When employees trust their employer, they are more loyal, more innovative and more engaged. If you are hoping to create this spirit at your organization, use these steps as a guide.
-
- Create a Commitment-Focused Culture
In 1994, two business school professors at Stanford, James Baron and Michael Hannan, began a multiyear project to discover which kind of company culture produced the best results. They found, “Hands down, a commitment culture outperformed every other type of management style in every meaningful way.” Although many people view commitment-focused cultures as “a throwback to an age when people happily worked for one company their entire life,” Baron and Hannan found this culture was the most effective at creating trust. These organizations avoided layoffs unless there was no other alternative and invested heavily in their people. In return, their employees, “wasted less time on internal rivalries because everyone was committed to the company, rather than to personal agendas.” (Smarter Faster Better, 2016) - Believe in Your Employees
To gain trust, organizations first must extend trust. Micromanaging and excessive rules send a message, “You need supervision, because we don’t think you are capable of doing your job.” This isn’t a smart way to build a relationship. On the other hand, bestselling author Tim Ferris once wrote his employees an email reading, “… fix all problems that cost under $100 without contacting me… my customers are your customers… Do what you think is right…” Which company would you trust? - Find the Right People
As the old saying goes, “One bad apple can spoil the bunch,” and often this holds true in corporate settings. One overly negative or narcissistic employee can easily decrease morale and cause turnover. Therefore, commitment-focused cultures that believe in their employees are incredibly careful about whom they invite into their organizations. Often their hiring processes go far beyond the standard interview and include more rigorous tests like work samples, role plays and experiential interviews. - Be Transparent
Transparency builds trust. When employees don’t know what is going on, they will invent their own stories. And, this quickly destroys faith in a company. Of course, some information is confidential. However, trustworthy organizations keep their employees in the loop whenever possible, even if this means delivering (and dealing with) bad news. - Don’t Give Up
Improving employee trust isn’t for the faint of heart. Done correctly, this is a challenging and ongoing process, and all organizations make missteps along the way. As Daniel Coyle wrote in his book, The Culture Code, “Building safety isn’t the kind of skill you can learn in a robotic, paint-by-numbers sort of way. It’s a fluid, improvisational skill – sort of like learning to pass a soccer ball to a teammate during a game… And like any skill, it comes with a learning curve.”
- Create a Commitment-Focused Culture
Could Your Company Use Help Hiring the Right People?
If you are looking for top talent in Gainesville, Georgia, and the surrounding regions, give BOS Staffing a call. Our professional recruiters can match your business with highly productive employees who fit seamlessly into your organization. Trust us to find the people you need!
