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Analyzing a Toxic Tactic: Leaders on the Damage of Quiet Firing

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Analyzing a Toxic Tactic: Leaders on the Damage of Quiet Firing

Quiet firing operates in the shadows of the workplace. 

Unlike a formal performance improvement plan, its signs are subtle and can be easily dismissed as managerial oversight—until the damage is done. 

A promising career stagnates, trust erodes, and a valuable employee silently disengages.

In the dynamic and often high-context work environment of today, the real danger of quiet firing lies in its ambiguity, which allows toxicity to fester and morale to decline long before it appears in attrition data. 

To create a field guide for the analysis of this toxic trait, we turned to seasoned HR experts and business leaders from across industries. 

Their responses provide a vital diagnostic toolkit for leaders to identify the repercussions of this destructive behavior before it’s too late.

Read on!

Robbin Schuchmann
Co-founder, EOR Overview

Robbin Schuchmann

The worst part of quiet firing for HR is that it completely breaks down trust in the company. When an employee feels like they are being quietly pushed out, they stop believing the company cares about them or their career.

From my experience helping companies hire people all over the world, this lack of trust makes it really hard to keep good employees and attract new ones.

Imagine an excellent engineer in another country who starts getting less work, fewer important projects and little communication. They sense what is happening and quietly start looking for another job. That person might spend two hours a day on job hunting while still getting paid, costing the company tens of thousands of dollars in lost work.

This story gets around, especially in tight knit global talent communities, making it much tougher to hire top people who want clear, supportive workplaces.

This broken trust does not just affect the person being quietly fired; it spreads throughout the entire company.

When others see someone being subtly pushed out, they start to worry it could happen to them too. This makes people less willing to try new things, share ideas, or truly invest in their jobs. Everyone becomes more cautious and less willing to work together, which stops new ideas and makes it harder for the company to grow in a competitive world.

If employee engagement drops by just 10% in a company of 100 people, it could mean a 15% drop in overall team work in six months. This is a direct result of a workforce that no longer trusts its leadership.

Sarah Williams
Founder & Principal, Recruit Healthcare

Sarah Williams

As a healthcare recruiter, I’ve gained a lot of insight into the mindset of someone who’s been quietly fired. These candidates are often more shaken and confused than those who were formally let go. They’re left with unanswered questions, low confidence, and no clear sense of closure.

But that’s not the company’s problem, right?

Actually, it is. Once quiet firing begins at an organization, I’ve seen turnover spike almost every time.

Employees feel the cultural shift. The lack of transparency creates tension and anxiety. Even those not directly affected start quietly planning their exits — just in case.

The long-term impact is hard to ignore. Companies that lean on quiet firing don’t just lose underperformers — they lose top talent too. And the reputational damage follows. Candidates talk, and word spreads quickly in close-knit sectors like healthcare.

Wynter Johnson
Founder & CEO, Caily

Wynter Johnson

The real issue with quiet firing is that the people you quiet fire stick around and damage the morale of the rest of your team.

Even if you work to keep them isolated from the rest of the team, word is going to get out, and any kind of non-explanation is only going to raise more questions than answers.

This is why working to improve the performance of your struggling workers is a much better use of resources.

Joe Sagrilla
CEO & Principal Consultant, Horizon Business Consulting LLC

Joe Sagrilla

The most detrimental effect of quiet firing is the demoralization and potential loss of top performers.

Quiet firing, where employees are subtly sidelined to spur resignation, often takes far longer than managers anticipate—often stretching over several months—and this prolonged timeline drives significant talent risks.

The extended process creates visible inequities and prolonged periods of additional burden for high performers.

First, high performers notice double standards as sidelined employees, disengaged by managers and given lighter workloads or lower expectations, linger as deadweight. This forces top talent to shoulder extra responsibilities on critical activities and projects, breeding frustration.

Per Price’s Law, about 10% of employees generate 50% of productive outcomes, so overall attrition pales compared to losing these stars.

Consequently, the erosion of fairness undermines trust in leadership, sapping morale. Disillusioned, high performers may seek opportunities elsewhere, crippling organizational success.

Organizations with clear performance targets and reliable feedback excel at rewarding top talent and humanely exiting underperformers after fair coaching.

Vanessa Anello
Certificate Programs Facilitator & Strategist, hackinghr

Vanessa Anello

In our certificate programs at Hacking HR, we’ve seen that when employees stop getting feedback or growth opportunities, they don’t feel neutral, they just feel pushed out.

