Rebuilding Trust: A Crucial Journey for HR Professionals

In the world of Human Resources, one of the most challenging tasks is to regain employee trust once it's been lost. The significance of trust cannot be overstated in the workplace, and as an HR professional, understanding how hard it can be to rebuild that trust is a vital aspect of our role. In this blog, we'll delve into the importance of employee trust, the major reasons why employees lose trust in their employers, the importance of understanding the employee experience, how to gather feedback from employees effectively, and the need for swift action to retain and enhance trust.

The Importance of Employee Trust

Employee trust is the foundation upon which a productive and harmonious workplace is built. Trust is a two-way street: employees must trust their employers, and employers must trust their employees. Without trust, the workplace can become a breeding ground for dissatisfaction, disengagement, and turnover.

From an HR perspective, trust is crucial for several reasons:

• Productivity and Performance: Employees who trust their employers are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and committed to their work. They are also more likely to collaborate effectively with their colleagues, leading to improved productivity and better overall performance.

• Retention: Trust is a powerful driver of employee retention. When employees trust their employers, they are less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere. High turnover is not only costly but can also negatively impact morale and productivity.

• Innovation and Creativity: A culture of trust encourages employees to share their ideas and take risks, fostering innovation and creativity within the organization.

• Conflict Resolution: Trust provides a solid platform for resolving workplace conflicts. Employees are more likely to voice their concerns and seek solutions when they believe their concerns will be taken seriously and addressed.

Major Reasons for the Erosion of Employee Trust

Understanding why employee trust can be lost is the first step in rebuilding it. Several common factors can contribute to the erosion of trust in an organization:

1. Lack of Transparency: When employees feel that they are not privy to important information or that their organization is withholding information from them, trust can quickly erode.
2. Broken Promises: Unfulfilled promises, whether related to promotions, raises, or other commitments, can damage trust. Employees need to believe that their employer will deliver on their word.
3. Inequity: Perceptions of unfair treatment, favoritism, or discrimination can shatter trust among employees. They need to feel that the organization values and treats them fairly.
4. Ineffective Communication: Poor communication from leadership or a lack of clear, open channels for feedback can lead to distrust. Employees need to know that their concerns and ideas are heard and addressed.
5. Micromanagement: Overbearing or micromanaging supervisors can undermine trust by suggesting a lack of faith in employees' abilities and judgment.
6. Crisis Management: How an organization handles crises and difficult situations can significantly impact employee trust. Mishandling layoffs, for example, can lead to a loss of confidence.

Understanding the Employee Experience

To regain trust, HR professionals must delve into the employee experience. This involves understanding the various touch points at which employees interact with the organization and how these interactions impact their perceptions. The employee experience encompasses everything from onboarding to daily work routines, training and development, feedback mechanisms, and offboarding.

Here are some key aspects to consider when evaluating the employee experience:

Onboarding: The first impression is crucial. A well-structured onboarding process that sets clear expectations can create a strong foundation for trust.

Training and Development: Investing in employee growth and development is a clear signal that the organization values its workforce. This can foster trust in the long term.

Feedback and Communication: Create open channels for feedback and ensure that it is acted upon. Regular check-ins and performance reviews are opportunities to build trust through communication.

Work-Life Balance: Encouraging a healthy work-life balance and respecting employees' personal lives is a key element of trust.

Recognition and Appreciation: Recognizing and appreciating employees' contributions and achievements reinforces trust and commitment.

Diversity and Inclusion: An inclusive workplace, where employees from diverse backgrounds feel valued and respected, is essential for trust.

Gathering Employee Feedback

To understand the employee experience, you must gather feedback from your workforce. However, obtaining honest feedback can be challenging, as employees may fear repercussions or believe their feedback won't lead to meaningful change. Here are some effective ways to collect feedback:

• Real-time AI Based Feedback: Next generation people analytics platforms like TruPulse improve on traditional surveys by providing automatic and continuous feedback on employee morale, trending workplace topics, and cultural health. This real-time data allows companies to always understand the employee experience and quickly react to employees changing needs. 

• Open-Door Policy: Encourage employees to share their thoughts with HR or management openly. Ensure that they understand their concerns will be treated confidentially.

• Focus Groups: Small group discussions can be a valuable way to gain deeper insights into specific issues or concerns.

• Exit Interviews: Departing employees often provide candid feedback that can be valuable in pinpointing areas for improvement.

Taking Swift Action

Gathering feedback is just the first step. To regain employee trust, you must act quickly on the findings. Here's how to ensure that feedback leads to tangible improvements:

Adapt and Iterate: With new sources of real-time people analytics, companies no longer have to wait for yearly surveys and long term planning. Agile companies can adopt new ideas, track success and then make changes along the way. Be open to further feedback and continue to adapt your strategies as needed. Trust-building is an ongoing process.

Prioritize and Plan: Evaluate the feedback and prioritize areas that need attention. Develop a clear plan to address these issues. Don’t fall into the yearly planning trap, people, the workplace environment and business conditions are constantly changing and HR must be able to react quickly.

Communicate Changes: Keep employees informed about the changes that are being implemented in response to their feedback. Transparency in this process is crucial. If you after asking for employee feedback but not communicating what you are doing to improve things, trust in the company and the process can evaporate quickly.

Training and Development: Invest in training and development programs that address identified areas of improvement, ensuring that employees have the tools and knowledge to succeed. It is no longer necessary to have one size fits all programs, understanding the needs of micro communities through next generation people analytics allows you to develop tailored solutions for multiple groups.

Measure Progress: Continue to assess the impact of the changes made. Monitor employee satisfaction and engagement to gauge progress. Automatic and continuous AI based people analytics solutions allow you to track change and evaluate the ROI of your programs in real-time.

Rebuild Trust and Then Don’t Lose It Again!

Rebuilding employee trust is a challenging yet essential endeavor for HR professionals. Trust is the cornerstone of a productive, engaged, and satisfied workforce. By understanding the employee experience, collecting feedback effectively, and taking swift action to address concerns, HR professionals can play a pivotal role in restoring and strengthening trust within their organizations. Remember, trust is a precious resource; once lost, it can take time and effort to rebuild, but the rewards are well worth it in terms of employee satisfaction, loyalty, and organizational success.