Bridging the Employer-Employee Trust Gap
Trust in the workplace is in crisis.
Recent research on trust reveals that only one-third of employees trust management at their company. On the employer side, trust in employees is also eroding. The proliferation of workplace surveillance tactics – ranging from keyboard and mouse activity trackers to office badge swipe monitoring – underscores this skepticism. But as the saying goes, “you get what you measure,” and the rise of countermeasures like mouse jigglers and fauxductivity signals a troubling cycle of distrust.
Guest Blog Post
Malvika Jethmalani, Co-Founder, Atvis Group
Malvika Jethmalani is a 3x CHRO and the Co-Founder of Atvis Group – a human capital advisory firm driven by the core belief that to win in the marketplace, businesses must first win in the workplace.
Malvika’s career has spanned 15 years, and she possesses experience in the consulting, manufacturing, CPG, healthcare technology, and mobile gaming industries. She has led global, distributed People teams across multiple geographies and supported up to 5,000 employees in 50 countries. Her expertise includes HR strategy, talent management, talent acquisition, performance management, and organizational effectiveness. Malvika adopts a data-oriented approach to solving people challenges such as improving employee engagement, reducing turnover, developing leaders, transforming cultures, and developing talent strategies that power sustainable and profitable growth. Having served as Interim CFO and Interim COO, and given her extensive M&A (buy and sell side) and turnaround experience, she brings exceptional business acumen to her HR work.
The Ingredients for Trust
Transparency
Consistency
Listening
Accountability
Role Modeling
So, how can organizations begin to bridge the trust gap? Building trust requires intentionality, patience, and a commitment to five core practices: transparency, consistency, listening, accountability, and role modeling.
1. Transparency
Transparency doesn’t mean divulging every detail or decision to all employees. Instead, it involves clearly communicating the rationale behind decisions, the alternatives considered, and how those decisions will affect individuals and teams. Providing context about business needs empowers employees to align their contributions with organizational goals and to make smart tradeoffs when making day-to-day business decisions.
Consider a company navigating a restructuring process. Leaders who explain the “why” behind difficult decisions – whether it’s economic pressures or a strategic pivot – are far more likely to maintain trust. Employees can’t support a path forward they don’t understand, and withholding information only fosters suspicion.
Transparency is also critical when it comes to communicating business performance. Sharing both successes and challenges – even when the news is difficult – fosters a sense of partnership and collective responsibility. When employees understand the bigger picture, they are more likely to feel invested in the organization’s success.
2. Consistency
Actions speak louder than words. Leaders must demonstrate unwavering alignment between what they say and what they do. Consistency in behavior and decision-making builds credibility over time.
For instance, if a leader promises to prioritize employee well-being but routinely places unreasonable demands and pressures on their team, trust erodes quickly. On the flip side, organizations that consistently follow through on their commitments – and transparently acknowledge when they fall short – lay the groundwork for enduring trust.
Consistency also applies to organizational policies. If work location flexibility is touted as a core value, employees need to see it reflected in practice, not just rhetoric. Mixed messages, such as encouraging flexibility while enforcing rigid in-office requirements, or attempting to drive turnover under the guise of RTO mandates – undermine trust and breed cynicism.
3. Listening
The simple act of listening can transform workplace relationships. Research shows that when employees feel their ideas and suggestions matter, they are more than twice as likely to report a positive employee experience (83% vs. 34%). Listening isn’t just about collecting feedback; it’s about demonstrating that employee feedback drives meaningful change.
Organizations can operationalize listening through robust employee listening strategies. These might include regular pulse surveys, town halls, or focus groups designed to capture diverse perspectives. But the true impact comes from taking action based on what is heard. When employees see that their voices influence decisions, trust flourishes. As a simple test to gauge the effectiveness of their employee listening strategy, I urge every CEO I work with to think about the top three changes they made in their business based on employee feedback collected in the preceding twelve months. If you find yourself struggling to answer this question, it might be an indication that you and your leadership team need to spend more time with employees.