They stay in the job, but they stop giving their best. Even worse, a lot of times they tell others not to bother trying either.

Quiet firing spreads quiet quitting.

It builds a culture where people believe effort doesn’t matter and silence means you’ve already failed.

That kind of mindset is hard to undo.

Carr Lanphier
CEO, Improovy

Carr Lanphier

Quiet firing sets a bad precedent for your company.

It demonstrates that your leadership team does not go about things in an honest, transparent way. They aren’t straightforward with employees, and they don’t want to be responsible for the hard things.

When your employees see your leadership team acting this way, it can make them very wary about their own job security, as well as whether or not their leaders actually respect them.

You want your business to be transparent, to communicate in a healthy manner, and to display respect toward every employee – even when firing them.

José Roberto Araujo
Founder, Wide Brazil

José Roberto Araujo

Quiet firing creates a blind spot. Because it’s silent by nature, companies often have no real visibility into what’s actually happening until the damage is already done — top performers disengaged, knowledge lost, team morale low.

It’s not just about someone leaving, it’s about everything that quietly breaks before that happens. Most managers don’t realize the impact until they’re dealing with bigger issues like turnover spikes or drops in performance.

From an HR standpoint, it makes it nearly impossible to act early or fix things proactively. One way to reduce this risk is to create space for honest feedback and routine check-ins — not just performance reviews, but real conversations.

Chris Brewer
Managing Director, Best Retreats

Chris Brewer

Sidelining a team member kills their drive. It spreads distrust, cuts productivity, and spikes turnover.

My fix?

Regular one-on-ones to catch issues early, like vetting a retreat for safety.

It’s simple: treat people like people, not dead weight.

Michael Yerardi
Founder & CEO, Turning Point Home Buyers

Michael Yerardi

Quiet firing, sometimes referred to as “stealth layoffs” or “discreet terminations,” can be one of the most harmful practices for company culture.

This approach involves terminating employees without formal announcements or acknowledgment, often as a strategy to cut costs. By sidestepping severance packages and legal fees associated with traditional layoffs, companies may view quiet firing as a financial shortcut.

However, this practice comes at a significant cost—eroding employee morale and creating a negative workplace environment that can ultimately hinder long-term success.

David Struogano
Managing Director & Mold Remediation Expert, Mold Removal Port St. Lucie

David Struogano

Avoidance as a management strategy invites chaos into the process.

Quiet firing does not just sideline a person—it destabilizes accountability across the team. Nobody knows who owns what anymore.

Colleagues work around the ignored employee, patching holes, adjusting timelines, double-checking basics. That drag shows up in hours, costs, errors. Every delay compounds.

You end up paying four people to indirectly fix what one person could have handled with proper guidance.

Even worse, you burn team morale. People start guessing what went wrong and who is next. Speculation replaces transparency.

That uncertainty steals their focus. People second-guess tasks, hold back honest feedback, hesitate during decisions.

Everyone slows down. Precision disappears.

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Jenna Rogers – 5 Key Strategies to Help Manage and Communicate Effectively with Gen Z in The Workplace

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5 Key Strategies to Help Manage and Communicate Effectively with Gen Z in The Workplace

Jenna Rogers

When it comes to Gen Z, you hear comments such as:
“They have horrible work ethic”
“They always think they are right”
“They consider feedback to be an attack”
“They are hard to manage”

As a professional whose job it is to train people on how to communicate effectively, collaborate successfully and teach organizations how to work productively, I know first hand that managing different generations in the workplace is challenging.

Different generations cannot follow the same prescription for success as their predecessors. The workplace in 2025 is a melting pot of generations, composed of four vastly different generations all needing to work together on a shared goal. And yet, with Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z all competing for the “right” way to do business, conflict is rife, training falls flat and productivity falters.

It’s important to understand the contextual differences each generation brings to the workplace so we can understand how to best communicate with each other.

