But as a researcher and leadership coach, I began asking: how does this apply to today’s workplace?

That question led me to develop a modern framework, building on Maslow’s theory, to measure workplace culture. Our research identified three key categories of workplace needs: basic, psychological, and growth needs.

🔹 Basic Needs

This is about how an organization supports its employees. In the post-COVID workplace, employees have more basic needs and higher expectations from their employers. These include:

▫️ Onboarding
▫️ Job Security
▫️ Networking
▫️ Inclusivity
▫️ Creative Workspace
▫️ Clean Workspace
▫️ Safe Workspace
▫️ Consideration
▫️ Wellbeing
▫️ Compensation
▫️ Benefits
▫️ Tools & Technology
▫️ Training

🔹 Psychological Needs

Our research shows that relationships at work matter more than ever. The psychological needs focus on how employees connect with their coworkers. We identified three key needs here:

▫️ Positive Interactions
▫️ Belonging
▫️ Camaraderie

🔹 Growth Needs

Here’s where leadership comes into play. The most significant finding at this level was that employees’ highest growth needs are directly tied to their relationship with their leaders. Employees look for leaders who model values, provide clear goals, and offer ongoing support. The 10 growth needs include:

▫️ Leadership Role Modeling
▫️ Values Role Modeling
▫️ Clear Goal Setting
▫️ Purpose Broadcasting
▫️ Constructive Feedback
▫️ Inclusive Decision Making
▫️ Belief in Potential
▫️ Mentoring
▫️ Coaching
▫️ Cohesiveness

The new hierarchy of workplace needs centers around leadership, cohesive teams, and an organization that truly understands the changing priorities of its people. Meeting these needs helps employees bring their best selves to work—what we call Culture-Actualization©.

This idea is also the core of my upcoming book, Leading With Culture: Second Edition, coming out in December. I’m excited to share more about how organizations can unlock their full potential by focusing on what their employees truly need.

hashtag#LeadingWithCulture hashtag#FutureofWork hashtag#CultureActualization