To effectively build relationships, trust is integral. And for HR to be effective in the workplace, good relationships are essential. But are there metrics HR can employ or an HRIS software that can be used to measure how trusted they are and the evidence they can use to prove how important trust is to their role?
Trust in HR: How to Build It and Why It Matters
Day-in-day-out, the world of work is continuously changing. This has brought about the compulsion of employees to trust and having to be trusted by their employers.
In order to ascertain whether workers trust their employers and also to know what to do to foster trust in organisations, in the UK, 1,000 workers were surveyed from organisations that contained 250 or more employees, and to see further information about that survey; you can click here to see more.
Why Trust Matters
People at high-trust companies report, compared to people with low-trust companies:
- More energy at work ( 106%)
- Less burnout (40%)
- Fewer sick days ( 29%)
- More engagement ( 76%)
- Higher productivity (50%)
- Fewer sick days (13%)
- Less stress (74%)
It was discovered that the pandemic helped in promoting trust in HR. The survey asked these workers if they trusted their HR more or less before the pandemic. This was the result:
- Less ( 13.8%)
- The same ( 54.1%)
- More (32.1%)
But the gaps are significant:
- Those who don’t trust the HR team to keep them aware of internal promotion chances are 48%
- Those that don’t trust or ain’t sure of the HR team to respect their privacy and confidentiality are 31%
- Those that wouldn’t trust or ain’t sure of the HR team to help them manage conflict with other team members are 47%
The problem is perceived favouritism, as those who trust that HR will act impartially are 50%.
- Junior staff, 12%
- Senior staff, 43%
- Neither: I trust HR to act impartially, 45%
If many employees met a member of the HR team, they wouldn’t recognize them. Respondents who are confident that they will recognize a member of an HR team are 55%.
Here are the statistics:
- 26.8% said no
- 17.8% said maybe
- 55.4% said yes
Getting help from HR is hard
One-third of the respondents noted that getting help from HR is nearly impossible or hard. Not up to one-third felt it would be easy.
Three Important Areas to Focus On
Enable Easier Communication
If employees can’t get the information they need or where to turn to get any information, imagine how frustrating it would be. If HR doesn’t champion the need for effective communication between employees and managers, or between themselves and employees, then who will? Some HR software can help in this direction.
Champion Diversity
In the areas that matter most, HR teams that champion diversity enjoy more trust from their employees.
Here are the statistics of organisations that champion diversity and those that don’t champion diversity:
Organisations where HR don’t Champion Diversity
- Only 33% trust HR to help them manage conflict with other staff members.
- Only 32% trust HR to act impartially by favouring senior staff over Junior staff
- Only 34% trust HR to tell them about internal opportunities.
- organisations where HR Champion Diversity
- 67% trust HR to help them manage conflict with other staff members.
- 50% trust HR to act impartially and not favour senior staffs over junior staffs
- 65% trust HR to tell them about internal opportunities.
Improve Recognition
Employees who noted that they could recognize a member of their HR team were more likely to trust HR to manage conflict with other staff members, compared to those that say they wouldn’t.
- 66% of employees that would recognize a member of their HR team trust HR to help them manage conflicts.
- 37% of employees that won’t recognize a member of their HR team would trust HR to help them manage conflicts.
There is still a lot that must be done even though the level of trust in HR increased during the pandemic. With HR administrative loads, it is easy to forget that people come first and that championing work equity and building trusting relationships should be the core of HR.
The practical knowledge of HR about what needs to be done, combined with their understanding of human resources management software, will put HR in the perfect position to promote trust among members of staff and also create shared value.
Trust and Covid-19
For the fact Covid-19 has caused a lot of uncertainties and fear, the pandemic could have easily decreased employee trust. Fortunately for HR, in the main, this was never the case:
- 13.8% trust them less and
- 54.1% trust them the same
- 32.1% of people trust their HR team more now than before Covid-19
HR and business leaders must leverage this flux to earn trust from their employees, as the UK goes through a pandemic, with many businesses bringing people back into work for the first time in months. A good place to start is evidencing how you are going to keep on-site staff safe.
People are at the forefront of all relationships
HR and the business can emphasize on the elements that build relationships and HRM software that looks after the admin behind people processes. Recognition is important:
- 26.8% could pass HR in the hall and be none the wiser
- 17.8% aren’t sure, and
- 55.4% of people would recognize their HR team
Not showing favouritism and being fair as well as keeping DEI front and centre is very important also.
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