Let’s break down the basics of what the workforce looks like in 2024:

  • Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964, roughly 20% of the workforce.) Baby Boomers are products of the traditional corporate ladder, were rewarded for their loyalty to their companies and view the corporate ladder as secure and linear. They interpret a separation between work identity and other identities as a sign of “laziness” or “lack of passion.” And while they are exiting the workforce due to retirement, Boomers still hold a share of the workforce due to retirement age ticking upwards.
  • Gen X ( born 1965-1980, roughly 35% of the workforce.) Gen X introduced a shift in familial gender norms, with mothers remaining in the workforce and more fathers coaching little league. They are self-reliant, hard working and were the first generation to have a distrust for large corporations. Gen X is adaptable to technology, as their careers have been present both with and without technology. And as technology has evolved so rapidly throughout their careers, they’ve been forced to keep up with the times. Gen X currently holds the majority of management and leadership positions.
  • Millennials (born 1981-1996, roughly 35% of the workforce.). Millennials are viewed as entitled because they saw the generation before them integrate life into business and strive for the same “life outside of work” experience. They need recognition and praise for their work, value culture above loyalty and for context, Millennials entered the workforce during or immediately after the 2008 recession.
  • Gen Z (born 1997-2012). Gen Z beat their own drum and seek value, purpose and flexibility as main priorities. They are mission driven, prefer hybrid or remote first work and are susceptible to social isolation and loneliness. We are still learning more about Gen Z and their work style.

And don’t forget, Gen Alpha will be coming soon…

A generation is more than the prescribed years they were born into. Economic, societal and historical events, as well as the norms and beliefs that are held during the collective experience of “growing up together.” And with the workplace holding diverse numbers of different generations, that comes with different learned and lived experiences and unique communication styles.

And the problem is – different generations are communicating with each other incorrectly while expected to work together. For example, Boomers are primarily using very short hand emails, Millennials are using Slack and Gifs while Gen Z is using memes and TikTok.

So how do we get on the same page when it comes to different generations in the workplace together?

As a workplace communications expert, here are 5 key strategies to help manage and communicate effectively with those “difficult” Gen Z professionals in the workplace.

  • Revamp Onboarding Plans: Onboarding, everboarding and professional development plans should be continuous. Take a look at your current onboarding plan through the eyes of your younger employees (ask for their feedback too) and integrate microlearning, collaborative learning, hands-on learning, mobile learning and personalized learning.
  • Train on Email Communication: 73% of business is done via email and yet, no one is taught how to effectively communicate via email. Train Gen Z, and all staff, on the best practices of email communication. Offer microlearning opportunities such as LinkedIn Learning courses or allow employees to enroll in courses like Email Tip Academy. 
  • Establish Meeting Etiquette: Create explicit guidelines, rules and best practices for meeting etiquette and expectations when running in person meetings, virtual meetings, client meetings and internal meetings. Gen Z needs a playbook, give it to them.
  • Incentivize Relationship Building: Give Gen Z a reason to feel a sense of belonging in the workplace. While Gen Z is reliant on technology, they are also susceptible to isolation and loneliness. Curate opportunities to build professional relationships and facilitate relationship skill building.
  • Teach Executive Presence: Teach Gen Z how to have executive presence. Gen Z knows their value but they struggle to communicate it, and how to communicate it humbly. Younger generations always think they are better than older generations. While they have a lot of learning to do, they also have good ideas too. Teach them how to convey their ideas in a productive way and watch the innovation of the company progress.

Intentional communication matters, and it can turn those “hard to manage” Gen Z colleagues into the best asset for the organization. Leaders build a collaborative workplace when they invest the time to understand generational differences, tailor their communication strategies and provide the appropriate tools and guidance. By fostering mutual respect, clear expectations and a shared sense of purpose, organizations can create an environment where every employee feels valued and empowered to contribute their best. The future of work is multigenerational—let’s embrace it with empathy, adaptability and a commitment to growth.

 

About the Author

Jenna Rogers is the founder of Career Civility, a workplace communications training firm based in Chicago, dedicated to helping professionals navigate the modern workplace.
With over 44,000 followers on Instagram (@careercivility), Jenna is an influential leader in this field, known for her clear and actionable personal and career-focused tips, scripts, and advice.

Driven by her personal experiences navigating communication challenges in the workplace, Jenna understands that we each have our own societal and life experiences, and unique communication styles that drive how we communicate at work. She’s on a mission to bring civility back into the workplace.

As a part of the work Jenna does at Career Civility, she offers workshops where she teaches organizations how to upskill their workforce in these important communication practices.

If you need help teaching your team how to communicate across the different generations represented in your workplace, go ahead and have a conversation with Jenna.

You can also follow Career Civility on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Do you wish to contribute to HR Spotlight? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your experience and expertise.

