Many employers struggle to build trust in the workplace, especially now that people are working remotely and don’t have the benefit of face-to-face contact to build relationships. According to surveys, one-third of employees do not trust their companies. Going forward, employers must prioritize building trust in the workplace not only for personal reasons but because it has tangible business effects.
Trust Improves Collaboration
Most workplaces require employees to work together on collaborative projects, which is difficult to do when they do not trust each other. They communicate more openly and work together to achieve the company’s goals.
Workplaces where employees and managers trust each other complete projects more quickly. When employees are empowered to make decisions themselves and understand that the manager respects their work, projects get done more quickly as opposed to workplaces where managers micromanage their employees.
Trust Improves Efficiency
Employees who do not trust their work to do right by them are less likely to go the extra mile for their employers, leading to a decrease in productivity. They are also more likely to experience the physical effects of stress, which causes many employees to call in sick or take extra days off.
When workers do not trust their workplace, there is more employee turnover. Employees who are stressed and burnt out are more likely to quit, which means that managers have to spend time and money recruiting and onboarding new workers. Employees who feel that their workplace is honest with them are more likely to stay.
Trust Allows a Business to Grow
Workplaces that report high levels of trust also report higher levels of employee participation in brainstorming and idea generation. A workplace where employees feel valued and trusted benefits from the creative solutions generated by the whole office, not just a few people.
A workplace where people trust each other is better able to adjust to challenges that are thrown its way, such as a sudden switch to remote work, and develop new ideas to make strides in its industry.