Employee Engagement & Workplace Stories

THE EMPLOYEE JOURNEY

From first-day excitement to career transitions, The Employee Journey captures every milestone of work life. It explores how hiring, learning, recognition, and well-being shape employee experiences. Designed for both professionals and HR leaders, it bridges understanding, showing what today’s workforce values most and how organizations can nurture growth at every step.

AI as a Strategic HR Co-Pilot, Not a Replacement

A column by Preethy Suresh

A practical framework for founders and HR leaders to integrate AI into decision-making, predictive workforce insights, and capability planning, ensuring technology enhances strategic judgment without over-automating people strategy.

You Are the Culture

A column by Dr. Louise Lambert

Forget initiatives, frameworks, and checklists. This column challenges leaders to rethink their role in shaping workplace wellbeing, not as something they manage, but something they embody. Through sharp insights and real-world practices, it reveals how leadership behaviour directly influences trust, performance, and emotional climate across teams.

Nobody Trusts AI Because the CEO Said So

Why do employees abandon AI tools even after successful training? A customer care team's experience reveals that workplace AI adoption depends less on executive endorsement and more on trust, peer learning and employees' confidence in their own judgement. Image Courtesy: Preethy Suresh What a stalled rollout in one customer care team taught me about how adoption actually spreads I've been working with an e-commerce company whose customer care team used to start every mornin

2 days ago3 min read

The Conversation You’re Avoiding Isn’t Going Away

That awkward conversation sitting at the bottom of your to-do list? Avoiding it may feel easier today, but unresolved issues have a habit of getting heavier. Dr. Louise Lambert explores why managers delay difficult conversations and how addressing concerns early, calmly and respectfully can protect relationships, strengthen trust and make work easier for everyone. Image Courtesy: AI-generated No one likes difficult conversations: not the person you need to have them with a

Sep 245 min read

Nobody Trusts AI Because the CEO Said So

Why do employees abandon AI tools even after successful training? A customer care team's experience reveals that workplace AI adoption depends less on executive endorsement and more on trust, peer learning and employees' confidence in their own judgement. Image Courtesy: Preethy Suresh What a stalled rollout in one customer care team taught me about how adoption actually spreads I've been working with an e-commerce company whose customer care team used to start every mornin

2 days ago3 min read

The Meeting Ended. Did Your Mind Move On?

Martina Maya, Founder of HypnoBond Private, explores what happens to our attention in the small moments between meetings, conversations and responsibilities; and why understanding these overlooked transitions could add an important dimension to employee wellbeing. Image Courtesy: AI-generated We move from one meeting, conversation or responsibility to another in seconds. Our attention does not always make the same transition quite so quickly. A meeting ends at 10:00. Th

Sep 255 min read

The Conversation You’re Avoiding Isn’t Going Away

That awkward conversation sitting at the bottom of your to-do list? Avoiding it may feel easier today, but unresolved issues have a habit of getting heavier. Dr. Louise Lambert explores why managers delay difficult conversations and how addressing concerns early, calmly and respectfully can protect relationships, strengthen trust and make work easier for everyone. Image Courtesy: AI-generated No one likes difficult conversations: not the person you need to have them with a

Sep 245 min read

Why Inner Excellence Is the Missing Link in Employee Happiness

Razan Badri, Founder & CEO, RAZAN BADRI CONSULTING RBC FZ LLC, advocates cultivating Inner Excellence, that is helping individuals reconnect with their strengths, purpose, and potential to drive employee happiness, engagement, and leadership growth. | Written by Razan Badri We often talk about employee happiness in terms of workplace culture, leadership, flexibility, compensation, and benefits. While all of these are important, I believe there is one crucial ingredient that i

Jul 213 min read

Your AI Strategy Isn't Failing. It's in the Dip.