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Jeffrey Beeson – Talent Labs: Pioneering Network-Centric Talent Management

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Talent Labs: Pioneering Network-Centric Talent Management

Jeffrey Beeson

In today’s business environment, talent management has become a critical priority for organizations. As the demand for a skilled, adaptable workforce intensifies, the complexities of finding, developing, and retaining suitable talent increase as well.

One major obstacle is the relentless pace of technological change. Automation, AI, and digitalization are reshaping roles and skills at an unprecedented rate. One example of addressing such rapid change is Deutsche Bank. To remain competitive in a tech-driven financial landscape, it has invested in AI capabilities in addition to upskilling employees. The rapidly changing skill requirements in this industry underscore the urgent need for continuous learning throughout organizations. Business success depends on fostering a culture of adaptability that bridges imminent skill gaps.

Furthermore, a profound demographic shift compounds the talent challenge. As the current workforce ages and employees retire, companies are faced with critical knowledge gaps. SAP, a cloud-based service provider, has successfully navigated such workforce transition. To meet its demands, the company attracts younger talent while re-skilling existing employees to support its digital transformation and sustainability goals. Flexibility, meaningful work, and a values-based culture are all key drivers of cross-generational retention.

Going one step further, SAP recognizes that holistic support is essential to sustain employee engagement. Its Global Mindfulness Practice is one example of SAP’s cutting-edge approach to supporting the development, engagement, and retention of its multi-generational workforce.

With so much at stake, a pressing question concerning talent management arises: How can organizations not only navigate these talent challenges but also thrive? Addressing this question requires fresh thinking, bold strategies, and a willingness to redefine conventional talent practices from a network perspective.

Why the talent challenge is a network issue

Over the past two decades, network science has revealed that every complex system — including organizations — is structured as a network. In an organizational context, networks consist of individuals who are connected through flows of information, expertise, and influence. Unprecedented connectivity generates continuous information flows across individuals and departments. This creates both opportunities as well as complexities.

The prevailing recruitment challenge provides an example of the impact of information flows. Finding a new job has become easier than ever before with position openings appearing continuously on platforms like LinkedIn. This ease of connectivity and resulting visibility of various employment opportunities means organizations must work even harder to retain talent.

Talent retention is also closely tied to the strength of networks. Research reveals that 76 percent of employees who have close friends at work are more likely to stay with their employer. This underscores the importance of cultivating strong interpersonal connections throughout an organization.

When talent challenges like acquisition, development, and retention are rooted in network dynamics, the solutions to these issues must also address the current network traits.

The role of Talent Labs: A bridge to network-centric talent management

Talent Labs serve as experimental environments in which organizations can explore, test, and refine network-based approaches to talent management. Acting as experimental environments, these labs are tailored to the specific needs of a company and its workforce. They allow organizations to pilot innovative strategies for talent acquisition, development, and retention, and then fine-tune them before scaling the initiative. By bridging traditional and network-centric talent management practices, Talent Labs empower organizations to build a resilient, connected workforce that can thrive amid evolving challenges.

Talent Labs incorporate a range of innovative network-driven strategies, including:

Relationship Mapping – This tool maps the connections between individuals or groups within a network, making it easier to identify key influencers, understand communication patterns, and reveal collaboration opportunities. The strategic visualization enables organizations to leverage existing networks to strengthen internal connectivity and optimize the flow of resources.

Social and Emotional Competence Training – The quality of connections in a human-centric network is deeply linked to social and emotional skills. Social and Emotional Competence Training is a structured approach that improves the quality of relationships within the network, reducing stress and enhancing communication. In fostering these skills, organizations boost network resilience and promote a more supportive, connected culture.

Strength-Based Assessments – In any network, energy flows most effectively through individuals’ strengths. Strength-Based Assessments help leaders tap into these natural energy channels by recognizing and activating what people do best. These assessments focus on individual strengths as a way to improve collaboration quality, resulting in more engaged, productive teamwork.

Network Connection Modules – These small-format, virtual sessions (for 10–25 participants) emphasize peer-to-peer learning and network building. Each 90-minute session follows a structured content plan, guided by a trained Learning Ambassador, to promote active engagement and meaningful knowledge-sharing among participants.

