Good employers are often organised, compliant and well-intentioned. The organisations people talk about fondly -  the ones they stay with, recommend, and feel proud to be part of - they feel different. They’re built on trust, fairness, clarity and great human leadership. Not shiny perks, bold statements or culture decks that never quite make it into real life.

1. Purpose matters, but so does meaningful work

Most organisations can articulate a purpose. Far fewer make it feel real in someone’s role.

People don’t just want to believe in why an organisation exists; they want their own work to feel meaningful within it. That means understanding how their role contributes, where it fits, and why it matters. When people feel disconnected from their impact, purpose quickly becomes background noise.

And people notice when purpose disappears under pressure. When priorities shift or budgets tighten, that’s when values are tested. If purpose is quietly parked the moment things get uncomfortable, cynicism creeps in fast. Once people stop believing what they’re being told, trust is hard to rebuild.

UK engagement research consistently shows higher levels of engagement where organisations genuinely consider people-focused issues in decision-making, rather than treating them as an afterthought. In places where people feel overlooked or sidelined, engagement drops and frustration rises.

2. Trust is built through fairness, clarity and follow-through

Trust isn’t built through big gestures, it’s built slowly -  through repeated everyday experiences.

People need to believe that decisions are fair, that expectations are clear, and that opportunities aren’t reserved for a select few. Fairness and equity matter, not just in theory, but in how decisions are made and explained. Trust erodes quickly in environments where things feel opaque. When people don’t understand how performance is assessed, what the next step in their career means for them, why certain decisions were made, or what “good” actually looks like, uncertainty creeps in. And uncertainty almost always leads to disengagement.

Just as damaging are false promises. Saying “we’ll look into it” and never coming back. Asking for feedback and doing nothing with it, and talking about wellbeing while rewarding burnout. People don’t expect perfection, but they do expect honesty and action.

3. Boundaries, communication and feeling properly heard

Healthy organisations have boundaries - not cold or rigid ones, but clear, respectful ones. Boundaries around workload, availability, decision-making and communication protect people’s energy and help work feel sustainable. When boundaries aren’t clear, people fill in the gaps themselves, often by overworking, over-explaining or staying silent when something doesn’t feel right.

Communication plays a huge role here. Not just sharing information, but listening properly. Feeling truly listened to, without being interrupted, dismissed or placated, is one of the strongest contributors to psychological safety. When people believe their voice matters, they’re far more likely to raise concerns early, before things escalate.

4. Managers shape how work feels

Most people experience culture through their manager and team. Values, policies and purpose only matter if they show up in everyday interactions. We see again and again that when leaders and managers lack emotional intelligence and when they avoid difficult conversations, dismiss concerns, or react defensively, work becomes draining. People either stop speaking up, submit grievances, or leave.

Leaders with strong emotional intelligence create very different environments. They’re curious rather than reactive. They notice when something’s off. They’re willing to sit with discomfort, listen properly, and respond with compassion as well as clarity. This matters even more in diverse teams, where people may communicate, process and perceive situations differently. Without understanding and education, misunderstandings can escalate quickly, not because anyone meant harm, but because nobody slowed things down early enough to really understand each other.

5. Action is what makes the difference

Organisations people love don’t happen by accident. They’re built through deliberate choices about how people are treated, how leaders show up, and how power is used. Psychological safety, respect and trust don’t come from words alone. They come from leaders taking action - following through, holding boundaries, addressing issues early, and showing genuine empathy when people struggle.

HR and People teams play a vital role in shaping these conditions, not by policing behaviour, but by supporting leaders to lead with emotional intelligence and humanity. Because when people feel respected, listened to, treated fairly and able to do meaningful work, organisations stop feeling like places you endure. They become places people genuinely want to be part of.