Still swiping right on brand love?

Most companies still believe brand love and loyalty start with a campaign. A sharper tagline. A refreshed visual identity. A new employee value proposition with bigger words and bigger promises. But that’s not where loyalty is born, or tested. Loyalty is tested in everyday moments, not big announcements – on a Friday afternoon when a meeting runs long and a weekend falls short. It’s quietly eroded when feedback is late, too vague, or never scheduled at all. And it weakens when a line manager doesn’t notice, or offer support. That’s because people, your people, don’t fall in love with a brand because of promises and potential. They fall in love with how work makes them feel.

Yes. 'All the feels.' Even the invisible ones.

Photo by Dmitrii E. on Unsplash

The honeymoon ends with onboarding

Most employees didn’t join your organisation by accident. They were drawn in by a compelling brand story, a promise of purpose, values that sounded aligned or an employee value proposition that seemed to whisper 'this place will be different'. Basically, they were courted. But attraction (like passion) doesn’t naturally lead to loyalty. Loyalty is built over time through attention, consistency, and emotional safety. And this is where many companies struggle.

They say they value people, but reward overload. They talk about trust, but apply rules inconsistently. They promote wellbeing, but quietly celebrate late nights and burnout. No one announces that employees’ feelings don’t matter, they just stop noticing them. And that’s when loyalty starts to erode and detachment starts to grow.

Why 'how work feels' matters more in 2026

In 2026, work isn’t happening in a vacuum. Employees are not abstract 'resources'. They are people living in a world that feels increasingly polarised, unequal, unstable, digitally mediated and emotionally charged. Like it or not (visible or not), employees bring this reality to work every day. Which means how work feels has become a strategic issue, not a soft one.

People don’t disengage because of one policy or one bad meeting. They disengage because of accumulated emotional signals:

• Do I feel safe here?
  
• Do I feel valued?
  
• Do I feel seen?
  
• Do I feel replaceable?

In 2026, those questions are being shaped by new forces in the workplace.

What’s influencing how employees feel in 2026 (and what to do about it)

1. AI and the question of human value

AI is no longer a future concept. It’s a daily presence. For some employees, it feels like support and augmentation. For others, it feels like quiet comparison. People are asking (often silently): Am I being helped or monitored? Is my judgment still trusted? Will I still matter when the system gets 'smarter'?

How to address it:

• Organisations need to talk about AI emotionally, not just operationally.
  
• Be explicit about augmentation vs replacement.
  
• Reinforce the value of human judgment, creativity, and context.
  
• Train managers to reassure, not just deploy tools.
  
• Silence creates insecurity. Clarity builds trust.

2. Algorithmic decisions and invisible power

Automated systems and algorithms increasingly dictate everything from task allocation to performance tracking. While efficient, these tools can make the workplace feel impersonal. Beyond fairness, employees need to understand the logic behind decisions. Transparency restores the agency that ultimately drives loyalty.

How to address it:

• Explain how decisions are made.
  
• Keep human oversight visible.
  
• Allow questions and appeals.
  
• Name uncertainty instead of hiding it.

3. Micro-inequities in a polarised world

Outside of work, many people are experiencing small, cumulative slights like being overlooked, being held to different standards, being talked over, being doubted. These micro-inequities don’t disappear when someone logs in or shows up on Zoom. In fact, when the world feels harsher, people become more sensitive to small cues of inclusion or exclusion at work.

This is why micro-affirmations matter more than ever. Small acts of recognition, listening, and respect counteract the emotional weight people are already carrying. These moments stabilise trust and build loyalty.

How to address it:

• Give timely recognition.
  
• Invite quieter voices in.
  
• Offer fair, consistent feedback.
  
• Give credit for ideas.

4. Hybrid work and emotional distance

Hybrid work promised flexibility, but what it often delivers is ambiguity.

People are present, but not always visible. Most people are connected, but not always included. Many are productive, but not always bonded. Belonging used to happen by proximity. Now it has to be designed – intentionally and consistently. Without the signals of belonging, people withdraw quietly and disengage subtly.

How to address it:

• Managers should check in on experience, not just output
  
• Create clear norms about availability and boundaries
  
• Enable and support intentional moments of connection
  
• Make inclusion explicit in decision-making.

Five ways to improve how work 'feels' in 2026

Talk about change emotionally, not just strategically

That means naming uncertainty, acknowledging fear and explaining intent.

Make human value explicit in an AI-enabled workplace

Reinforce what only people can do and why it matters.

Use micro-affirmations deliberately

Recognition, listening, and clarity multiplies trust. The absence of them diminishes it.

Design fairness people can understand

If decisions impact daily life, explain the logic behind them.

Invest in your managers’ EQ (not just IQ)

The workplace has evolved, but have your managers? If your managers don’t see the causality between belonging and productivity, they probably need a lesson in human-centred design or reframing of their management certificate.

This Valentine’s Month, instead of asking the usual: 'How do we get customers to fall in love with us?', maybe it’s time to look inwards and ask: 'How does it feel to be in a relationship with us, right now?'