Community Learning Events – Designed for up to 200 participants, these events can run from 90 minutes to a half-day and are adaptable to in-person, virtual, or hybrid formats. They focus on community building and exchanging best practices. Community Learning Events foster a networked learning culture, promote collaboration, and strengthen organizational connectivity.

Through Talent Labs, organizations transition from traditional talent management to an adaptable, network-centered model that not only meets current demands but also positions them for future success. This approach addresses root talent challenges, while building a sustainable, interconnected workforce ready for the complexities of a rapidly evolving landscape.

About the Author

Jeffrey Beeson has spent decades serving thousands of leaders and leading culture transformation initiatives for multi-national corporations. He is the founder of Ensemble Enabler, fostering agile organizational cultures and advanced leadership.

His new book, Network Leadership: Promoting a Healthier World through the Power of Networks (Cambridge University Press, Dec. 31, 2024), describes how newly emerging network science applies to organizational leadership today.

Learn more at networkleadership.eu.

Do you wish to contribute to HR Spotlight? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your experience and expertise.

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Jessica Chivers – Success and Positive Impact: How Comeback Coaching Supports Returning Employees

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Success and Positive Impact: How Comeback Coaching Supports Returning Employees

– Jessica Chivers

Picture yourself 30 minutes late for supper at a friend’s apartment.

You’re one of nine guests and although you’re familiar with a few of them, the majority are strangers.

You arrive to find your table mates looking relaxed and enjoying animated conversation about something you know nothing about.

Pause and consider this: how do you feel as their heads swivel to say hello?

I’m guessing at least a little awkward and maybe questioning if you fit in here.

That scenario, and the feelings that go with it, is akin to what’s played out around the globe thousands of times a week as employees return to work after maternity leave, sick leave and other extended absences from work.

Hold that thought.

Comeback coaching for smooth workplace and career transitions

Workplaces with a strategic focus on homegrown talent and employee development have been using coaching to support career transitions for decades.

For instance, executive coaching for an established line manager who is moved to lead a team of technical experts in a field she has relatively little expertise herself.

Coaching supports her transition through an uncomfortable time where new behaviours and ways of thinking need to be cultivated.

Coaching cuts the time it takes for that manager to be delivering effectively by creating a space for honest discussion of difficulties, discomfort and doubt and the generation of very specific actions she can take to become more proficient and at ease in the new space.

Back to employees returning to workplaces after an extended break.

It’s been a natural progression for high-performance cultures and those with a commitment to narrowing their gender pay gap to put return to work coaching – or ‘comeback coaching’ as I labelled it in 2012 – in place to ease the transition of women returning from maternity leave.

This is an arena I’ve been working in for twenty years and which has broadened into coaching for men returning from shared parental leave as well as both sexes returning from sick leave, sabbaticals and bereavement.

Last year I conducted research to understand the main effects and implications for the use of coaching to support employees returning to work after a break. 

Relatively little study has been done of ‘comeback coaching’ and what stood out from the data was the performance-enhancing effects all participants believed it to have.

A catalyst for efficiency after maternity leave

One participant, Alice, from an asset management firm was clear that the coaching had a catalyst effect:

“The transition was much easier for me because of the coaching. I think I’ve gotten to where I am now quicker than I would have without it.”

If coaching shrinks the time it takes to get back to pre-leave performance by even 20% that’s a significant efficiency boost.

I can say with confidence from anecdotal data gathered over two decades that it takes most people around six months to feel they are ‘back’ and delivering as effectively as they did before leave.

For another participant, Laura, the coaching played a part in retaining her:

“Even though I was only on a one year contract to know they were prepared to invest in me with coaching. It’s really paid off because now they’ve got a permanent employee.”

Increases in ambassadorial behaviour and other positive ripples

Some participants talked about their coaching experience leading them to do more of what could be described as ‘ambassadorial behaviour’; a proclivity to talk positively about their employers both internally and externally.

Overall, five lasting effects of coaching emerged from the study:

– Sense making and better-quality thinking.

– Better performance-related behaviours.

– Boosted confidence and self-awareness.

– Better health and feeling energised.

– Positively impacting colleagues.

Not only are these effects beneficial to the individual receiving the coaching, they have a positive ripple on the colleagues around them as Lisa reflected:

“Through the coaching I’ve changed my mindset about things, I think just being that wee bit more relaxed has had a positive effect of [my team]. I’m very relaxed and I think that does have a positive impact on the rest of the team”

Meanwhile Marina who works in a media company and had coaching after her first maternity leave looked at how coaching increased her prosocial behaviour at work:

“I’ve got more compassion for others in the same situation and offering that supporting hand to others is something that came out of coaching.”

