Trust the process. But what if it doesn’t exist?

Let’s face it, trust in the workplace is a two-way thing. What is your employer going to do for you to build your trust, and likewise what are you going to do to earn the trust of your leaders? Whichever way you look at it, ‘trust’ is fundamental to any organisation’s success.

Don’t just take our word for it, according to a recent article in HBR by Paul J. Zak (HBR – The neuroscience of trust) ‘Employees in high-trust organizations are more productive, have more energy at work, collaborate better with their colleagues, and stay with their employers longer than people working at low-trust companies.’

So from a people perspective, if you want all of the above, you had better make sure there’s a mutual trust running through the organisation.

What’s more, from a financial performance perspective the Center for Leadership Studies will tell you that ‘Companies that have a high-level of mutual trust between their management and employees are much more likely to have a greater economic and financial performance.’

There are multiple studies supporting the point, a recent study by Great Place to Work highlighting that ‘organisations with high trust levels saw 29% higher profits compared to organisations with low trust levels.’

It’s clear that there are multiple benefits to a high-trust organisation.

At Ceriph, our view is that ‘trust’ is the currency on which reputation is built. Without it, your reputation as an employer can be in tatters. Leadership is not supported, employees don’t feel included, and collaboration doesn’t exist. Creativity and innovation suffer, because who wants to take a risk without the trust of those around you?

The question is, how can you measure the levels of trust in your organisation that shape your reputation as an employer?

There are some key questions you would need to answer, that would include:

• Would employees describe your organisation as ethical, trustworthy and one that acts with integrity?
• Do teams have effective processes and tools to do their job properly?
• How clear are employees on the organisations approach to flexible working?
• How is internal mobility managed and embraced within the organisation?
• Do teams and individuals feel empowered to make a meaningful contribution and have an impact?

And that’s just scratching the surface. Uncovering the answers to such questions will help to put into place a plan to support future success. As Jim Collins, author of ‘Good to Great’ put it, “Trust is the fuel that powers the most successful companies. Without it, even the best ideas and strategies will sputter and fail.”

If you’re to trigger the discretionary effort your organisation needs to achieve its goals, then trust needs to be flowing through employees.

Maybe it’s time to trust a process.

ERIN, the Employer Reputation Indicator, is a cutting-edge diagnostic tool developed in conjunction with Aston University. Analysing 160 indicators across 6 key drivers, it helps you measure, evaluate & strengthen your Employer Reputation.