Making Work Human

Making Work Human Plot Summary

Introduction

Imagine walking into your workplace and feeling a sense of genuine belonging. Picture a manager who not only values your technical skills but truly sees you as a complete human being. This isn't a fantasy from some idealistic workplace dream—it's the reality being created by forward-thinking organizations around the world who understand that business success and human-centered practices go hand in hand. In today's rapidly changing business landscape, companies face unprecedented challenges—from technological disruption to shifting employee expectations. The old command-and-control models are failing, while organizations that embrace humanity are thriving. This fundamental shift recognizes that people aren't merely resources to be deployed but whole human beings with complex needs, emotions, and aspirations. Through compelling research and transformative case studies, we'll explore how recognition, purpose, feedback, inclusion, and thoughtful rewards create workplaces where people can bring their full selves and do their best work. When organizations make space for humanity, they don't just improve employee satisfaction—they unlock remarkable business outcomes that drive sustainable success.

Chapter 1: The Humanity Challenge: Why Traditional Workplaces Fall Short

Steve Pemberton grew up in foster homes in Massachusetts, a child lost in an overwhelmed system, subject to abuse and neglect. When he was just eighteen months old, a babysitter wrote, "Dropped Steve off at the latest family his mother is boarding him out to... he cried his heart out... this little boy doesn't have a chance in the world." But one day, a neighbor named Mrs. Levin noticed the young African American boy reading a tattered paperback. The following week she brought him a box of books, beginning his mental and emotional liberation. He discovered his love for reading and learning, and eventually found others who helped him, giving him a permanent home. Today, Steve Pemberton serves as the chief human resources officer of Workhuman. He speaks around the country about his story and about the stories of all children who need a chance—and the power of one person, in one moment, to make a difference in another's life. His journey from abandoned child to corporate leader illustrates the profound impact of human connection and recognition. We are at an inflection point in how work is managed, planned, and experienced. Tidal waves of technology, globalization, and disruption require business leaders to redesign their organizations to be more agile, connected, and team-focused, less bureaucratic. Organizations are rethinking jobs, and people are rethinking careers as continuous learning journeys. This is revolution, not evolution, and humans are at the heart of this change. As business evolves, HR professionals face fundamental questions: How can people work well together? Why would someone choose one employer over another? What can humans do better than machines? What makes work meaningful? The Edelman Trust Barometer found that while trust is declining in government and other institutions, trust in corporations is rising—particularly in those that authentically pursue a higher purpose beyond profits. Employees give their highest levels of trust to their close team members. In this new landscape, the most competitive companies are evolving toward uniquely human qualities: inspiration, social connection, diversity, individual empowerment, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. They understand that these qualities drive innovation, problem-solving, and sustainable success. Meanwhile, companies clinging to rigid hierarchies find themselves in a downward spiral, unable to attract talent and increasingly less competitive in the marketplace.

Chapter 2: Recognition: The Heart of Working Human

"Merck has always been a company that has put our patients and people first. When you think of that caring kind of environment, recognition fits in really well," explains Michaela Leo, Director of Compensation Programs and Analytics at Merck. "We are a big company, with about 70,000 people around the globe, so we want them to be able to say, 'Thank you,' in as many different languages as possible." Leo recalls two favorite moments from their recognition program: "We were at a Digital Innovation Summit soon after we launched Merck's Inspire recognition program. An employee stopped by the Inspire booth to let us know how she was able to go to Lowe's and completely redo her bathroom with all of the points she received from her recognition, which she was so thrilled about. I know another colleague in one of our Asian markets who was so excited about being able to go online and shop for luggage before going on vacation." What makes these moments powerful goes beyond the tangible rewards. "If you're a social person and you use Inspire even to say, 'Thank you,' it's more than just you and the person who receives that thanks. Other people see it and say, 'Hey, Sally, great job. You are always so helpful.' And then they build on that. People love to receive a personal note of thanks, and to express gratitude. It's a win-win either way." Social recognition is the practice of people recognizing and rewarding each other's efforts, using positive feedback to unlock human potential. It's the foundation for creating a more human workplace because it reinforces shared purpose and gives individual meaning through gratitude. A consistent stream of appreciation improves performance, deepens relationships, drives engagement, ties together geographically dispersed teams, inspires better work, and builds trust. There are three essential reasons to create moments of gratitude. First is the gratitude itself, with all the derivative benefits for both giver and receiver. That positive energy echoes out into the culture as more people describe good performance and extra effort. Second, recognition creates teachable moments, when you can highlight positive behavior and results for all to see. Third, a social platform driven by gratitude expands and enriches a database of human-to-human interactions, finding evidence-based pathways to better performance. When a manager or peer expresses thanks, we call that a recognition moment. For improving the workplace, we're talking about more than common courtesy, like thanking someone for holding a door. Recognition calls out employee performance and makes a permanent record of the effort and thanks. That permanent record is the raw material of human applications that can transform organizations from the inside out.

