Just 46% employees across Europe feel trusted at work

Fewer than half employees in Europe feel they are trusted at work, according to new research.

The study, carried out by Catalyst, found that just 46% of employees in Europe report feel trusted at work (often or always). The UK has the highest levels of feeling trusted (50%), followed by the Netherlands (48%), Sweden (48%), Germany (39%) and France (36%).

This is concerning because a lack of trust can have a negative impact on staff motivation, engagement, productivity and innovation. “For all of these countries, only half or fewer than half of employees experience being trusted at work. Employers need to pay attention to this phenomenon and act to create trust as part of an inclusive work culture within organisations,” commented Emily Shaffer, report author and Director in Catalyst’s Research department.

INCLUSION ‘KEY’ TO GAINING TRUST

According to the study, inclusion is key to gaining trust. Having the opportunity to contribute to organisational goals, and being invited to participate in decision-making are critical features of being trusted. When managers lead more inclusively, experiences of trust increase and both the organisation and employee benefits. 

In fact, the study reveals that 72% of employees reported experiencing a high degree of trust when their team is more cohesive, compared to just 25% when a team is less cohesive. When teams become more cohesive, staff experience higher levels of trust, which in turn, has a positive influence on innovation and engagement. Teams also become better at problem-solving.

TRUST AT WORK

The study also reveals that just 36% of employees in non-management roles report being trusted at work, compared to 54% in management positions. Additionally, only 43% of women feel that they are trusted at work, compared to 49% of their male counterparts.

“It should be concerning to leaders that over half of employees do not feel a sense of trust at work; particularly when we found that this motivates employees to do their best work,” stated Allyson Zimmermann, Executive Director of Catalyst EMEA. “Trust needs to be shown in action. We hope this data helps corporate leaders in Europe lead inclusively and promote trust as part of their organisational cultures.”

KEY CONCLUSIONS

Other key findings from the report reveal that:

• Trust helps employees to innovate and feel engaged. The experience of being trusted significantly improves employee innovation and employee engagement.
• Trust brings out the best in employee teams. The experience of being trusted significantly helps to improve team innovation and problem-solving.
• Leaders and organisational systems have a significant impact on employee experiences of trust. Inclusive leaders, fair policies and procedures, as well as a supportive workplace environment increase the experience of trust.
• As teams become more cohesive and leaders become more inclusive, employees experience higher levels of trust. As a result. employees are more engaged in their work and innovative. Teams are also better at solving problems, being innovative and demonstrating citizenship.

More than 1,700 employees across Europe were surveyed for this report from range of ranks, functions and industries. Click here to download the report.

Check out the research on why trust and inclusion are crucial to corporate success in 2021.