Effective listening also involves creating a safe environment for honest dialogue. Employees are more likely to share candid feedback when they feel their input will be valued and not met with retaliation. Leaders who actively seek out dissenting points of view demonstrate a commitment to inclusion and continuous improvement.
4. Accountability
Accountability is critical to maintaining fairness and trust. Leaders must address poor performance and tackle “brilliant jerk” scenarios with urgency. When high performers are allowed to operate with impunity despite toxic behaviors, it signals to employees that character and integrity are negotiable.
A consistent approach to accountability ensures that everyone is held to the same standard. Leaders who coach underperformers – and take decisive action when coaching fails – reinforce the message that they are creating a culture of meritocracy, not favoritism.
Accountability also extends to leadership itself. When senior leaders admit mistakes, take responsibility for setbacks, and model the behavior they expect from others, they earn respect and trust. Conversely, deflecting blame or avoiding responsibility undermines credibility and morale.
5. Role Modeling
Trust begins at the top. Low trust among members of the C-suite inevitably cascades down to the front lines. Leaders must embody the values and behaviors they expect from others, setting the tone for a culture of trust.
Leadership teams that openly acknowledge their own challenges – and work collaboratively to address them – create a ripple effect of trust throughout the organization. Conversely, a fractured senior team erodes trust at every level.
Effective role modeling at senior levels also requires emotional intelligence. Senior executives who demonstrate empathy, authenticity, and vulnerability – while rallying teams around a clear vision – build stronger connections with their teams. Ultimately, leaders who are serious about building trust must acknowledge and honor the humanness of their employees.
The Financial Impact of Trust
Trust as a Strategic Imperative
Trust is not a byproduct of successful organizations; it is the foundation upon which success is built. For leaders, the path forward is clear: prioritize trust-building efforts before chasing the newest shiny object. No business transformation, AI initiative, or product launch can compensate for a lack of trust. Organizations that fail to address trust gaps will find themselves mired in dysfunction, unable to retain top talent or achieve their strategic goals.
The financial implications of trust are significant. Studies consistently show that high-trust organizations outperform their peers in areas such as employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and overall profitability. For instance, a Slack survey found that people who said they felt trusted by their employer reported twice the productivity of those who didn’t feel trusted, and they were 30% more likely to say they put in extra effort at work. Conversely, low-trust environments
experience higher turnover, lower productivity, and increased operational risks.
By fostering a culture of trust, organizations not only enhance their team dynamics but also position themselves as employers of choice in a competitive talent market and set the stage for enduring success. In a world where trust is increasingly scarce, those who invest in rebuilding it will reap the rewards – both in human connection and business outcomes.
Strengthen Trust in Your Organization
The Kompetently platform supports organizations in bridging the trust gap with their employees by leveraging its AI-driven and personalized competency models. It helps align employee development with strategic goals, addressing competency gaps effectively and fostering a trusting relationship between management and staff. Through continuous real-time performance monitoring and comprehensive feedback mechanisms, Kompetently ensures a transparent and consistent improvement culture, aligning both personal growth and organizational objectives. By equipping managers with robust, data-rich insights and intuitive communication tools, Kompetently empowers them to foster an environment of mutual trust and accountability, reinforcing role-modeling behaviors and transparent decision-making. This trust is essential in establishing a cohesive work environment where transparency, accountability, and continuous development are key to transforming organizational dynamics and improving the overall workplace culture.
- AI-enabled competency models align employee development with strategic goals.
- Real-time performance monitoring provides continuous, constructive feedback.
- Robust insights empower managers to build trust and accountability.
- Transparent communication tools enhance employee engagement.
- Continuous development aligns with individual and organizational objectives.
- Encourages role-modeling behaviors and transparent leadership actions.
Kompetently platform’s capabilities in providing AI-driven developmental pathways, real-time feedback, and transparent communication tools significantly contribute to establishing trust within the organization. By aligning personal growth with strategic objectives and fostering clear communication, Kompetently empowers leaders to create a transparent, accountable, and cohesive work environment that thrives on trust and mutual respect, driving both employee and organizational success.
