Key Takeaways
- Corporate spin-offs create identity uncertainty — strong cultural integration is the antidote to talent exodus.
- Kyndryl launched The Kyndryl Way in 2022, a six-principle culture framework that anchored employees through a major transition.
- Within three years, 88% of Kyndryls confirmed their manager's behavior aligns with The Kyndryl Way — a remarkable result for a newly independent company.
- Kyndryl is a verified Most Loved Workplace® Certified 2026 company, with recognition spanning diversity, wellness, career advancement, and more.
What Happens to Employees During a Corporate Spin-off?
Spin-offs are disruptive by nature. When a company separates from a larger parent, employees face real uncertainty — about their roles, their leadership, and their future. Without a clear cultural identity, the risk of talent walking out the door spikes dramatically. People don't just leave bad jobs. They leave unclear ones.
Why Does Cultural Integration Matter More Than Org Charts?
Org charts can be redrawn overnight. Culture cannot. During a spin-off, employees are asking one fundamental question: Do I still belong here? Companies that answer that question quickly — and credibly — retain their best people. Those that don't often watch their top talent exit before the dust settles.
Cultural integration is not a soft HR exercise. It is a business continuity strategy. When employees feel aligned with shared values, trust their managers, and see a positive vision for the future, they stay, contribute, and grow. That is exactly what Kyndryl set out to build.
How Did Kyndryl Build Its Culture After Spinning Off?
When Kyndryl became an independent company, it faced one of the most complex cultural challenges in recent tech history — defining who it was, from scratch, at global scale. The answer was The Kyndryl Way.
Launched in 2022, The Kyndryl Way is built on six core principles: restless, empathetic, devoted, flat, fast, and focused. These are not words on a wall. They are the operating system of how Kyndryls work together, serve customers, and grow as professionals.
To make it real, Kyndryl took concrete action:
- Trained nearly 6,000 people managers in Leadership Behaviors workshops tied directly to The Kyndryl Way.
- Launched Leadership Development@Kyndryl — a modern curriculum of workshops, tools, and resources for managers at every level.
- Rolled out Leadership Behavior badges so every employee could activate The Kyndryl Way in their own role.
- Introduced the Guild program, a global knowledge-sharing network that promotes learning, innovation, and cross-team collaboration.
The result? Within just three years, 88% of Kyndryls reported that their manager's behavior is consistent with The Kyndryl Way. For a company still in its early years as an independent entity, that number is extraordinary.
What Makes Employees Feel Safe Staying Through a Transition?
Trust and belonging are the twin engines of retention. Kyndryl's Empathy & Inclusion Index — which measures workplace trust, respect, and belonging — sits above the industry average and is approaching best in class. Notably, 90% of Kyndryls feel treated with respect at work, and 87% say they can be themselves at work.
Programs like Kyndryl Inclusion Networks (employee-led resource groups open to all), Kyndryl Be Well (a comprehensive well-being strategy covering physical, mental, social, and financial health), and Kyndryl Cares volunteer initiatives all reinforce a simple message: you are seen, you matter, and this is your company too.
This people-first philosophy is championed directly by CEO Martin Schroeter, who holds quarterly sessions to share updates, celebrate wins, and travel globally to connect personally with employees. That kind of visible, empathetic leadership is a proven retention signal — especially in uncertain times. Read more about how Kyndryl's culture scores reflect this commitment.
Does Recognition as a Most Loved Workplace® Signal Retention Strength?
Yes — and Kyndryl's badge collection tells a compelling story. Kyndryl holds the Most Loved Workplace® Certified 2026 designation, along with recognition for diversity, wellness, career advancement, mental health, LGBTQ+ inclusion, women, parents and caregivers, young professionals, and more. It also earned a spot on the Global Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces® list for 2025.
These are not participation trophies. They reflect verified employee sentiment data. When a company earns this breadth of recognition mid-spin-off transformation, it signals that cultural integration is genuinely working — not just promised.
Ready to Join a Culture Built to Last?
Kyndryl is actively hiring across disciplines and geographies. If you want to be part of a company that took the hard work of cultural integration seriously — and has the results to prove it — explore open roles today.
Apply for the Mergers and Acquisitions Analyst role at Kyndryl or browse all open positions on the Kyndryl careers page.