Chapter 3: Purpose, Meaning, and Gratitude: The Core Human Experience

Grant Beckett, Vice President of Product Strategy at Workhuman, was recovering from a car accident when he went for a walk in the woods with his daughter and their dog. Pushing further than usual, they came upon an extraordinary sight—rows of colorful cloths hanging from strings stretched between trees like a giant cat's cradle. Each piece of cloth had expressions of gratitude written on them, flapping joyfully in the wind. "We walked through the web reading: 'I am grateful for my family.' 'I am grateful for these woods.' 'I feel so lucky and grateful for my best friend.' 'My work in a hospital makes me feel grateful that I am healthy,'" recalls Beckett. His daughter explained that this had started as a short-term school project years ago, testing whether strangers would take a moment to write messages of gratitude. The response had been so overwhelming that the school decided to leave the experiment in place, allowing it to expand organically. "My daughter and I each reached for a piece of cloth and marker," Beckett continues. "I wrote how grateful I was for my family and friends helping me each day to recover. My daughter simply expressed gratitude in the goodness of others." This forest discovery reminded Beckett of his work at Workhuman—how social recognition programs thrive because of the innate human desire to express gratitude, creating a permanent, never-ending web of human connectedness. Purpose, meaning, and gratitude are at the heart of the employee experience. Purpose belongs to all—it's an organization's role in society, its fundamental reason for being. Meaning is unique to the individual—it's a person's interpretation of how the company's purpose relates to their individual life. Gratitude builds lasting connections between people—it's the human bond that transforms transactions into relationships. Companies with a strong sense of purpose inspire their employees to be more productive and innovative. According to a Harvard Business School study, organizations with a clearly articulated and understood purpose are more likely to grow—58 percent of these companies experienced growth exceeding 10 percent, compared to just 42 percent of companies not prioritizing purpose. Meaningful work is the largest contributor to a positive employee experience. When asked, "What makes you stay at your company?" the top answer for 32 percent of respondents was, "My job—I find the work meaningful." Among those recognized within the last six months, 93 percent agreed with the statement, "The work we do at my organization has meaning and purpose for me." Gratitude magnifies both purpose and meaning. As Dr. Robert A. Emmons, author of Gratitude Works!, notes: "Gratitude is the magic pill we're all searching for. We have it for free; there are no side effects; you can practice it anytime. Research shows that the moment you begin to think of something you are grateful for, your brain is firing dopamine. Practicing gratitude actually creates new neurons in the brain."

Chapter 4: Performance Management: Feedback That Empowers Growth

The Leadership & Organizational Development team at CAE, a global leader in training for civil aviation, defense, and healthcare markets, was tasked with completely overhauling its performance management process. "It came out loud and clear in our employee surveys that our performance management process was not contributing to a positive employee experience," explains Manager Lisa Stedel-Smith. "Our CEO said, 'We need to blow this up,' and gave us full support." CAE employees worked hard all year, but the annual performance evaluation focused on a five-point rating scale rather than rich feedback and development. "CAE instituted a new system called CAE+me focused on ongoing, frequent one-to-one conversations, multisource feedback, and agile goal setting," Stedel-Smith continues. "We make it an open conversation that they may have a number of times throughout the year, and user experience and value is at the center of this approach. It's opening up the dialogue and people are having more authentic conversations." Marine Messin, CAE's director of Leadership & Organizational Development, adds: "The rating system just gives management a false sense of security. This is more transparent and creates a richer conversation and understanding. And yes, it requires more courage from leaders." This shift from performance management to performance development reflects a fundamental change in how organizations approach employee growth and success. Traditional performance management systems relied on annual goal setting and review cycles. Employees were given goals at the beginning of the year, and at the end of the year they would review results with a manager in what author Daniel Pink called "a form of kabuki theater"—a highly stylized ritual. Then new annual goals were decided, and the process lapsed for the next 52 weeks. Despite these efforts, only 2 in 10 American employees said their performance was managed in a way that motivates them to do outstanding work. Today's business environment no longer tolerates this ponderous pace. Conditions change too quickly, and performance management must become as responsive as the rest of the organization. The key is to flip the focus from past performance to future development. The classic old-school review was focused about 80 percent on the past and 20 percent on the future. Employees and organizations are better served when we reverse that ratio—20 percent about the past, 80 percent about the future. At its heart, effective performance management is about continuous learning. In the 30 years since MIT professor Peter Senge popularized the term "learning organization," his proposals such as personal mastery and team learning have become widely accepted. Yet the most powerful component of a learning culture isn't formal systems—it's conversation. Ongoing communication among all members of the enterprise weaves learning into the flow of work: conversations between managers and employees, among peers, and with far-flung colleagues who might otherwise never meet.

