Trust and Employee Engagement: Building the Foundation for Organizational Success

I can clearly recall the day our department changed for the better. As a long-time employee, I have experienced my share of ups and downs in the company. However, this particular day was different. During one of our monthly town hall meetings, where we were asked for updates, our new manager asked us to share our genuine thoughts and concerns about recent changes.

That meeting was the first time I truly felt heard at work. Our manager not only listened but also took notes and asked questions to garner a deeper understanding of our experiences. Then, in the weeks that followed, we started seeing tangible changes based on our feedback — small adjustments in our workflows and the introduction of new channels for strengthening communication.

These actions showed us that our voices mattered, laying the groundwork for a renewed trust between staff and management. This wasn’t simply about being heard, but it was different seeing how our inputs were considered in shaping our work environment. The shift not only improved our daily tasks but also reignited our commitment to the company.

Having a firsthand experience of witnessing a change in management’s approach towards employees, I learned how the culture of trust and engagement had the power to transform a workplace. Now, let me show you how trust in the workplace and engagement work together, how to cultivate them, and how they contribute to long-term organizational success in the blog below.

How Trust Impacts Employee Engagement

Reflecting on my years in the industry, I have witnessed leaders experimenting with several strategies to enhance workplace dynamics. However, a few factors significantly impact employee engagement, as trust does. Trust stands on another pedestal, positively impacting employee engagement.

Well, I have not uttered a mere statement; there’s a lot of study and discussion involved in claiming the sentence. We will understand this in-depth in the following section. Once trust is established, much of the foundation is laid for enhancing engagement. So, let us understand how trust enhances several factors that contribute to strengthening engagement.

Enhancing Communication and Collaboration

A dialogue leads to connection, which leads to trust which leads to engagement.
– Seth Godin

I’m sure many of you have witnessed this scenario or experienced it themselves: When team members trust each other, their communication enhances, as they become more transparent with the information, believing that everyone has the right to know. This way, knowledge is shared freely, with employees assisting each other in overcoming challenges.

Recommended Resource: The Role of Transparency in Improving Employee Engagement

Boosting Employee Motivation

Have you ever wondered how trust can play a major role in boosting employee motivation? As a professional, I feel valued and empowered when my managers or leaders believe in my capabilities and trust that I can pull things off. This validation is not limited to acknowledging their current skills, but it is also about entrusting employees with significant responsibilities and the autonomy to execute tasks.

Trust's Role in Mental Health and Job Satisfaction

“Psychological safety” is the result of trust among employees. This safety creates a safety bubble for employees where they can perform without being triggered by fear of judgment or failure. As a result, it creates a positive influence on mental health, reducing burnout and enhancing overall job satisfaction.

Mitigating Turnover and Improving Workplace Safety

Another crucial factor trust contributes to is mitigating turnover rates. As discussed earlier, when employees feel trusted, it enhances communication and transparency, boosts motivation, and boosts mental health and job satisfaction. This belongingness makes employees swear their loyalty to the organization and envision developing long-term ties. This directly reduces turnover rates.

Additionally, trust in the workplace also correlates with improved safety records. Once employees see that their well-being is a genuine concern for the organization, they are inclined to prioritize safety by adhering to safety protocols and reporting potential hazards.

Leadership’s Pivotal Role in Fostering Trust

A team is not a group of people who work together, it is a group of people who trust each other.
– Simon Sinek

Having personal experience in leading teams, I have consistently observed that the behavior of leaders has a major say in setting the foundation of trust in an organization. Leadership is not limited to guiding others toward attaining goals; it is also about building trust within your team.

Setting the Tone for Trust

As employees look up to leaders to seek inspiration and support, it becomes essential for leaders to demonstrate integrity, transparency, and consistency in their actions. For instance, when leaders are open about the challenges and share their decision-making processes, it cultivates a positive environment where employees feel valued and secure. This transparency keeps employees consistently informed and highlights the accountable side of leaders, a behavior central to fostering trust.

