This year, employee engagement and culture issues exploded onto the scene, rising to become the No. 1 challenge around the world in our study. An overwhelming 87 percent of respondents believe the issue is “important,” with 50 percent citing the problem as “very important”—double the proportion in last year’s survey. It is by creating a unique and strong work culture that companies today are trying to stay ahead of their competitors. And it is the role of HR as a business function—through apt recruitment, systematic performance reviews, and boosting innovation and change—to help construct it.