The State of Global Workplace Culture in 2023

An International Model for Building Better Workplaces

In June 2022, SHRM Research released its first study of global workplace culture trends in 12 countries around the world. While this research positioned a positive workplace culture as a powerful tool for attracting and retaining valuable talent worldwide, unfolding events in the past year have continued to turn the world of work upside-down. 

In light of these financial and economic upheavals, it’s fair to ask, does a positive workplace culture still matter to employees around the world? And, by implication, should employers continue to invest in it as an essential tool for retaining and empowering employees globally?

These critical questions are at the heart of The State of Global Workplace Culture in 2023 report. To answer them, we greatly expanded the scope and depth of this study for 2023, surveying 11,080 employees from 15 countries between December 2022 and April 2023. Not only did we survey more workers and in more countries, but we also sought to define aspects of workplace culture that have broad importance for employee outcomes in multiple countries.

The results of this study underscore that workplace culture matters, perhaps now more than ever. Regardless of where employees live and work, the reasons they choose to stay with their organization or look elsewhere are heavily influenced by company culture. In fact, our data paints a clear and consistent picture: Employees who work in organizations with a positive culture are not only more satisfied at work but are substantially more committed to their organization. In a time when a volatile global economy has hampered many organizations’ ability to offer higher compensation and financial benefits as a means to attract and retain employees, targeting company culture can help do exactly this without necessarily requiring costly financial investments. Even worldwide inflation cannot undo what SHRM Research has demonstrated time and again: Strategic investments in workplace culture continue to be vital for employers aspiring to maintain a competitive edge.