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Want better employee engagement? Make work feel more worth it, through humour with H&H

This guest blog was written by H&H.

What’s so funny about work?

We’ve all done it – left our lighter, funnier selves at the door as we walk into our place of work. In a world where ‘professional’ is often synonymous with serious, it’s easy to see why humour hasn’t traditionally played a starring role in internal communications or corporate culture.

It’s not that people don’t want to laugh. It’s that somewhere along the way, laughter stopped feeling like a professional currency.

But what if we’ve got it the wrong way round?

What if humour, used in a considered way, wasn’t a distraction from serious work but a bridge to better connection? More creativity? In an age driven by tech, humour is a superpower that remains uniquely and powerfully human.

And when it comes to culture and employee engagement, humour can be a strategic tool.

Camaraderie through comedy

How often have you had a really good laugh at work? Built up in-jokes that stretch back months or years? We’ll bet you can’t remember everything you laughed at , but you’ll never forget who you laughed with.

Shared moments of humour – those unexpected, absurd, hilarious occasions that really tickle you – can build powerful bonds among colleagues.

We don’t mean the office joker crowbarring corny wisecracks into every conversation. And certainly not Captain Bants over there, always snatching a laugh at someone else’s expense. It’s not about winning at the LOLs.

We mean genuinely shared humour. Laughter that’s communal, where everyone has the same chance to join in the fun. When it’s confessional. Surprising. Or downright silly. It might even feel a bit ‘naughty’, when you realise everyone has caught the same joke in an otherwise formal situation and desperately tries not to laugh.

Something special happens when we share humour as a group

We experience a release of happy hormones at the same time. We make a connection at an emotional level. We lower barriers, forget vanity, and show vulnerability.

We might even see each other cry if it’s funny enough.

And our creative minds are triggered. We spontaneously think – what can we add to keep this moment of joy bubbling?

Why hasn’t humour had its place until now?

Traditionally, humour has been seen as the wildcard of workplace communication. A bit risky, unpredictable, and potentially inappropriate.

Many internal comms teams have stuck to neutral tones that prioritise clarity and caution over warmth and wit. Add to that the legacy of hierarchical, top-down communication styles, and you get an environment where jokes were seen as distractions rather than connectors.

There’s also the fear factor. Will humour make leadership seem less in control? Will it be misunderstood? Will it undermine the message?

While these concerns are valid they don’t reflect the reality of today’s workforce, or the growing body of evidence about humour’s positive impact on culture, leadership, and communication.

Why now? What’s changed?

The post-Covid shift

The pandemic forced a blurring of boundaries between work and life. We Zoomed from kitchen tables, homeschooled kids between meetings, and ditched our work personas in favour of something more real. In this context, the humour that accompanies the realities of homelife became a coping mechanism and a connector.

That shift hasn’t gone away. If anything, it’s accelerated the demand for more authentic communication. Humour is a natural extension of that trend.

Generational expectations

Today’s workforce is multigenerational, with Millennials and Gen Z now making up a significant chunk of employees. These generations value authenticity, transparency, and a sense of belonging. They don’t want to decode corporate speak. They want to feel something, and humour is one of the fastest ways to make that happen.

The human advantage in the age of AI

As automation and AI take over more routine tasks, it will be human attributes and skills such as empathy, storytelling, and shared cultural experiences that become more valuable. Humour, used well, signals these traits and enhances communication. It makes people feel seen, understood, and included.

Now for the science part. Why comedy works.

The research behind humour in internal communication and leadership is compelling:

Leaders who use humour are 27% more admired and seen as more competent, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Leaders who incorporate humour into their management style foster higher team performance and employee satisfaction, Frontiers in Psychology
Workplaces that put humour at the heart of their culture said employees were 16% more likely to stay at their jobs, feel engaged and experience satisfaction. Humour, Seriously

Humour fosters trust, reduces stress, and creates a sense of psychological safety, all critical ingredients for high-performing teams and meaningful employee engagement.