Navigating Modern Challenges

In this era of digitization, one of the significant challenges leaders face is establishing and maintaining trust in a virtual setting. There is a higher propensity for remote workers to feel isolated due to the lack of in-person interaction. Combating this will require effective leaders to use digital tools to consistently maintain communication and create virtual spaces for team interactions that mirror the physical office space. This will ensure regular check-ins between employees and leaders that bridge the gap of miscommunication and steadily strengthen trust.

Addressing Leadership Blind Spots

It is no secret that leadership comes with blind spots. And if these go unchecked, it can significantly impact trust. One of the most common blind spots is misinterpreting feedback as personal criticism. Leaders should be willing to cultivate the ability to receive feedback neutrally and use it constructively without bias. They must realize that feedback is a tool for improvement and not a personal attack on them. Addressing these blind spots can help leaders improve their effectiveness and simultaneously reinforce a trustful relationship with their team.

Empathy as a Trait to Foster Trust

Empathy is a non-negotiable trait of a leader that strengthens trust with the employees. Leaders should understand and showcase how they care about their employees’ well-being. Also, by actively listening and responding to the needs and concerns of the team members, they demonstrate how they value them as individuals and not only as mere employees. Demonstrating empathy in regular interactions not only enhances team collaboration but is the stepping stone to building the foundation of trust.

According to a PWC survey, managers can take meaningful steps toward building trust and strengthening team relationships by listening. More than two-thirds (68%) of employees consider this very significant for building trust.

Recommended Resource: Leadership Empathy and Recognition: The Keys to Valuing and Supporting Team Efforts

What Trust and Engagement Look Like in Action

So far, we have understood how trust enhances employee engagement and how leaders are central in cementing the trust. As we proceed, we will witness how trust and engagement go hand-in-hand when in action. We will explore examples that showcase how these elements manifest in daily interactions across diverse working environments. It will be a tangible representation of what successful implementation looks like.

Observable Behaviors and Scenarios

You can observe trust and engagement coexisting in the organization through several daily interactions.

1. A leader honestly sharing challenging company concerns and allowing employees to share their ideas and queries directly.
2. Employees across various departments participating in shadowing initiatives to understand diverse roles and responsibilities. This practice dismantles departmental barriers and builds mutual respect.
3. Frequent recognition of employees by peers or from leaders to their teams. It promotes inclusiveness and shows that all contributions are valued.
4. Leaders encouraging risk-taking by perceiving failure as a learning opportunity demonstrate organizational support for innovation.
5. Creating a positive environment where employees feel free to express creative ideas and solutions without the fear of being judged or ridiculed. 6. Leaders encouraging and providing career advancement opportunities.

As per a PWC survey, 61% of respondents say offering career advancement opportunities is another crucial aspect in building trust among employees.

Examples from Diverse Work Setups

Remote setup: In a remote setting, trust and engagement go hand in hand when managers empower employees by conveying their expectations and refraining from micromanaging. By trusting employees to complete their tasks independently, managers demonstrate confidence in their team's capabilities. In addition, regular virtual team-building activities not only enhance cohesion and team bonding but also set the tone of trust among remote employees and ignite engagement in them.

Hybrid Work: Hybrid setups come with a set of unique challenges to maintain trust among employees. However, trust is achievable when leaders implement the same policies for both in-office and remote employees without making any group feel left out. Also, maintaining an open-door policy, both for virtual and physical spaces, encourages employees to voice their concerns and suggestions. This will further reinforce a culture of inclusiveness and trust.

According to a PWC survey, more than two-thirds (68%) of business executives trust remote and in-person employees equally, while only 20% say they trust in-person employees more.

Cultural and Psychological Aspects of Trust-Building

It is safe to say that trust is deeply embedded in the cultural fabric of an organization, which is significantly shaped by the collective mindset and behaviors of its members. Culturally, a trust-oriented organization is one where diversity and inclusivity are celebrated, creating a sense of belonging among employees, regardless of their role or location.

