O.C. Tanner's 2025 Global Culture Report urges leaders to close gaps between employee needs and benefits
OC Tanner has released its 2025 Global Culture Report during the Influence Greatness Virtual Conference.
Now in its seventh year, the report urges business leaders to prioritize employee care within their strategies. Based on insights from over 38,075 employees, leaders, and executives across 24 countries, the report emphasizes a shift from survival to thriving for employees.
The proposed Total Rewards framework aims to close the gap between organizational benefits and employee needs, particularly regarding compensation, physical health, and mental health support.
The report suggests that caring for employees fosters thriving workplaces.
Gary Beckstrand, Vice President of the OC Tanner Institute, stated, “This report shows that strategically optimizing Total Rewards by closing the gap between offerings and employee needs and continually reorganizing employees will create workplace cultures where people thrive and do their best work.”
The research identifies trends such as mental health’s influence on wellbeing, the role of emotional intelligence in workplace culture, and the importance of job transitions.
Key findings from the report include the following:
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One-third of employees are in ‘survival mode,’ feeling overwhelmed and anxious. Employees satisfied with their compensation are 228 percent more likely to feel fulfilled, and health benefits increase fulfillment by up to 259 percent.
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Strong recognition programs can save organizations around $8,000 annually per employee with probable depression.
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Employees are 68 times more likely to thrive when learning and career development are prioritized.
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Emotional intelligence, which includes empathy and communication, leads to 107 times higher chances of thriving.
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Smooth job transitions, such as onboarding and promotions, increase engagement and fulfillment by over 400 percent.
Mindi Cox, chief people, and marketing officer, noted that the report helps businesses understand how to meet employees' basic needs and provide care that enables thriving.
She emphasized, “These insights enable leaders to extend specific and strategic care to their people that enables them to better care for others in their lives.”