Chapter 5: Diversity and Inclusion: Building Belonging Through Recognition

Renee Kaspar, Chief People Officer at Octane Lending, shares a powerful realization from her previous job: "I led 'Bring Your Children to Work' Day. One year we had 50 or 60 kids in the big executive conference room, and the kids were black, white, girls, boys, Hispanic, Asian. I had never seen that table surrounded by this beautiful gift of diversity. And I'll never forget the moment that I realized that these were the children of all the employees but none of the executives." As one of only two women on the senior team, Kaspar investigated further: "I checked the statistics of our workforce and saw the clear pattern: People of all backgrounds rose in responsibility and status but once they hit director level, diversity just fell off a cliff. Then I analyzed what was said in the performance reviews and guess what? At the director level, men got 40 percent more 'exceeds expectations' rankings than women. The performance evaluation language was skewing the results of the process, and unconsciously diminishing people. I spent the rest of my time at that company doing something about it." This story illustrates a fundamental challenge in diversity and inclusion efforts: unconscious bias. To understand this phenomenon, consider a mystery that began more than 100 years ago. In 1913, the Queen's Hall Orchestra in London accepted six female violinists—the first women to perform in a major symphony orchestra. Yet even when orchestras held blind auditions decades later, where musicians played behind screens with their names withheld, men still overwhelmingly won auditions. Why? The answer was footsteps. Judges were unconsciously identifying players as male or female based on the sound of their footsteps on the stage. When carpet was added to the stage so footfalls couldn't be heard, the likelihood of female musicians being chosen increased by 30 percent. Diversity and inclusion practices are maturing after three decades of compliance-based efforts. Phase 1 meant recruiting and retaining a more diverse workforce. Phase 2 focused on inclusion—making sure diverse employees felt valued and heard. Phase 3, which is just beginning, aims at uncovering and understanding the biases and blind spots that everyone has, making progress toward a broader mindset. As Brené Brown notes, "If you have a conversation around race, ethnicity, class, age, gender, sexual identity... you will get your ass handed to you and every one of your fears about, 'Oh my God, my words aren't gonna match what I'm thinking about somebody, and I'm going to be called a racist or a sexist.' And all that is probably true. But you do it anyway, because it's the right thing to do." Data analysis of recognition patterns can reveal hidden biases. For example, research shows that women receive more recognition awards than men but at 12 percent less monetary value. Similarly, Hispanic, Black, and Asian demographics receive less monetary value than whites overall. These patterns emerge even when people are deliberately trying to spread positivity and appreciation. By analyzing these patterns, organizations can create awareness, acceptance, and action to address unconscious bias in a positive, constructive way.

Chapter 6: Redesigning Rewards: Moving Beyond Traditional Compensation

Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard, highlights a fundamental disconnect in many reward systems: "The first thing companies need to be aware of is that there is a folly in telling people, 'We want you to team up, we want you to work well together,' and then rewarding them only as individuals. It's asking people to live with an inherent contradiction." Edmondson continues, "How to do that is just make sure that, first, a substantial portion of the reward system is based on collective performance: How did our unit do? How did our project do? How did our company do? And second, make sure there aren't direct contradictions built into the reward system: like we want you to work together but then we're going to force rank you." This insight cuts to the heart of how rewards shape behavior and culture. Peter Newhouse, Executive Vice President of Global Rewards for Unilever, offers another perspective: "I've done compensation design for 39 years and I guarantee you, we don't know what motivates you... but I'm certain that you do know what motivates you." Newhouse describes Unilever's reengineered compensation plan, which enables employees to design their own mix of fixed compensation (salary and benefits) and variable compensation (bonus and co-investing in Unilever shares). The idea is to put greater compensation choice in the hands of individual employees, so they can design their total rewards according to their specific needs and motivations. Traditional annual bonuses have significant drawbacks. The psychological benefit of receiving an annual bonus typically lasts about a month, and then tapers off. These bonuses are also too predictable—because of their regularity, they become transactional and rarely make an impact as true incentives. When they're withheld, it can introduce real or perceived bias. Additionally, annual bonuses are inflexible in today's agile work environment. A more effective approach is to dedicate at least 1 percent of payroll to "anyone-to-anyone" recognition and rewards. This "penny of every payroll dollar" threshold creates a significant impact. Organizations that invest more in recognition are more likely to be award-winning workplaces—"Best workplaces" cultural awards were earned by 55 percent of companies investing 1 percent or more, while only 22 percent of those making zero investment earned that distinction. Crowdsourced variable pay can be implemented by dedicating this small portion of the overall payroll budget to social recognition. The social platform empowers everyone in the organization to award part of that variable-pay investment to multiple employees many times a year. Such a system creates a greater impact than lump-sum bonuses given annually, and it aligns with the organization's cultural values while fostering equality, inclusion, and fairness.

