Boosting productivity through a culture of trust

Trust is an essential component of hybrid and remote workplaces. Without trust, productivity suffers. With trust, employees become more engaged. I4CP recently published a report titled The Productivity Predicament to highlight the significance of trust at work. Our summary below offers valuable insights for HR and leaders to boost both trust and productivity.

The undeniable link between trust and productivity

Trust isn't just nice to have. Trust is a necessity that enhances productivity and fosters healthy work environments. Organizational performance hinges on a culture of mutual trust from top to bottom.

• High-trust organizations have shown an 18% productivity rise since the pandemic began.
• High-performance organizations score up to 11x higher in trust metrics than low-performance organizations.
• 5x more training is given to leaders in high-trust organizations, driving healthy cultures.

Current challenges in building trust

Building trust can be challenging. Despite the vital role of trust in organizational health, many leaders struggle to create cultures where trust thrives.

• Toxic organizational cultures are 16x more likely to face trust issues.
• An absence of trust can lead to an environment where employees feel unsafe voicing concerns.
• Leading by example and addressing misconduct swiftly are hallmarks of healthy cultures.
• Just 2% of low-performance organizations strongly believe their senior leaders trust employees, compared to 22% of high-performance organizations.

Crafting trust: The way forward

Building trust is a skill that can be developed over time. Enhancing trust within an organization requires intentional actions and targeted training programs.

• High-trust organizations provide 5x more training for organizational leadership.
• Targeted training can lead to better interpersonal relationships and improved organizational trust.
• Managerial development also plays a significant role in improving trust.

Actions for HR + people leaders to boost organizational trust:

• Make sure your company values are clear and leaders live by them.
• Create anonymous feedback opportunities for employees.
• Host regular trust-building workshops and specialized training to foster trust and nurture healthy team dynamics.
• Tackle behavioral discrepancies and problems right away.
• Emphasize inclusive leadership.
• Emphasize goal setting and providing constructive feedback.
• Encourage increased transparency in decision-making processes.
• Prioritize leadership development to model trust-centric behaviors.

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