Creating a Culture of Good Work: How HR Can Foster Purpose and Positive Impact

Work defines so much of who we are. It’s where we spend the majority of our waking hours, where we form relationships, and where we seek purpose. But in too many workplaces, the focus remains only on efficiency, output, and the bottom line – at the expense of fairness, wellbeing, and, well… meaning.

HR has a lot of power to change that. As the stewards of workplace culture, HR leaders are uniquely positioned to transform organizations where people don’t just work but flourish. Where employees feel valued, where dignity is a given, and where work contributes to something much bigger than a paycheck.

Every year at Workhuman Live 2025, HR and business leaders from around the world will come together to think hard about the nature of work, and explore what it truly means to create workplaces that prioritize fairness, purpose, and wellbeing. Making good work the standard is something we feel very passionately about here at Workhuman.

Let’s talk about the philosophy behind good work, HR’s role in fostering it, and why Workhuman Live is the best place to connect with others working for the greater good.

What is good work and why does it matter?

Anyone who has ever held a job in the working world knows that not all work is good work. We’ve all seen what happens when it isn’t – when people feel overworked, undervalued, or disconnected from the impact of what they do. Having a job at all is certainly important, but when that work is fair, meaningful, and rooted in human connection, it becomes something greater. It fuels creativity, fosters belonging, and gives people a sense of purpose beyond the next deadline or deliverable.

Defining good work

We might be tempted to view good work as a job well done. And it can certainly be about good performance, but viewing work as “good work” is also very much about how things get done and who benefits from that effort. It’s about:

• Work that treats people with dignity, ensuring fair pay, safe conditions, and opportunities to grow.
• Work that aligns with purpose, helping employees see how their contributions make a difference.
• Work that fosters connection, creating environments where collaboration, recognition, and belonging thrive.

The business case for good work

Beyond its moral importance, good work practices are also good business. Organizations that prioritize fairness, purpose, and connection see real, measurable results:

• Employees stay longer. A Great Place to Work study found that employees who experience meaningful work are three to four times more likely to stay with their organization over the long term.
  
• Teams perform better. Research in The Open Psychology Journal concluded that team dynamics are significantly impacted by psychological safety, leading to better team learning, efficacy, and overall productivity.
  
• Companies build stronger brands. Consumers want to be associated with brands that reflect their values, notes a recent white paper by Jump Associates, which connects the dots between purpose and stronger long-term growth and profits that not only attracts top talent but also fosters greater customer loyalty.

Why good work is critical in 2025 and beyond

There is no question that the way we work is evolving. AI, automation, and new business models are reshaping the workforce, but one thing remains constant – people want their work to matter. HR leaders have a unique opportunity to ensure that as work changes it doesn’t lose its humanity.

HR and the moral responsibility of work

Every HR leader has likely faced a moment of reckoning – one where they ask themselves, “Am I just managing processes, or am I truly advocating for people?” The best HR leaders know the answer. Work is powered not by org charts, but by the people who show up every day, their wellbeing, their dignity, and their future.

HR has always been a caretaker of the human experience at work, but in 2025 and beyond, that role is evolving. Today, HR professionals are being called on to shape organizations where people aren’t just employees but individuals with aspirations, challenges, and the right to meaningful work.

HR’s role as a caretaker of the human at work

In a world increasingly shaped by technology and automation, HR’s responsibility to prioritize people over policies is more urgent than ever. According to Ravin Jesuthasan, a futurist, thought leader, and Workhuman Live 2025 speaker, HR must shift from simply managing workforces to designing work for humans.

It’s important to realize that this shift isn’t just theoretical. It’s happening in real time in our working lives. Leading organizations are investing in broader wellbeing programs, recognition initiatives, and AI-powered tools that enhance rather than replace human contributions. At Workhuman Live 2025, Ravin and other thought leaders will discuss the future of good work, and how HR can step into this expanded role with boldness, strategy, and a people-first mindset.

Workhuman’s ‘good work’ energy

Workhuman as a company has always tried to encourage the move toward more human, equitable, and purpose-driven work. It is at the heart of Workhuman’s mission, and part of why we invite people to ‘Join Our Force for Good’.

We’re not just talking about working conditions or job quality (though those are important). We’re also talking about driving real change in the quality of work and our work experiences. We spend one-third of our lives at work – shouldn’t that work align with our values and contribute to our wellbeing?