Why the productivity crash you're seeing right now is the precondition for the payoff, not evidence there won't be one. | Written by Preethy Suresh PwC's 29th Global CEO Survey, released at Davos in January 2026, asked 4,454 chief executives across 95 countries a direct question. Has AI produced increased revenue or reduced costs at your company over the last 12 months? 56% said neither. Only 12% could point to both. This isn't researchers judging pilots from the outside. Th

Jul 64 min read

When Football Meets the Workplace: Managing Employee Experience During FIFA 2026

As FIFA 2026 captures the attention of millions across the GCC, organizations face a unique challenge: balancing productivity with employee wellbeing. Kristina Vaneva explores how forward-thinking employers can turn World Cup fever into an opportunity to strengthen engagement, trust, and workplace culture. | Written by Kristina Vaneva, Employee Experience Professional and Founder of Beyond Plus The 2026 FIFA World Cup is here, and it's bringing a massive overtime shift for th

Jun 185 min read

Why Employee Happiness Begins Long Before Wellness Programs

Safety Culture Isn't a Compliance Program. It's One of the Foundations of Employee Happiness. | Written by Ryan Mitchell The Wellbeing Paradox We have never talked more about employee wellbeing than we do today. Organizations invest billions in wellness programs, engagement initiatives, mental health support, flexible working arrangements, and employee experience strategies. Yet despite this unprecedented focus, employee engagement remains stubbornly low across much of the wo

Jun 176 min read

AI-Led Layoffs Have a Leadership Problem. And Businesses Are Starting to Pay for It

As companies race to cut costs in the name of AI, many are discovering an uncomfortable truth: automation without thoughtful workforce design creates more disruption than value. The issue isn’t AI itself, it’s how leaders are choosing to implement it. | Written by Preethy Suresh The headlines have been relentless. IBM announced roughly 8,000 job cuts in 2024, with HR functions specifically named as targets for AI replacement. Salesforce eliminated 4,000 customer support roles

Jun 14 min read

What Do We Mean by Psychological Safety at Work?

We often think of workplace happiness as something that can be built through policies, programmes, or perks. But the truth is, most people don’t remember those. They remember moments. | Written by Riya Malhotra A manager who helped them find clarity when things felt overwhelming. A team that stepped in without hesitation when something personal came up. A conversation that turned a setback into a chance to improve. These moments are easy to overlook because they don’t feel ex

May 191 min read

Emotional Contagion

Managers shape more than performance; they shape emotional climate. In her second column for Employee Happiness Daily, Dr. Louise Lambert explores how emotional contagion influences team behaviour, decision-making, and psychological safety, and why the way leaders show up matters more than they realise. | Written by Dr. Louise Lambert Most managers believe they are paid to manage performance. Targets, delivery, quality, timelines. And they are. But there is something else the

May 185 min read

Things HR Pretend Not to See at Work

Ku Sim Ling, popularly known as AuntyHR™, is an HR influencer, former Corporate Services Director, and industry voice with 20+ years of experience, making workplace topics engaging, accessible, and refreshingly honest. | April 2026 Edition Happiness Takeaways At a Glance Culture lives beyond policies, in everyday human behaviour Not every issue requires intervention; judgement matters Influence often works better than authority in leadership challenges Early signs of disengag

Apr 204 min read

Caring for the Caregivers: Building Resilience and Compassion in Home Healthcare

Dr Christina Tiong, Chief Executive Officer, Home Nursing Foundation, shares how the organisation nurtures resilience, compassion, and wellbeing among teams delivering deeply personal care in community settings. | April 2026 Edition Happiness Perspective • Wellbeing support must be holistic, practical, and continuous • Compassionate care starts with emotionally supported teams • Autonomy works best when balanced with strong team connection • Purpose alone is not enough, cons

Apr 203 min read

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Wednesday, 28 October 2026

THE EMPLOYEE JOURNEY

AI as a Strategic HR Co-Pilot, Not a Replacement

You Are the Culture

Nobody Trusts AI Because the CEO Said So

The Conversation You’re Avoiding Isn’t Going Away

OTHER READS.

Nobody Trusts AI Because the CEO Said So

The Meeting Ended. Did Your Mind Move On?

The Conversation You’re Avoiding Isn’t Going Away

Why Inner Excellence Is the Missing Link in Employee Happiness

Your AI Strategy Isn't Failing. It's in the Dip.

When Football Meets the Workplace: Managing Employee Experience During FIFA 2026

Why Employee Happiness Begins Long Before Wellness Programs

AI-Led Layoffs Have a Leadership Problem. And Businesses Are Starting to Pay for It

What Do We Mean by Psychological Safety at Work?

Emotional Contagion

Things HR Pretend Not to See at Work

Caring for the Caregivers: Building Resilience and Compassion in Home Healthcare

The Pulse of Joyous Working