According to a recent article in The HR Director, 77% of people trust their employer more than the government, the media and NGOs. It argues that companies therefore have a ‘unique opportunity to emerge as a critical stabilising force.’ If they embrace the opportunity, they’ll see employee engagement soar.
The article, based on 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer highlights, also serves up the following insights and recommendations:
– Employees are actively looking for CEOs to build on the trust that many of them established during the pandemic, by being open and transparent. They expect them to become the face of change, leading development and driving engagement on wider societal issues. 60% ‘expect the CEO to speak publicly about controversial social and political issues that I care about’ when they are considering a job.
– Trust needs to cascade down to all levels of the business. Leaders must trust their managers to engage and lead their teams. And managers must trust their teams to be productive while working remotely.
– One of the major challenges for leaders is how to build trust when they are often not physically present in the office (or their employees aren’t). Even when they are on-site, their busy schedules can make them seem inaccessible. According to the article, the answer lies in a Balanced Leadership approach which combines softer, human traits with the harder skills of leadership.
These softer, human traits include the ability to practise authentic listening, to demonstrate empathy and to communicate openly and honestly, explaining the rationale behind decisions. Having the humility to admit mistakes and say when you don’t have the answer is also key. Recognising that individual team members have their own strengths, needs and concerns, and acting on that, is equally important.
Clearly, there’s a lot that leaders can do to boost trust within their organisations. And this is vital to employee engagement. So if you want to take your top talent with you as you navigate your company through the changing face of work and business, building trust should be prioritised.
While you focus on building trust and other vital HR matters, ABL can help you to find the right candidates for your open vacancies. With over 30 years’ experience in the recruitment industry and a vast pool of talented, active job seekers on our books, we will fast-track your search, enabling you to focus your attention on other challenges. Please get in touch to brainstorm the options.
