The image of a long-serving employee receiving a gold watch for 25 years of unwavering service feels like a relic from another era. In today’s workplace, loyalty doesn’t hinge on tenure alone—and it certainly doesn’t thrive on blind commitment. Employees are no longer staying just to prove grit or because it’s the “right” thing to do. Instead, the most successful companies are rethinking loyalty altogether—creating workplaces that earn commitment by inspiring it.

Yes, the market has changed. […]