cultural journey.
Learn more at culturecircle.co.
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