Bring Your Human to Work: Ten Surefire Ways to Design a Workplace That Is Good for People, Great for Business, and Appeals to Today's Talent by Erica Keswin Summary

1. Align company values with daily actions to build authentic workplace culture.
2. Balance high-tech tools with high-touch rituals to maintain workplace humanity.
3. Design office spaces that encourage spontaneous human interaction and collaborative energy.
4. Disconnect from technology regularly to reconnect with colleagues and foster creativity.
5. Embed professional development into company DNA to retain top talent and drive growth.
6. Erica Keswin champions intentional meeting designs to boost productivity and human connection.
7. Foster gratitude through daily thank-yous to boost employee morale and loyalty.
8. Implement "Human Action Plans" at every management level to operationalize empathy.
9. Make community giving central to brand identity to attract purpose-driven employees.
10. Measure success through employee well-being metrics alongside financial performance indicators.
11. Prioritize face-to-face interactions over digital communication to deepen workplace relationships.
12. Replace generic corporate speak with human-centered language in all communications.

About the Author of Bring Your Human to Work

Erica Keswin is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Bring Your Human to Work and a leading workplace strategist renowned for redefining human-centered leadership in the modern hybrid era.

With over two decades advising iconic organizations like NASA, Nike, and the NFL, her trilogy—Bring Your Human to Work, Rituals Roadmap, and The Retention Revolution—provides actionable blueprints for fostering authentic connections, intentional rituals, and sustainable employee engagement.

A Kellogg MBA graduate and Marshall Goldsmith Top 100 Coach, Keswin’s research-powered insights have been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and O, The Oprah Magazine. She founded The Spaghetti Project, a platform inspired by firehouse meal traditions, to amplify the science of workplace relationships.

Certified in Myers-Briggs (MBTI) and named among Business Insider’s most innovative coaches, her frameworks guide Fortune 500 companies in balancing technology with humanity. Bring Your Human to Work debuted as a #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, with editions translated into 15 languages worldwide.

FAQs About Bring Your Human to Work

What is Bring Your Human to Work by Erica Keswin about?

Bring Your Human to Work explores strategies to create workplaces prioritizing human connection, balancing technology with authentic relationships. It offers actionable frameworks like designing inclusive rituals, fostering trust through storytelling, and redefining leadership to honor empathy. Case studies from Lyft, Starbucks, and SoulCycle illustrate how human-centered cultures boost retention and productivity.

Who should read Bring Your Human to Work?

This book is ideal for HR professionals, managers, and leaders seeking to build inclusive, purpose-driven cultures. It’s particularly relevant for hybrid-work strategists, organizational development teams, and companies navigating remote collaboration challenges. Keswin’s actionable advice also resonates with entrepreneurs aiming to scale culture intentionally.

Is Bring Your Human to Work worth reading?

Yes—the book combines research-backed insights with real-world examples, offering tools like “Human Action Plans” for immediate implementation. Reviewers praise its practicality for improving communication, reducing burnout, and aligning values with daily operations. It debuted as a Wall Street Journal bestseller and remains a staple for workplace culture guides.

What are the key rituals suggested in Bring Your Human to Work?

Keswin advocates rituals like structured feedback sessions, intentional onboarding programs, and “Tech-Free Tuesdays” to strengthen team bonds. For example, JetBlue uses storytelling to embed core values during training, while NASA prioritizes face-to-face debriefs to maintain trust in high-stakes environments.

How does Bring Your Human to Work address hybrid work challenges?

The book emphasizes “high-tech for human touch,” advising leaders to use tools like video calls mindfully while preserving in-person rituals. Keswin highlights flexible scheduling, transparent communication norms, and inclusive meeting designs to ensure remote employees feel valued.

What criticism has Bring Your Human to Work received?

Some argue its focus on large companies like Nike or Starbucks may not translate seamlessly to smaller teams. Others note it prioritizes culture over operational scalability. However, its principles on empathy and adaptability are broadly applicable.

Can you share a memorable quote from Bring Your Human to Work?

Keswin writes, “The most successful leaders honor relationships in everything they do—from running meetings to evaluating talent.” This underscores her thesis that human connection drives performance, not just metrics. The JetBlue restroom story exemplifies this, showing how empathy builds brand loyalty.

How does Bring Your Human to Work compare to Erica Keswin’s Rituals Roadmap?

While Rituals Roadmap delves deeper into habit design for teams, Bring Your Human to Work focuses on foundational relationship-building. Both books stress intentionality, but the latter provides broader strategies for embedding humanity into policies like hiring and tech usage.

What role does technology play in Keswin’s “human workplace”?

Technology should enhance, not replace, human interaction. Keswin advises setting boundaries—like email-free weekends—and using platforms for collaboration, not surveillance. For example, she praises companies that use Slack for recognition threads but avoid after-hours pings.

How can Bring Your Human to Work improve employee retention?

By fostering belonging through mentorship programs, transparent career paths, and recognition systems. The book cites companies that reduced turnover by 30% through initiatives like peer-nominated awards and leadership “listening tours”.

Why is Bring Your Human to Work relevant in 2025?

With AI and automation rising, Keswin’s emphasis on emotional intelligence and adaptive leadership remains critical. The book’s hybrid-work strategies align with 2025 trends like decentralized teams and AI-augmented collaboration, making it a timely guide for sustaining culture amid disruption.

What frameworks in Bring Your Human to Work apply to remote teams?

Key frameworks include the “3R Method” (Rituals, Respect, Results) for virtual meetings and the “Connection Canvas” for mapping team interactions. Keswin also advocates “virtual watercooler” channels and quarterly in-person retreats to bridge distance gaps.