Protective effects on mental health

As concern for employee wellbeing goes up the People agenda and stress, depression or anxiety accounted for the majority of days lost (17.1 million) due to work-related ill health in 2022-23, HR professionals will perhaps be as interested as I am in the health-related effects of coaching.

A number of participants talked about how coaching positively affected their mental health.

The data shows the coaching had a protective effect on mental health through the containment of worries as Anna describes:

“It was being able to kind of go ‘OK I’ve identified that this is an issue and I’m going to use my next coaching session for that so therefore I don’t need to worry about this ‘til 1.30pm on Tuesday when I know I’m chatting to Caroline’.”

Amy talked similarly:

“It was just an overwhelmingly positive effect on my overall well-being. It was a place to sort of re-energise, to fill you up again with sort of that, you know, renewed energy. You would feel such a sort of lift and boost in your energy post coaching. It felt like a little bit of sort of coaching medicine.”

Lisa found that through coaching she’s found a lasting way to reduce the amount of anxiety she experiences:

“I really found it so helpful. I’m sure there’s lots I don’t think about anymore (lasting effects of coaching) but that for me was the biggest one. Just kind of facing that anxiety head on as opposed to constantly worrying about it. It’s just so much better. So that’s the lasting effect on me.”

Comeback coaching as an attraction tool

Outside of this study an engineering client called my attention to another benefit of comeback coaching for her organisation: talent attraction tool.

A couple of weeks after my study was published Emma Day, an HR Business Partner from Stantec e-mailed to request comeback coaching for a new starter, Hannah Kaur, who was joining from maternity leave at another organisation.

Hannah had another job offer and when Emma told her they could offer her access to the Comeback Community programme to support her start at Stantec, it clinched the deal.

Here’s Hannah’s take:

“When Stantec offered me the role I wasn’t mentally ready and I hadn’t expected to get it. I requested a four-day week to ease me back in and not only did they say yes – another pleasant surprise – they offered me a place on the coaching programme. This was when I knew Stantec was the right employer to work for. I got a real sense of they care about their employees and set that tone from the beginning, which is how I prefer to lead my team”.

Emma said:

“I was really pleased that Hannah accepted our offer and being able to offer her the Comeback Coaching I knew would really help support her return back to work, as I know how important it is to feel supported returning back to work and Jessica and the team have supported so many of our employees on their return.”

We first started working with Emma Day many years ago when she was in the People Team at Barton Willmore (which was acquired by Stantec in 2022).

Of the people we coached as they returned to Barton Willmore from a break:

– 92% strongly agreed that they found their coaching experience worthwhile.

– 75% strongly agreed it positively impacted their performance at work (25% agreed).

– 92% strongly agreed that they would recommend comeback coaching to other colleagues.

Coming back to the comparison of the unease of being late to the party with that doubt and awkwardness experienced by employees returning from an extended leave, one thing you can do as host/team mate/line manager is offer a warm welcome.

Call the table/team to attention and be vocal and unequivocal about why you’re delighted your dinner guest/team member is (back) with you.

About the Author

Jessica Chivers is a coaching psychologist, executive coach, author and Director at The Talent Keeper Specialists, home to the Comeback Community™ employee experience programme.

She also hosts the top-rated COMEBACK COACH podcast for people returning to work after a break as recommended by HR leaders to returning employees.

Jessica writes Caremail, a free fortnightly e-mail for people returning to work after a break. Jessica also writes Talent Keeping, a free fortnightly note for people interested in the psychology of workplace performance, relationships and well-being.

Be in touch with Jessica hello@talentkeepers.co.uk and find her on Instagram @comebackcommuk and @talentkeepersuk.

@talentkeepersuk  |  @comebackcommuk

Do you wish to contribute to HR Spotlight? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your experience and expertise.

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Jenni Field – Culture Over Cubicles: Why Location Isn’t the Real Workplace Issue

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Culture Over Cubicles: Why Location Isn’t the Real Workplace Issue

Jenni Field

Five years after the pandemic redefined the way we work forever, the debate over returning to the office continues, dominating the news agenda and no doubt being on the agendas of many meetings. This ongoing conversation reflects people’s passion for how they spend their time, and rightly so.
However, the issue isn’t as simple as choosing between working remotely or in an office. The real problem lies in the narratives we create and the stories we tell about productivity, wellbeing, and trust, often without fully understanding their impact.

