Since landing in New Zealand in the early 2000s, employee engagement has dominated how we measure and manage workplace culture. But is it still fit for purpose? Or are we clinging to an outdated model that no longer reflects the realities of work today? Did it really work at all?

Join us at the next Christchurch Culture First event as we dive into a candid conversation about:

• The rise (and possible overuse) of engagement surveys — what we got right, and what we missed
• The cracks showing in current approaches — from survey fatigue to superficial fixes
•  What the future of workplace measurement could look like — and whether it’s time to retire the term “engagement” altogether

This session is for anyone ready to challenge the status quo and explore what’s next for meaningful, human centric workplace culture. We will be using an approach from Future Search. Future Search is a structured, participatory planning method designed to help organizations or communities create a shared vision and actionable plans for the future.

We will use the Futures Triangle to map three forces shaping change:

1. The pull of the future (visions, hopes, and aspirations)
2. The push of the present (current trends and drivers)
3. The weight of the past (traditions, legacies, constraints)

In preparation for the event, we invite you to do one of two things:

      -- Access PERPLEXITY - an AI search tool you can find through GOOGLE - and ask a question that you might have about employee engagement that will help you consider its past, present or future.

     -- AND/OR, read one of the articles our team has identified

 7 Employee Engagement Trends for 2025

Employee Engagement in 2025

This event will be held as a face-to-face event at one Christchurch's iconic hospitality venues.  Drinks and nibbles will be provided.