Humour and organisational culture: making work more human

Culture isn’t a corporate construct. It develops through behaviours, moments, and the way people feel at work. Humour helps unleash that human side, making workplaces more inclusive, more emotionally resonant, and yes, more fun.

Using humour in internal comms gives people permission to be themselves. It normalises vulnerability, breaks down silos, and builds emotional connection across hierarchies. From intranet stories to leadership town halls, bringing levity into messages can help shift the tone from transactional to transformational.

It doesn’t have to be comedy, with side-splitting jokes and hilarious clowning. It can be warmth, wit, playfulness, or a touch of irony. When people laugh together, they connect. And connected people are more likely to engage, collaborate, and stay.

Making leaders more human

Last year we worked with TrustFord on its annual conference. The format was traditionally in-person and quite corporate. Leaders wanted to connect at a personal level, engage with as many colleagues as possible – and leave employees fired up and inspired.

So, the event was transformed into short snappy videos to keep attention spans captive. But the best tool of all was laughter. One video was a reel of outtakes of leaders simply being themselves. And everyday questions were asked in a style akin to Jonathan Ross, rather than Panorama – using the kind of everyday humour we might expect from our closest team members, but perhaps not the c-suite.

‘Thought some of the conference was humorous, which I like – made it enjoyable to watch. Even better watching the bloopers and things not taken too seriously.’

‘Great to see how down-to-earth all the directors are. One big happy family that I’m proud to be part of.’

Can you be funny and professional?

Humour doesn’t have to undercut authority. Instead, there’s a growing recognition that it humanises it. A well-timed story, a bit of self-deprecation, or a clever aside can make a leader seem more relatable and trustworthy. Humour can signal confidence rather than a lack of control.

According to Stanford research, humour in leaders actually enhances perceptions of competence. It helps leaders deliver tough messages with a lighter touch, build loyalty, and foster more open dialogue. When employees feel their leaders are approachable and human, they’re more likely to speak up, buy in, and engage.

Lost in translation – does humour land well in every channel?

Humour thrives in spaces where authenticity matters and that includes many internal communication channels. Some of the best platforms for humour include:

Video messages: Whether it’s a scripted skit or an off-the-cuff update, video allows tone, body language and timing to shine.

Intranet and newsletters: Feature real stories with a light-hearted spin – because people remember messages that made them laugh.

Internal social media: Platforms like Workplace or Slack are ideal for gifs, memes, emojis, and playful commentary. And EGC (employee generated content) can be a great source of authentic comedy. If your internal and external comms teams are aligned this could also turn into external promotional content.

Live events and town halls: Injecting humour into presentations or Q&As builds rapport and keeps energy high.

Storytelling initiatives: As explored in H&H’s Humour Connection programme real-life, honest moments shared with humour build trust and connection across teams.

The key is to match tone with context and to make humour feel spontaneous, not forced.

When to avoid humour

Humour is powerful but like any tool, it needs to be used with care. Avoid humour when:

The subject matter is sensitive, such as job losses or mental health.
The joke punches down or targets specific individuals or groups.
It feels like a gimmick or distracts from the core message.
Cultural norms differ significantly – always consider context and audience diversity.
It doesn’t feel natural to the person communicating. Authenticity wins.

We’re not suggesting we turn every comms campaign into a stand-up set. It’s about finding your organisation’s natural voice and weaving in more of the light-hearted fun that people resonate with.

Humour: the ultimate resource

In a world where organisations compete not just on what they offer, but on their purpose, culture and ethics, internal communications play a critical role. And to make our messages land with impact it helps to tap into one of our most human instincts: laughter.

Humour creates connection. It boosts creativity. It breaks down barriers and builds up culture. When used with care and authenticity, it helps people feel part of something bigger and ultimately boosts employee engagement.

The most engaging organisations are the ones where people can be real. And sometimes, that means being funny.

If you’d like to find out more about H&H’s Humour Connection programme get in touch.

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