Instead of arguing about location, we need to shift our focus, and we need to do it quickly and collaboratively.

This debate stems from a crisis, and what worked during that challenging period of chaos hasn’t seamlessly translated into our new “normal” in the post-Covid world. The pandemic forced us to adapt quickly, but now it’s time to evaluate where we are and where we need to go next.

Arguing whether one option is “better” than the other misses the point.

Working remotely requires a significant cultural shift for an organization. It demands investment in tools and communication to support the operational change. It also calls for a new leadership style, one that understands how to connect and communicate effectively with teams through digital tools and to be credible in the delivery of information and change within a business.

Ultimately, it’s not about where we work, but about the culture, relationships, and experiences that shape our working lives.

Trust, productivity, and wellbeing are central to this debate, yet all of them can easily be challenged and redefined.

It’s Not About Trust

Allowing employees to work remotely isn’t solely about trust. In many cases, it’s driven by cost savings or the realization that work continued successfully outside the office during the pandemic.

While organizations often proclaim, “We trust you, we don’t need to see you,” this message doesn’t always align with reality.
That’s the hook.

But it’s a lie and that’s because you can see people on platforms like Teams and you know if they are online or not. Tracking software has grown in use since 2021 and alongside this we are seeing cases of bullying and pressure from managers and leaders increase by more than 40% since the pandemic.

Trust is one of the biggest issues in organisations today, so something isn’t working.

Trust isn’t about surveillance, it’s about relationships. Organizations are made up of people working together toward a shared goal. Building trust requires a genuine commitment to fostering those relationships, not simply posting it as a corporate value.

Productivity Is Hard to Define

What does productivity mean for knowledge workers? Unlike roles in manufacturing or healthcare, productivity in an office environment isn’t easily measurable. We often equate productivity with “doing more,” but this mindset can create unnecessary pressure and burnout.

Claims that remote work increases productivity because there are fewer distractions are equally unfounded. The truth is, we haven’t taken the time to clearly define what productivity looks like for knowledge workers.

Instead of chasing arbitrary metrics, organizations should focus on outcomes. What does success look like for a specific role or project? By aligning expectations with clear goals, leaders can create a healthier and more effective working environment.

Wellbeing Goes Beyond the Office

Humans are social creatures. While managing time and energy for deep work is essential, long-term isolation can negatively impact mental and physical health.

Remote work can reduce movement, with many people going from desk to sofa to bed without the natural activity of a commute. Without intentional habits like walking, stretching, or regular breaks, this sedentary lifestyle can lead to health issues.

On the other hand, commuting and office environments aren’t a universal solution. The key is recognizing that wellbeing requires balance. Organizations must create spaces, whether physical or virtual, that encourage connection, movement, and support.

If It’s Not Location, What Is the Real Issue?

The real issue is leadership. Effective leadership builds trust, fosters productivity, and supports wellbeing. Yet, for too long, we have overlooked its importance.

Leaders need to go beyond tick-box exercises. If you want to show trust, give employees autonomy to choose when, where, and how they work. Be accountable, communicate your vision clearly, and inspire your team with passion and integrity.

For productivity, set clear goals and define success in ways that align with your organization’s values. For wellbeing, lead with empathy, recognizing that your team’s needs may differ across generations and individual circumstances.

Leadership isn’t about control; it’s about creating a community where people feel valued and connected. Work has never been just about tasks; it’s about contributing to something bigger and believing in it.

A New Focus for the Future

The debate over where we work is ultimately a distraction. The future of work isn’t about cubicles or kitchen tables, it’s about culture, relationships, and leadership. By prioritizing these elements, we can create workplaces where people thrive, no matter where they log in from.

Let’s stop focusing on location and start investing in the experiences that truly matter and leading with the credibility people are looking for as the navigate the world of work in this new world.

About the Author

Jenni Field is an international speaker, author, and strategist, specializing in transforming chaos into calm through effective communication. From Canada to Slovenia, she speaks on leadership credibility and impactful communication.

A respected leader, Jenni is known for her optimism, energy, and honesty.

Her podcast, “Redefining Communications with Jenni Field,” features 15-minute episodes with business advice. In 2021, she published “Influential Internal Communication.”

