Reinforcing employee trust in the wake of COVID-19 is so urgent, companies can’t afford not to take it seriously. Josh Bersin
Trust is the fundamental bedrock that binds us together as humans, our relationships, our actions, our expectations of others. If trust is important in the good times, it becomes utterly essential in the bad. In the wake of COVID-19, trust is now literally a matter of life and death. Can I trust my employer to keep me safe?
Even BC (before COVID), trust, or rather lack of it, was already one of the defining issues of our times.
The onus was on our workplaces to become the beacons of trust, both on the outside as purpose-driven sustainable brands, and inside with the way they treat their people. COVID-19’s made this a hundred
times more essential.
The link between Employee Engagement and Trust
Implementing and building on Engage for Success’s Four Enablers in your workplace will directly impact levels of organisational trust. Employee engagement and trust, while being different concepts, are intrinsically linked. As David MacLeod tell us:
“Trust in an organisation’s future comes from a compelling strategic narrative. Trust every day comes from being well managed. Trustworthiness is encouraged by having clear and respected employee voice. Integrity is where behaviours and trust align”
Build trust and you’ll also increase advocacy, satisfaction and productivity (compared with people at low trust companies. People at high trust companies report 74% less stress, 50% higher productivity and 29% increased wellbeing) This will then positively impact on your employee, and in turn, customer engagement – driving trust inside and out.
As we come to terms with this seismic shift and all the implications it has on our workplaces and people, trust is the theme that will dominate it all. Trust in each other, trust in our leaders, our leaders’ trust in their people.
For more on this read Woodreed’s latest thought paper that looks at organisational trust through the lens of the Four Enablers. In it you’ll learn how you can build your organisation’s trust fund with a mix of theory, industry leaders’ views and a helpful checklist of questions to ask yourself and your team.
