Ep. 40 – Navigating Recent Workplace Trends, with Beth Ridley

It's no secret that the American workplace is constantly changing. The last few years alone have witnessed major trends, from "job hugging" and a focus on mental health at work to Gen Z entering the labor force amidst a backlash against DEI initiatives. Such shifts have left business leaders struggling to navigate their new reality in a way that promotes business, inspires employees, and makes us all feel better about our jobs.

Business attorney Katie Rinkus welcomes Beth Ridley, a workplace culture consultant and the CEO of Ridley Consulting Group, to dissect these various workplace trends, explaining their effects on businesses and employees alike. Together, they shine a light on how some leaders have responded to new trends—and it's not always for the better. Often, businesses have "over-rotated," or dramatically course-corrected in ways that have had toxic effects on company culture.

In this episode, Katie and Beth explore:

• The new focus on productivity as opposed to a "culture of belonging"
• What a "belonging" looks like and why it's important at work

· Over-rotation vs. a "both/and" long-term sustainable approach to change

• The underlying factors of the "leadership trust crisis"

• How workplace trends like "quiet quitting" and "job hugging" affect employee morale

• Questions that leaders can ask themselves about the impact of their work

• What it means to prioritize "workplace emotional safety"

• Generational tension at work and ways to manage it

If you're an employee who feels overwhelmed by the uncertainty of the current climate, Beth and Katie provide a new perspective. If you're a business leader feeling the same, this episode offers insight on how to sustainably respond to the changes and still reach desired results. Tune in for a few tips on problem-solving, even when you don't have all the answers.

Beth Ridley

Beth Ridley is a former corporate executive turned workplace culture consultant, speaker, author, and CEO of Ridley Consulting Group. She helps organizations turn culture into a true competitive advantage.

Drawing on 25 years of global leadership and management consulting experience—and expertise in change management and positive psychology—Beth equips HR teams and people managers with practical roadmaps and tools to build resilient, change-ready, high-performing teams without burning people out. A recognized thought leader on leadership and workplace culture, Beth's insights are featured in national publications, on television, and from stages at events worldwide.

Beth holds degrees from the University of Virginia, Tufts University, and Columbia University, and has lived in London, Tokyo, Johannesburg, and Bangkok. She now calls Milwaukee, Wisconsin home, where she lives with her husband and three children.

Stay connected and learn more

• Follow Beth Ridley on LinkedIn

• Join Beth's newsletter

• Visit Beth's Holistic Performance Management System website

• Read Beth's article, "The Leadership Trust Crisis: Why Employees Are Tuning Out—And How to Win Them Back"

• Learn more about Katie Rinkus

• Visit The Prinz Law Firm