JULY 24, 2024
Building Employee Trust: 6 Things Every Company Should Do
It’s vital to a business’s survival for there to be trust between employers like you and your staff. Trust acts as a connective tissue, a cement between employers and employees that makes it possible for a business team to get the most out of their hard work. Let’s look at the value of building employee trust and several ways to help you earn the trust of your staff.
Why Trust is Important
Employee trust is a foundational part of managing your business. Job recruitment company Indeed reports that companies with high trust cultures see a 50% lower turnover rate than competitors. Employers who build employee trust see more loyalty to their businesses, avoiding the hassle and costs of hiring and training new staff, as well as the problems caused by losing talented and experienced employees. Employee trust also helps boost productivity, as staff work better together and with you, improving efficiency.
When your business operation prioritizes employee trust, it also encourages good working relationships between staff, management, and co-workers, making it easier to solve conflicts and find common ground. Finally, it encourages creativity and innovation as employees are willing to share their thoughts and ideas with each other and you when they feel you’ll listen to them without judging or chastising them for asking questions or making proposals.
How to Build Trust with Employees
Of course, it’s easy enough for us to say you should build employee trust, but that still leaves the little matter of how best to go about it. Here are several ways you can earn their trust.
1. Lead by example. When you demonstrate the values you want them to show, it encourages them to believe that you uphold the principles and integrity you ask them for.
2. Admit mistakes. Nobody is perfect, and being willing to own up to your own shortcomings and missteps proves to your staff you don’t hold a double standard. It also encourages them to be honest about their own faults. When they don’t feel like you’re going to look down on them or punish them, they’re more likely to learn from their mistakes rather than try to cover them up.
3. Practice open communication. Engage with your staff. Employees are more likely to trust you when they feel communication is a two-way street. Show them you’re listening. This is also helpful with identifying areas of improvement in your business.
4. Be transparent. While some information needs to be confidential, the more you share with your staff, the more you demonstrate your trust in them. That helps you earn trust with your employees in return. It also helps them understand your business’s direction and the reason behind your decisions, especially difficult ones.
5. Encourage collaboration. Peer coaching is a great way to build trust between yourself and staff, as well as between coworkers. It helps build a rapport between members of your business team, as well as share knowledge and experience.
6. Promote inclusivity and respect. Inclusivity and respect go beyond having a diverse workforce at all levels. When everyone has a voice in how the business operates and knows their opinions and suggestions are valued, it creates an atmosphere of trust and cooperation. It also leads to new innovations in your business operation when employees feel they can make suggestions based on what they’ve seen and learned.
Trust between you and your staff is a mutual exchange; you need to show trust in them as much as they show it to you. When you trust your staff with the information and resources they need to understand how your business operates, and when you do so without heavy-handed oversight or stress-inducing micromanagement, they’ll trust you to guide the way to the best possible future for the success of everyone with your business.
Find your HR Solutions at Payroll Vault
We’re eager to put our HR expertise to work for you and your small business. Our payroll and HR professionals are ready to put together a customized service package for you, to provide you with everything from payroll services to advice and resources on creating a positive work culture. Visit your nearest Payroll Vault location and learn more about what we can do for your business.