Making work better has also been a huge source of energy for the Workhuman Live conference. At Workhuman Live 2025, HR professionals will join a global network of people who believe in rethinking employment today, pushing for fairness, and making workplaces more human. This ethos is about recognizing that HR leaders have a unique opportunity to shape the future – not just within their organizations, but across industries and societies.

It’s important to remember that good work doesn’t happen in isolation. It requires new skills – and support from advocates, leaders, and changemakers who are willing to push for fairness, inclusivity, and purpose in their workplaces. That’s what our conference takes on: how to help every person who attends it return home and make work better, for themselves and their organizations.

The Good Work framework: how global initiatives are redefining work

HR leaders are not alone in this mission, and beyond Workhuman Live, many other organizations are sounding the call. Around the world, organizations and governing bodies are working to redefine what good work looks like. From ethical labor standards to AI regulations, these initiatives are shaping the future of work – offering both challenges and opportunities for HR professionals.

The World Economic Forum’s Good Work Alliance

One of the most influential movements shaping the future of work is the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Good Work Alliance. In collaboration with leading corporations– including Mercer, Unilever, and Deloitte – the WEF is championing 5 pillars of “good work principles” that focus on fairness, wellbeing, and sustainable work models.

These principles are centered around:

• Fair pay and job security – Advocating for ethical wages, transparent pay practices, and stability in employment
• Social protection and flexibility –  Protections for part-time and gig workers, as well as work-life balance and contingency planning
• Wellbeing and mental health – Encouraging organizations to treat wellbeing as a business priority, not just a perk
• Fairness and belonging – Ensuring that workplaces are designed for all employees to thrive, based on their contribution, regardless of background or identity
• Responsible AI integration – Establishing standards that ensure AI and automation support workers rather than replace them

At Workhuman Live, we love this. These topics always take center stage in our agenda as HR leaders explore implementing these principles in their own organizations – from rethinking employer talent models to embedding fairness into every stage of the employee experience.

The impact of AI and automation on good work

AI is redefining jobs, workflows, and even how decisions are made in the workplace. But the real question isn’t just what AI can do – it’s how organizations choose to use it. This was a big topic we heard from Workhuman CEO Eric Mosley at Davos this year, and is sure to figure prominently in his keynote.

HR must be the ethical gatekeeper in this evolution. The goal is not to simply automate tasks but to leverage AI in ways that enhance human potential.

• AI should augment – not replace – human workers. Ethical AI adoption ensures that technology enhances jobs rather than eliminating them.
• Automation should create better opportunities. Companies leading the charge in AI-driven transformation are reskilling employees and designing new career paths.
• HR leaders must advocate for fairness. The risk of AI-driven bias is real – HR must ensure that technology doesn’t reinforce existing inequalities in hiring, promotions, or pay.

These are some of the most pressing issues facing HR today. How do we ensure AI works for people, not instead of people? What policies can organizations implement now to avoid unintended consequences? These are the big conversations that will be happening at Workhuman Live 2025.

What leading organizations are doing to build good work

The best companies in the world understand that good work isn’t a trend – it’s a competitive advantage. The organizations we mentioned earlier, like Unilever, Microsoft, and Salesforce, are all actively implementing policies that:

• Offer flexible work arrangements that prioritize employee wellbeing over rigid structures.
• Invest in skills training and career mobility to prepare employees for the future of work.
• Ensure recognition and fairness through transparent pay practices, unbiased promotions, and AI-driven workforce analytics that remove bias from decision-making.

These organizations recognize that good work means making a promise to workers to help them grow and thrive, building workplaces where employees want to contribute, stay, and grow.

TL;DR: The future of good work starts with HR

The way we work is changing – but HR leaders have the power to ensure it changes for the better. And that’s exactly what Workhuman Live 2025 is about.

At Workhuman Live, you’ll join a global network of HR and business leaders committed to making work better. You’ll hear from visionary speakers like Adam Grant, Ravin Jesuthasan, Eric Mosley, and Cy Wakeman, explore real-world strategies for creating fair, purpose-driven workplaces, and engage in the conversations that will shape the future.

If you believe that work should be more than a paycheck, then Workhuman Live is where you need to be. 

Join us at Workhuman Live 2025 and join our force for good!

About Darcy Jacobsen

Darcy is a passionate storyteller and champion of workforce transformation, human connection, and recognition-driven culture. As an author on the Workhuman Live Blog, she loves to connect deep research insights with modern workplace dynamics to uncover what really drives engagement, belonging, and happiness at work. With a background in communications and a master’s in medieval history, she brings a unique perspective to her writing, taking deep dives into all topics around organizational psychology and the science of gratitude.