Culture Amp has made its employee experience platform accessible through AI assistants including ChatGPT and Claude via Model Context Protocol connectivity. Managers can now access engagement surveys, performance data, and cultural insights directly within their workflow without logging into separate platforms. The integration draws on Culture Amp's 15 years of people science research and 1.6 billion organisational data points. Leaders can ask questions about team engagement trends, review performance goals, and combine Culture Amp data with other HR systems in real time. According to Gartner's 2026 survey, leader development remains the top priority for chief human resources officers. The integration aims to help organisations scale leadership effectiveness by providing trusted data within everyday workflows rather than in quarterly reports. Culture Amp serves 25 million employees across 6,000 organisations including Canva, Asana, and McDonald's.

Culture Amp cuts again, shedding 70 jobs. Culture Amp hacks out 70 more jobs amid broader changes to the business under its new CEO. Culture Amp is shedding another 9% of its workforce, with the loss of another 70 roles, as new CEO Caroline Rawlinson looks to reduce costs and stem ongoing losses at the Melbourne software unicorn. The new round of redundancies comes seven months after it shed 60 jobs in November last year alongside the launch of its AI product, the personalised coaching tool AI Coach. Since then, key investor Blackbird cut Culture Amp's valuation by 23.5%, and the business posted losses totalling A$91.5 million (US$60m) across the 2024 and 2025 financial years, including a $37m loss in FY25. Revenue growth has also slowed in the last three years, down from 32% in FY23 to 19% in FY24, and then 10.8% in FY25. In January, founder Didier Elzinger stepped down as CEO, a role he'd held since the scaleup was launched in 2009, replaced by Rawlinson. He now chairs the board. The chief revenue officer also left of her own accord in May, after just 18 months in the role. Get the best of Startup Daily straight to your inbox. * indicates required Middle management cuts. Capital Brief revealed the latest headcount reduction, with sources saying the cuts were focused on middle management. The organisational changes across multiple teams were made "to align investment with our refreshed strategic priorities" Rawlinson said in a statement to Startup Daily. "Culture Amp is making changes to its organisational structure and ways of working to accelerate execution and achievement of our ambitious goals," the CEO said. "As a result, we are reducing the size of the team by about 70 roles (or ~9%). All employees in impacted positions have been notified and will be supported through this transition. "These are difficult but necessary decisions to deliver on our long term ambitions."

Students help shape a new Tradition for honoring Ball State employees. Not every student project ends up in the hands of hundreds of employees. But this year, a set of small stickers is helping tell a bigger story about connection at Ball State University. Designed by graphic design students in Studio 165+, a student-run design course led by Shantanu Suman, associate professor of art, stickers were created to acknowledge and celebrate employees' years of service. Each sticker design features a familiar campus landmark tied to a service milestone. This Spring, they were introduced as part of Ball State's annual Years of Service recognition, giving faculty and staff a branded item that reflects place and purpose. This year, Ball State expanded its recognition to include employees celebrating one- and five-year anniversaries, a new addition to the traditional milestones of 10 years and onward. Honorees across all of these anniversaries received stickers, extending the program's reach to early-career employees for the first time. Retirees also received a sticker highlighting their milestone and celebrating the lasting impact of their careers at Ball State. "I was impressed by the stickers and the work students put into them," said Michelle Miller, administrative assistant to the dean of the Graduate School, who was honored for 10 years of service to the University. "I think they did a really great job, and I can't wait to find a way to display mine." Designing Recognition and Meaning Looking for ways to reimagine how employees are recognized, the Division for People and Culture collaborated with the College of Fine Arts' School of Art to develop branded stickers as part of the University's initiative to expand recognition for years of service and retirement. The effort also reflected a broader focus on creating a more connected employee experience across campus. That mindset guided this year's ceremony, where faculty, professional, service, and staff personnel were honored together in a single celebration - an intentional change, said Jennifer Keever, employee experience manager in the Office of Engagement, Wellbeing and Culture, within the Division for People and Culture. "We are one University, working toward the same goals and serving the greater mission of advancing student success," Ms. Keever said. The recognition team saw an opportunity to bring that mission to life by engaging students in creating items that reflect Ball State's legacy and culture. Through Studio 165+, students were tasked with creating a series of stickers inspired by campus landmarks - visual symbols that connect employees to the place where they work each day. Among the landmarks featured are the Frog Baby statue, which graces the pond near Bracken Library, Shafer Bell Tower, and Beneficence. The Alderdice Gates were selected to represent first-year employees, symbolizing the start of their journey at the University. From Classroom Project to Lasting Campus Tradition Samantha Jewitt, a junior graphic design major who worked on the project, said she appreciated the collaborative nature of design work. "It's definitely a team effort," Ms. Jewitt said. "Everyone contributed, whether it was in the ideation phase or the final design. We were constantly building off each other's ideas." Students began by exploring visual concepts and researching how to represent each landmark cohesively while considering branding constraints. Inspired by coin designs and printmaking techniques, they developed a unified look that allows each sticker to stand on its own and be part of a collection. The development process also introduced practical challenges. As designs moved into production, some details had to be simplified to ensure they printed clearly - an adjustment that mirrors the realities of professional design work. To prepare the final design files for submission, students worked with Ball State's Printing Services, which printed the stickers. "It was so impactful to see everything come to life," Ms. Jewitt said. "It's one thing to see it on a computer screen, but it's completely different when it's printed and actually being used." Ms. Jewitt, who worked on the Frog Baby design, said that the project took on an added significance through a familiar part of her routine. "I would pass by Frog Baby every day on my way to class," she continued. "I love Frog Baby, but creating something that represents it and seeing it come to life was a lot of fun." Professor Suman shared that the project stood out to him for its creative outcomes and the depth of learning it offered students. "Every year of commitment matters, but recognizing milestone years with a tangible token of appreciation makes the effort even more meaningful," he said. He noted that incorporating official University landmarks added an extra layer of significance - something that is not always easy to achieve in design work tied to institutional branding. "It became a valuable learning experience," Professor Suman said. "We explored the meaning behind these campus landmarks and connected them to years-of-service milestones. That dialogue helped transform the project into something more intentional and rooted in place." The project's impact is expected to extend well beyond this year's ceremony. "I was recently told that these stickers will be used for at least a decade, if not longer," said Professor Suman. "That longevity makes this work even more meaningful. For all of us in Studio 165+, it is a genuine point of pride to contribute to something that will be remembered by the faculty and staff of Ball State. In a small but lasting way, we've helped create an artifact that becomes part of the University's story and the stories of the people who make it what it is."