Environments
Workplace culture, essentially the personality of an organization, is shaped more by how people treat each other than by systems, perks or policies. Despite significant investments in improving culture, many companies miss the mark because they overlook the everyday human interactions that make or break the employee experience.
These concepts were explored in an October 2022 Bonus Focus article, The Compassionate Culture: Being Kinder at Work, encouraging leaders and employees alike to model kindness through simple, intentional actions like listening, recognizing others and showing empathy. This challenges organizations to embed kindness into performance management, leadership expectations and cultural norms, making it a consistent and courageous part of how work gets done.
Since that article, the importance of kindness in the workplace has only intensified. Kindness now gets top billing in the title.
Research shows that how people are treated, especially by their managers, has the greatest impact on the employee experience. Gallup reports that managers account for 70% of the variance in engagement, and McKinsey found that toxic management is the No. 1 reason people quit, even more than pay.
Other factors matter too. Psychological safety, shown by Google to be the top trait of highperforming teams, helps people feel safe to speak up and take risks. And appreciation matters, a lot. OC Tanner found that when employees feel valued, they are far less likely to burn out and much more likely to stay engaged.
All this data maps directly to acts of kindness. What this means is that the employee experience, how happy you are at work, is mostly shaped by how you’re treated by the people you work for and with.
Yes, compensation, interesting work and development opportunities matter. But when you really boil it down, it comes back to how we treat one another.
Think about your current work situation. Are you generally happy? Or are you disengaged, coasting or quietly looking for something else? Your answer has something to do with how others are treating you.
The more we study kindness at work, the more we realize that kindness is a skill. Some people are naturally better at it than others, and there’s no shame in that. Like any skill, it just takes a willingness to be open and to learn.
Consider using the words kind, kinder and kindness, not terms like empathetic leadership or team player. Why? Because kindness lands more clearly and directly. We’ve all been taught about kindness from a young age: Say hi to the new kid, share your sandwich.
Well, those simple acts still hold up as adults in the workplace. Welcome your new colleague, share your knowledge or a sandwich if they forgot their lunch.
Ask a group of leaders or an audience, “What do you think about being kind at work?” You’ll often get a few side-eyes or even an eye roll. You know the look. Are we really about to sit around a campfire and sing Kumbaya? Maybe you’re giving that look right now. So, let’s talk about what kindness is and what it’s not. Kindness is intentional. It’s how we choose to treat others, especially when things are busy, stressful or unclear. It means moving kind acts from a nice-to-have to a must-have. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being aware. And when you make a mistake, misspeak or misstep (because you’re human), what you do to make it right is what matters. That moment can strengthen a relationship.
Kindness is not weakness. It is not avoiding hard conversations, withholding your opinion, tolerating poor performance, sugarcoating feedback or saying yes to everything. It is not performative or something you turn on when leadership is watching. And it is not one-size-fits-all. Kindness should never be mistaken for people pleasing or passivity.
Kindness and accountability can absolutely coexist. The way we approach tough situations is what makes all the difference.
Kindness improves trust, connection and team performance. It boosts well-being and lowers burnout. It creates psychological safety, which we know is foundational for innovation and inclusion.
And let’s be honest, it just feels better to work in a place where people are decent to one another. But if that doesn’t grab you, there’s also a business case.
Companies with kind, respectful cultures see better retention, stronger collaboration and higher performance. People who feel valued, seen and heard, and who feel like they matter, are more likely to stay, innovate and go the extra mile.
Teams built on kindness communicate more openly, solve problems faster and reach their goals more effectively. Plus, organizations known for treating people well tend to attract top talent. Customers notice too.
Kindness fuels connection. Connection drives results.
Assume positive intent, extend grace, say thank you, give the benefit of the doubt, check in on a remote colleague, share credit, offer help, have somebody’s back, find common ground, forgive someone and respect our differences. Every kind act contributes to the type of culture we all want to be part of.
Creating a kinder workplace isn’t just HR’s job. It’s not only a leadership initiative, it’s a shared responsibility. This belongs to all of us, at every level. Culture is built through the choices we make every day, and kindness needs to be part of that foundation.
That means weaving it into performance metrics, company values, engagement surveys, training and mentoring experiences. It means talking about kindness and what it looks like in team meetings, during offsites and in one-on-ones. It means acknowledging and rewarding kind acts. And yes, daring to actually use the word kind at work.
When kindness is treated as a real business priority, not just a feel-good concept, we create the kind of culture where people thrive. And where they want to stay.
So, the question becomes, how will you put kindness into motion?
Jamie Graceffa is the vice president, talent development, culture & inclusion at Quanterix, the founder and author of Kind Cards and the author of Career Control. Email Jamie at Jamie.Graceffa@gmail.com or connect through linkedin.com/in/jamie-graceffa.
