Insights From Jonathan Austin, Founder and CEO of Best Companies
What does a truly future-ready workforce look like – and what does it take to build one? At the Employee Engagement Summit, one keynote on the Organisational Culture stage captured everyone’s imagination. It wasn’t a talk about robots taking jobs or data ruling decisions – it was about people. The message was clear: the future of work is not powered by technology alone, but by humans thriving at the centre of it.
Jonathan Austin, CEO and founder of Best Companies, led an energising and forward-looking session exploring how organisations can evolve with purpose in the era of Industry 5.0. Framing his talk through a lively mix of history, behavioural science, and practical models, Jonathan invited us to rethink what progress really means for employees, leaders, and workplaces.
Jonathan began by contrasting the machine-driven mindset of Industry 4.0 with the human-centric promise of Industry 5.0. Where the last revolution focused on automation and efficiency, the new one calls for collaboration between people and technology to foster innovation and wellbeing. As he put it, Industry 5.0 isn’t about people versus machines – it’s about people with machines, co-creating value and meaning.
Drawing on Everett Rogers’ Law of Diffusion of Innovation, Jonathan suggested we’re at the tipping point of a major cultural transition. By 2025, Industry 5.0 will move from early adopters to the early majority – meaning that organisations yet to embrace human-focused leadership risk being overtaken by those that already have.
To bring this shift to life, Jonathan took the audience on a fascinating journey through workplace history – from Frederick Taylor’s focus on mechanical efficiency to thinkers like Edwin Locke, William Kahn, and Amy Edmondson, who put humanity back at the heart of management. It was Edmondson’s idea of psychological safety, where people feel free to speak up and innovate without fear, that he identified as the cornerstone of a truly future-ready culture.
Backed by over 20 years of data and six million survey responses, Jonathan revealed Best Companies’ eight-factor model of organisational health – covering leadership, personal growth, wellbeing, and fair treatment among other indicators. But he stressed that strong survey scores alone don’t make a healthy workplace; clarity, consistency, and connection to purpose are what truly matter.
That’s where the Best Companies Organisational Clarity Model comes in. Jonathan explained its four simple pillars – purpose, principles, ambition, and plan – showing how leaders can help every employee see how their work fits into the bigger mission. It’s a practical approach to creating alignment, motivation, and momentum.
Recognising that managers are the bridge between vision and reality, Jonathan also unveiled two innovations: the Manager Index and Team Index. These tools measure how well managers inspire and support their teams, and how effectively teams collaborate and build trust – together forming the Manager Health Index, a complete snapshot of leadership effectiveness.
Jonathan closed with an inspiring rallying call: as we move into Industry 5.0, technology must serve humanity, not replace it. The future belongs to organisations that cultivate clarity, purpose, and deep human connection. When people feel valued and aligned, performance follows naturally – and that’s when the magic happens.
Want to hear the full story, complete with Jonathan’s best examples and energy? Listen to the full conversation on our latest podcast episode: Is Your Workforce Future-Ready? and get inspired to lead your organisation into the next era of work.
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