From a psychological perspective, building trust involves understanding human emotions and motivations. Well, as discussed above, showing empathy, caring about employees’ well-being, creating a psychologically safe environment where employees can express themselves without hesitation, and igniting their motivational aspects are crucial for bridging the gaps and building strong, trust-based relationships. As trust deepens, there is a gradual increase in engagement levels.

How to Foster Trust and Engagement

With the evolving landscape of job markets, you cannot expect to foster trust and engagement solely relying on foundational strategies. To match the evolving scenario, you must evolve your thinking mechanism by leveraging innovative tools and embracing emerging practices that cater to the dynamic needs of the current workforce. Let’s explore these in detail.

Foundational Strategies

Since foundational strategies form the bedrock of trust in a workplace scenario, why not brush up on the basics to further delve into other aspects?

• As discussed initially, open communication and transparency are essential in a workplace setting. As a leader, ensure and promote this and leave no room for unnecessary speculations and misunderstandings.
• Treat and respect people equally irrespective of their positions- full-time employees, consultants, part-timers, people with diverse backgrounds and cultures, onshore and offshore employees, etc.
• Display honesty in everything. Refrain from distorting, manipulating, or hiding any facts. And never let bad behavior exist. Get the negativity out.
• Keep reminding people of their mission and purpose.
• Take the extra mile to help your peers, team, or customers to support and nurture them.
• Recognize and reward employees for their efforts, willingness, and achievements.
• Maintain positivity in the workplace by instilling some fun, be it through celebrations or anything that keeps them excited.
• Keep micromanagement at bay and give employees the autonomy to have their say and be a part of the organization.

Tools for Trust and Engagement

Now, let us understand how leveraging innovative tools will serve our purpose of establishing trust and engagement.

Trust Measurement Frameworks:

Tools like the Trust Index Survey or the Edelman Trust Barometer can be handy for gaining valuable insights into the trust levels of an organization. These frameworks assist in identifying areas of strength and opportunities for improvement, allowing leaders to take targeted actions to enhance trust.

Engagement Checklists:

An engagement checklist guides managers in implementing best practices to ensure employees are consistently engaged with their work and the organization. This includes regular one-on-ones, career development discussions, and team-building activities tailored to the needs and preferences of the workforce.

Emerging Practices

Let us unlock the emerging practices that require our attention to strengthen trust and engagement.

Leveraging AI for Anonymous Feedback:

It is no secret that AI is expanding at an exponential speed, seeping into different areas of the business landscape. In the realm of employee engagement, AI has excelled in fostering trust through its anonymous feedback feature. AI tools can analyze employee sentiments and feedback patterns without bias, offering leaders genuine insights. This anonymity in feedback helps gather genuine feedback and protects employee privacy, encouraging more open and honest communication.

Virtual Reality (VR) for Remote Team Building:

Another emerging technology, Virtual Reality (VR) is revolutionizing the way remote and hybrid teams are connecting and building trust. Creating virtual spaces that mimic a real office environment can help teams engage in immersive team-building activities. This heightens the sense of presence and belonging among the remote employees, boosting their camaraderie, which is crucial for building trust.

Conclusion

Having understood the significance of trust and engagement and how their synergy fosters a harmonious work environment, it’s now time for you to implement these strategies to ensure trust and engagement in your workplace.

The examples provided above can guide you in identifying areas where your organization needs to focus to build and maintain trust and engagement over the long term.

FAQs

Can trust be rebuilt if it’s broken?

Yes, trust can be rebuilt, but it requires time and consistent effort. Leaders need to acknowledge the breach, take accountability, and demonstrate through their actions that they are committed to rebuilding trust. Transparent communication and a commitment to resolving underlying issues are crucial in restoring trust.

How do trust and engagement affect employee performance?

When employees trust their leaders and feel engaged, they are more motivated, focused, and productive. They take ownership of their tasks, are more willing to go the extra mile, and are less likely to disengage or leave the company. High levels of trust lead to higher performance and a more committed workforce.

Author bio: This article is written by Riha Jaishi, a content marketing professional at Vantage Circle specializing in recognition and rewards. As she draws from her years of experience in employee recognition and rewards, she continues weaving narratives through her thought-provoking blog posts. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com