Happy Thursday, everyone.
I'm Frank Richardson, an organisational psychologist observing the workplace with curiosity and care. Each week, I share insights to help HR leaders better understand the people behind the processes and build cultures where both individuals and organisations can thrive.
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This Week in Workplace Whiplash 🌀
Another week, another round of corporate chaos: hiring, firing, and a few “vibe checks” thrown in for good measure:
🧠 MrBeast Introduces ‘Vibe Checks’ for New Hires
YouTube megastar-turned-CEO Jimmy Donaldson (aka MrBeast) has introduced a 90-day “vibe check” period for new employees to test cultural fit before confirming full employment. It’s sparked debate over whether that’s savvy employer branding or just another way to formalize “likeability bias” in hiring.
👉Business Insider📌 Burberry scraps head of diversity role in company overhaul
Burberry has cut its head of diversity role as part of a sweeping corporate restructure. The decision has reignited debate about whether DEI commitments are fading amid cost pressures.
👉 The Times🔍 AI to Narrow HR’s Gender Skills Gap
HRNews reports AI is being deployed to detect and reduce gender bias in job descriptions, candidate screening, and promotion paths, aiming to close talent gaps. But the article cautions that these tools are only as fair as their design and data.
👉 HRNews
From “vibe checks” to vanishing DEI roles, everyone’s rethinking what culture really means. Though maybe a soccer match would clear the air faster…
🤝 Supported by HiBob
Forget the hype—this survey of 1,000 professionals across the US and UK reveals what managers and individual contributors really believe about AI at work. From trust gaps to unexpected optimism, the results challenge assumptions about how AI is shaping culture, well-being, and collaboration. Want to know if leaders and teams see AI the same way? You may be surprised.
I must admit, when I scrolled past the headline “The cure for staff sickness? Set up an office soccer team”, I laughed a little.
According to The Times, a survey of 2,000 business owners found that encouraging employees to play five-a-side soccer improved morale and reduced sick days. About half said it even boosted productivity.
It sounds like the perfect corporate fantasy: fewer absences, better teamwork, and everyone in matching jerseys. But before you start ordering branded soccer balls, it’s worth asking whether a quick game can really fix burnout… or if it’s just another feel-good distraction from deeper issues.
🧠The Behavioural Science Lens
There’s no doubt exercise helps. Sociologist Émile Durkheim called it collective effervescence; the spark that comes from doing something together. Modern research backs it up. Studies in PLOS ONE show that synchronised movement increases empathy, cooperation, and even trust among teammates.
But the science also says that temporary endorphin boosts don’t equal lasting culture change. As Harvard Business Review points out, wellness programs often fail because they focus on symptoms, not systems. A lunchtime soccer match won’t fix chronic workload, a disengaged boss, or a culture where people feel guilty for taking vacation.
And when participation isn’t really optional, the benefits vanish even faster. Behavioural researchers call this reactance, which is the natural pushback we feel when our autonomy is limited. The moment an activity becomes “mandatory fun,” motivation plummets. People stop bonding and start counting minutes.
🚀What This Means for Leaders
Context matters. The survey behind these results was commissioned by Mercedes-Benz Vans, with many respondents from logistics and trade sectors. These are workplaces where teamwork and physical camaraderie already play a big role. Translating that to tech, finance, or hybrid teams is a stretch. In fact, what unites people in one environment may alienate them in another.
Voluntary beats compulsory. As Harvard Business Review warns, “mandatory fun” often backfires. Culture thrives on choice, not compliance. Let employees decide what connection looks like. A pickup game, a team lunch, or maybe just not being in back-to-back meetings all day.
Fix the system, not the symptom. The CIPD’s 2025 Health and Wellbeing Report found that despite a decade of wellness spending, stress levels in the UK remain stubbornly high. The same holds true in the US, where record burnout and quiet quitting suggest the problem isn’t a lack of yoga mats or soccer matches: it’s overwork, poor management, and limited psychological safety.
Measure meaningfully. If you’re serious about well-being, don’t just count sick days. Track engagement, belonging, and workload fairness. If people are still leaving, the soccer team shouldn’t be your metric, maybe look to the exit interviews instead.
💬 Final Thoughts
There’s nothing wrong with a quick match. Shared play can build connection and lighten the mood. But soccer won’t heal a strained workplace any more than free snacks or wellness apps.
So go ahead and start that company team if people want it. Just don’t confuse the sound of cheering with the sound of culture improving.
Because if soccer really cured burnout, every World Cup fan would be thriving.
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Until next week,
Frank
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