To say that the last few years of compensation have been a rollercoaster is an understatement, but as we look toward 2026, the landscape of how we pay our people is shifting yet again. Have you heard of the “peanut-butter” approach to pay raises? If not, you’re certainly going to see it in action soon. […]
Category: Employee Engagement
How to actually get Gen Z engaged in 2026
If you caught my last post, you know we talked about why the old ways of working for Gen Z just aren’t cutting it anymore. The reality is that Gen Z isn’t looking for the same things their parents were, and if a company is still promoting “hustle culture” or rigid hierarchies, they’re going to […]
Why Gen Z is Done With the Old Way of Working
It’s not fair when people label Gen Z as lazy or fragile or just allergic to hard work, because they can put in the effort and they’re quite efficient when they want to be. They’ll even put in the long hours when they feel like it actually matters. They aren’t afraid of the work. What […]
The Rise of Micro-Mentoring
If you’ve been watching younger employees struggle to get their footing, you’re not imagining it. Remote and hybrid work have changed how people learn on the job. The learning and answers exist, but they’re buried in everyday work, calendars, and Zoom meetings. Traditional mentorship with formal meetings still matter. But waiting weeks or months for […]
Why Some Younger Workers Struggle in Remote and Hybrid Roles
Remote and hybrid work are not going anywhere. Most employees like the flexibility and employers like the cost savings. It sounds like a win-win but there’s a quieter issue showing up beneath the surface, especially for workers who are early in their careers. If you’re just starting out, learning how to do a job with […]
What 2026 Workplace Culture Is Really Going to Look Like
If you think workplace culture is going to look the same a year from now, it’s probably time to rethink that. What’s coming isn’t a slow, polite shift. It’s a pretty fundamental reset driven by new expectations, better technology, and a growing refusal to tolerate work that feels needlessly rigid or outdated. The signals are […]
12 Months, 12 Emotional Plot Twists: An Office-Year Recap No One Asked For (But Everyone Will Recognize)
Every workplace has its own weather system. Not the kind you check on your phone, but rather, the atmospheric chaos of morale patterns, energy fronts, and sudden storms brewing in the break room. Look back over the past year and it’s basically a calendar of emotional micro-seasons.Some are bright and some are chaotic. Some are […]
How to Give Last-Minute Gifts That Still Feel Thoughtful
Look, we’ve all been there. Everybody has been in a situation where they meant to plan ahead and order gifts early and then…the clock just ran out on you. It happens. The calendar did what it always does in December — it vanished overnight. Running out of time doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten to appreciate your […]
The Rise of “Job Hugging”
Every few years, a new workplace trend tries to capture the collective mood of employees. We had the Great Resignation. Then Rage Applying. Quiet Quitting. Quiet Vacationing. And the latest buzz word shaping the headlines? Job Hugging. Job Hugging describes employees who cling to jobs they don’t love. Not because they’re happy. Not because they […]
5 Ways to Create a Meaningful and Memorable Workplace Holiday Season
The end of the year brings plenty of deadlines and frantic, last-minute to-do, but it’s also the perfect time to pause, celebrate, and reconnect, because, after all…Holidays! A good workplace holiday celebration can do more than take up space on the calendar, it can also boost morale, build camaraderie, and remind people why they like […]