A new study, The State of Workplace Culture and Connection 2026, conducted by the HR Research Institute in partnership with Motivosity, underscores the critical role of workplace culture in retaining and engaging employees. The research, which surveyed 5,538 employees, managers, and executives, found that employees in high-performing cultures are nearly 16 times more likely to receive meaningful recognition from managers weekly and over 9 times more likely to be recognized by peers. Additionally, these employees are more than 8 times as likely to have high trust in organizational leadership.
Despite these benefits, the study reveals persistent gaps. Over a third of employees report rarely receiving meaningful recognition from peers (35%) or managers (37%). Many feel disconnected from broader leadership, even while maintaining strong ties with immediate teams. Scott Johnson, CEO and Founder of Motivosity, emphasized that "culture is built through everyday moments of connection" and that organizations thriving in 2026 are making culture a core part of their business strategy.
Alarmingly, 59% of managers and executives do not know their Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS), a key measure of engagement and loyalty. This "data blindness" makes it harder to spot problems before they affect retention and performance. The report advocates for using modern listening tools and analytics to move from guesswork to proactive cultural management.
Debbie McGrath, CEO of HR.com, stated that "strong workplace culture isn't just a nice-to-have. It's a key business driver." The findings highlight how HR leaders can better understand culture and address engagement gaps. For more details, the full report is available at hr.com/hrresearchinstitute.
