With employee retention top of mind for many leaders this year, finding ways to ensure their teams are happy, healthy and heard is likely to be at the top of their to-do lists for 2025. One of the most effective ways to improve retention to improve employees is to create a better one working environment in which they can thrive. Whether that means better lines of communication, greater flexibility, or a more supportive atmosphere, there are countless ways to create a space where staff wants to work.
As business leaders themselves, the members of Rolling Stone Cultural Council have cultivated their own work environments, and below they discuss what has worked well for them and how business leaders can create a better environment for their employees in the new year.
Model a healthy work-life balance
I think encouragingly And modeling a healthy work-life balance for employees promotes a truly healthy environment. The impact is that people bring their best, most creative and productive versions of themselves to the workplace. – Judy Dashiell, National Fisheries Institute
Create a no-blame environment
Creating a guilt-free environment gives employees the feeling that they can do their job and stretch beyond their comfort zones. It’s important to let them innovate and try new things beyond what you could have planned. Our amazing computer engineering team has developed transformative tools and plugins, all thanks to the ability to make mistakes without fault. – Jason Hennessey, Hennessey Digital
Keep open lines of communication
When employees feel like their voices are heard, they are more engaged, motivated, and invested in the company’s success. By checking in, encouraging transparency, and responding to feedback, leaders can create a culture of collaboration, leading to higher morale, better retention, and more unified team dynamics. – Kristin Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
Create an atmosphere where people can thrive
Work can be physically and mentally demanding, and that’s okay; if the atmosphere is right, it can also be incredibly rewarding. Lead a powerful team where people feel valued and respected. Invite collaboration and recognize meaningful contributions. And finally, reward that hard work by taking into account the time you spend away from work. – Eileen Valois, Go West Creative
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Treat employees like people and assume a positive intention
Here are two crucial takeaways to create a better business environment in 2025: Treat your employees as people first and always assume positive intent. This combination is extremely powerful. When employees feel respected as people, they can bring their full selves to the workplace. And when a positive intention is assumed by default, empathy and humility quickly follow. – Then Giuliani, Volt Athletics
Offer flexible work policies and support resources
By 2025, business leaders can create a better environment by prioritizing mental health and wellness through flexible work policies and access to support resources. This approach promotes a culture of trust and balance, leading to greater employee satisfaction, higher productivity and better retention, ultimately leading to business success. – Sonja Singh, Center of inner transformations
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Provide the right mix of empathy and discipline
This applies to every year, not just 2025, but you need to have the right mix of empathy and discipline in your business. Empathy allows a company to adapt to the needs of its employees to some extent. Having discipline means that employees adapt to the demands of the company. Strive for the right balance between the two to avoid creating a dysfunctional business environment. – Zain Jaffer, Zain Jaffer Foundation
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Encourage your team to reflect and evaluate
A better work environment has less to do with the environment or daily workflows and more to do with an individual’s drive. Encourage your team to take time for themselves to reflect, evaluate and tap into their inner voice to understand their professional needs – and then advise on how to respond to them. Your team will thrive under your guidance and open communication during this process. – Andy Hale, Hale & Monica
Congratulate your team so they feel seen
Catching my team doing things well and congratulating them on those moments is a powerful way to make my employees feel seen and appreciated. Reminding them that their work is hard and that making mistakes is to be expected also helps them take risks and innovate without fear. – Vanessa Nornberg, Metal mafia
Allow people to tell you the truth
Do your people have the authority to tell you when they think you are wrong? Can you receive that input well? If you’ve built a good team, their candid feedback is likely one of your greatest potential assets. So create a context in which people can tell you the truth. They feel heard and you can make better decisions. Then tell them when their input helped refine an approach and achieve a result. – Jed Brewer, Good loud media
Truly understand your people and what is important to them
Leaders must create psychological safety for their people by taking the time to understand what is important to them, through meaningful one-on-one conversations about what is important to both the organization and the individual. Apply the ‘platinum rule’: treat people the same she want to be treated. This means leaders must truly understand their people to drive engagement and performance. – Marissa Andrada, Marissa Andrada
Ensure consistency in your practices
Maintaining consistency in workplace practices can significantly improve employee morale and productivity. When employees feel secure in their roles and understand the expectations, they can focus on their work without constant worry. By striking a balance between implementing necessary changes and maintaining effective, stable work practices, companies can foster a positive and productive work environment. – Jason Peterson, GoDigital Media Group
Encourage learning and development
Encouraging continuous learning and development in 2025 can create a more dynamic work environment. Leaders can provide regular training, mentorship and growth opportunities. This focus on skill building not only keeps employees motivated and up to date on industry trends, but also fosters a culture of innovation and adaptability, which drives both personal and organizational growth. – Matthew Molenaar, Orlando informant
Prioritize two-way communication
Especially as mental fatigue and burnout increase, managers must prioritize two-way communication. This means we need to focus more on active listening, where leaders genuinely try to understand their employees. This can be done by paying attention to verbal and non-verbal cues, asking clarifying questions and parsing what they have heard to ensure clear communication and build trust. – Kiice Akkawi, Triple monsters