Chapter 7: Leading Humans: Wisdom from Visionary Practitioners

Kat Cole, COO and president of North America at FOCUS Brands, shares a profound story about clarity of purpose. During humanitarian work in a village in Ethiopia, Cole asked village leaders about their priorities. They answered simply: "Our number one priority is water. We need to get it to the places it needs to go to water our farms and vegetation, and we need to sanitize it so we can drink it and have proper nutrition and hygiene." When Cole's colleague asked about their number two, three, and four priorities, the villagers laughed. "Our number two priority is water. Our number three priority is water, and our number four priority is water. You can build us a school if you want, but if we're sending our children to go get water, they won't be in the classroom." This encounter gave Cole a leadership epiphany: "It was as if my mind floated up and observed us, and I thought, 'Wow, they're so clear on their priorities. If I could only be that clear. In my business, with my teams, in my personal life. If I could only be that clear!'" When she returned home, Cole began asking her teams at FOCUS Brands: "What is our water? What is the one thing to do right now so that everything else would get better on its own?" Other visionary leaders offer complementary wisdom. Nataly Kogan, founder of Happier @ Work, emphasizes the power of gratitude: "Gratitude is the magic pill we're all searching for. When people practice gratitude during times of challenge or stress, it is a significant source of resilience." Shawn Achor notes the importance of social bonds: "Having those social bonds is one of the greatest predictors of resilience and grit." Simon Sinek challenges leaders to play "the infinite game"—focusing not on how much you can gain, but how much you can help others gain. Susan Cain reminds us that leadership comes in many forms, noting that Jim Collins' Good to Great research found exceptional companies were led by people described as "quiet, unassuming, low-key, soft-spoken, and even shy." Amy Cuddy emphasizes the importance of personal power: "When we are present, when we're showing up as our authentic selves, we're basically putting this trustworthy side of ourselves forth. We're saying to people, 'I'm gonna show you who I am.' We're being vulnerable. It allows other people to do the same." Adam Grant highlights the importance of diverse voices: "If we really want diversity of thought in organizations, if we really want original ideas, we need more white men to step up and use that privilege that exists to make sure that the ideas of people who are underrepresented are heard." Christine Porath emphasizes civility: "Organizations are starting to separate themselves by being known for their culture. And hopefully others try to follow suit and raise the bar." Gary Hamel observes that "Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest, said a company is stronger if it's bound by love rather than fear." And Brené Brown reminds us that "If you're brave with your life, you're going to know failure. You're going to know disappointment. You're going to know setbacks. If you love somebody, you're going to get your heart broken. That's why I think the heartbroken are probably the bravest among us, because they had the courage to love."

Summary

Making work human is not merely a philosophical ideal—it's a practical imperative for organizations seeking sustainable success in today's complex business landscape. Throughout this exploration, we've seen how human-centered practices transform both people and performance. Recognition creates a virtuous cycle of gratitude and connection. Purpose and meaning provide the emotional fuel that drives discretionary effort. Continuous feedback replaces outdated performance rituals with growth-oriented conversations. Inclusive practices uncover and address the subtle biases that limit human potential. And thoughtfully designed rewards align with our deepest human needs for fairness, choice, and appreciation. The most powerful insight emerging from these interwoven threads is deceptively simple: what's good for people is good for business. Organizations that invest in humanity—that give at least one penny of every payroll dollar to peer recognition, that flip performance management from past-focused to future-focused, that tackle unconscious bias with data and compassion—don't sacrifice results for feel-good practices. They achieve superior outcomes precisely because they honor the full humanity of their workforce. As we navigate an increasingly automated future, our uniquely human qualities—creativity, empathy, connection, and purpose—become our greatest competitive advantage. By creating workplaces where people can thrive as whole human beings, we don't just transform organizations; we transform lives, communities, and perhaps even the very nature of work itself.

About Author

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Eric Mosley

Eric Mosley, the author of The Crowdsourced Performance Review, is the co-founder and CEO of Globoforce. Eric has been directing the path of Globoforce as the innovator in the recognition industry since the company's beginning. His vision to raise employee recognition from a tactical, unmeasured, and under-valued effort to a global strategic program with clear measures for performance and success is now being realized in some of the world's largest and most complex organizations. Eric's work has been published in such publications as Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, and Fortune, and he has also presented at industry and investment conferences around the world. Eric is also the co-author of the critically-acclaimed book Winning with a Culture of Recognition.Prior to joining Globoforce, Eric established himself as an accomplished Internet consultant and architect having held varied management and technology roles in CSK Software, Bull Cara Group and Logica Aldiscon. He holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics, Computers and Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Dublin, Trinity College.

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