Jenni has led research projects, including studies on communication with deskless workers and frontline teams. Her 2023 research on credible leadership resulted in the book, “Nobody Believes You, Become a Leader People Will Follow.

For more information go to redefiningcomms.com

Do you wish to contribute to HR Spotlight? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your experience and expertise.

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Michael Ang – The Importance of DEI and Niche Recruitment Advertising in 2025

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The Importance of DEI and Niche Recruitment Advertising in 2025

– Michael Ang

As a long-time observer of recruitment advertising trends, I’ve witnessed the evolving landscape of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in job advertising practices.

The recruitment advertising landscape is transforming in 2025. Resilient teams must be strategic to attract top talent through their job ads.

Organizations that embrace DEI-focused job boards can expand candidate reach and leverage data-driven insights to inform advertising decisions in their job postings to ensure fair and inclusive outreach.

The new DEI recruitment advertising terrain

Recruiters face complex challenges in hiring talent that reflects their diverse communities. Targeted ad placements on diversity-focused job boards offer a dual solution.

These strategic placements help organizations build teams that best serve their communities while streamlining recruiters’ workloads.

By focusing on specialized job boards, recruiters reach qualified candidates more efficiently.

This targeted approach reduces time spent sifting through unqualified applications. It also increases the likelihood of finding candidates with unique perspectives and experiences that match community needs.

Strategic ad placements also allow recruiters to manage their time more effectively. Instead of casting a wide net across generic job boards, they can concentrate efforts on platforms known to attract diverse, qualified talent.

This focused strategy often leads to higher-quality applicants and shorter time-to-hire metrics.

Basic job advertising strategies no longer work. HR professionals must adapt their advertising approaches to navigate this new terrain effectively.

Strategies for better recruitment advertising in 2025

Diversity-focused publications and job boards play a crucial role in 2025.

Partnerships with professional organizations that champion inclusion boost job ad visibility to a wide range of candidates. Strategic ad placement increases the chances of building a workforce that mirrors and best serves the community and customer base.

Data drives better job advertising decisions.

Companies using data to refine recruitment ads see notable improvements. They analyze different ad channels, track applicant pool diversity from various ad spots, and measure focused ad impact on key business metrics.

Impact of refined recruitment advertising

Higher education serves as an excellent case study for the impact of refined DEI recruitment advertising.

Universities using targeted DEI advertising have seen remarkable results.

For instance, one state university refined its DEI recruitment advertising strategy by leveraging data-driven insights and targeted ad placements.

They saw a substantial increase in diverse applicants for faculty positions over two years, directly attributable to their refined advertising approach.

Access to advanced advertising technology, expertise, and data analysis allows organizations to make informed decisions about job ad placements and significantly improve diversity outcomes.

This insight highlights the importance of leveraging specialized tools and partnerships in DEI recruitment advertising efforts.

Recruitment advertising beyond 2025

To adapt to the evolving social and political landscape, organizations need to implement advertising strategies that are agile and informed.

This means regularly reviewing and updating job ad copy, staying tapped into legislative changes that might affect advertising practices, and continuously engaging with diverse communities to understand the most effective advertising channels.

Key strategies for impactful recruitment advertising in the coming years include regularly reviewing and updating job descriptions to ensure inclusive language, leveraging diverse advertising channels, implementing and refining bias mitigation techniques in job postings, and measuring and analyzing the effectiveness of DEI-focused and other niche job ads for continuous improvement.

As the social and political landscape continues to evolve, organizations cannot afford to remain passive in their recruitment advertising. The future of job advertising lies in proactive, inclusive, and data-informed strategies that go beyond checking boxes.

The future of recruitment advertising is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

By embracing these strategies and staying committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their job ads, organizations can attract truly diverse talent pools that drive innovation and success in an increasingly competitive global market.

About the Author

Michael Ang, CEO and Founder of JobElephant.com, Inc., leverages over two decades of recruitment advertising expertise.

Starting as a graphic designer in 1994, he established JobElephant in 2000, propelling it from his garage to national recognition.

Michael’s visionary leadership emphasizes outstanding service, personally managing numerous client accounts.

His focus on streamlining recruitment advertising processes has solidified JobElephant’s reputation for reliability and success.

Michael’s insights and commitment to excellence distinguish JobElephant as an industry leader.

Do you wish to contribute to HR Spotlight? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your experience and expertise.

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