Almost Half of UK Employees Don't Trust Their CEO - and a Similar Number Don't Trust Senior Management Either
New research reveals that UK employees have a major lack of trust for CEOs and senior managers.
(PRWEB) November 7, 2008 -- The independent research was undertaken during August and September 2008 on behalf of Endaba, the global executive recruitment and development consultancy. 5,114 employees from a wide range of industry sectors took part.
The top three reasons given by employees as to why they don't trust their CEOs and senior managers were:
1. Almost 50 percent perceive that their CEOs and senior managers don't care about employees.
2. Around 40 percent don't think their CEOs and senior managers say what they mean.
3. A similar percentage of employees don't believe that the contribution they make is valued by their CEOs and senior managers.
Additionally, more than a quarter of employees don't think their CEO is honest and truthful or that they deliver on their promises. Senior managers fare even worse, with 30 percent of employees claiming that they don't deliver on their promises and 29 percent saying that they think they are not truthful.
Considering these characteristics are ranked highest by employees as those required in trustworthy individuals, in the current economic climate there is a sense of urgency for organisations to take action to address these damaging perceptions.
The Endaba Trust Index
Sample = 5,114 UK employees
What characteristics make an individual trustworthy? Average Male Employees Female Employees
Honesty 83.43 78.15 86.24
Dependability 61.72 55.59 64.99
Delivers on a promise 55.04 49.65 57.92
Is genuine/authentic 51.30 40.21 57.26
Can keep a secret/confidence 49.89 38.11 56.22
Integrity 49.46 46.50 51.04
Consistency 48.42 43.09 51.27
Strong moral values 43.34 39.07 45.71
Openness 42.70 39.25 44.53
High ethical standards 35.90 33.92 36.95
As the table demonstrates, the study showed some differences in perception between male and female employees, with women placing greater significance on a person's ability to keep a confidence than male employees - and ranking characteristics such as honesty, authenticity and dependability of higher value than their male colleagues.
The research also indicates that the higher up the organisation an employee is, the more their trust level increases. Only 27 percent of senior managers don't trust their CEO, compared to 39 percent of other managers and 44 percent of employees working in non-management roles.
This trend towards diminished trust is far less pronounced amongst those working in less senior roles. Almost three-quarters of employees claim they have trust in their line managers and 78 percent say they trust their colleagues.
Another notable finding is that almost 90 percent of employees believe that loss of trust is difficult or impossible to rebuild. Lynette Deutsch - founder and CEO of Endaba and a leading expert on trust - disagrees. Commenting on the findings, she said:
"Although people believe that it is almost impossible to rebuild trust once it has been lost, this couldn't be further from the truth. There are 13 behaviours common in high-trust leaders - all of which can be learned using the Endaba Trust Model. However, every one of these behaviours has an opposite, which in a large number of organisations has sadly become the operating norm.
This manifests itself in behaviours such as engaging in office politics, working to hidden agendas and blaming others - all of which are highly detrimental to an environment of trust, and, ultimately to profitability.
"Lack of trust can also lead to lack of confidence. In an unstable market, this can have a devastating effect on organisations and their share prices - as we are witnessing on a daily basis during the current economic crisis."
Patrick Egan, managing director at Endaba, adds:
"Where there is low organisational trust, speed and costs are affected, people disengage and productivity drops. Diminished trust has a knock-on effect on everything. Relationships with employees, colleagues, suppliers and customers are compromised; confidence plummets - and so does reputation.
"Our study shows that the problem of low trust is widespread. One of the most worrying findings is the fact that 57 percent of employees don't even believe that senior management actually care whether they trust them or not. Organisations will need to work hard to reverse these negative perceptions if they want to survive."
One organisation that has already experienced the business benefits of restoring and rebuilding trust is global packaged food manufacturer, General Mills. As a result of this work, the company was recently recognised within the Top 5 Most Trusted Management Companies by the Financial Times in its list of the UK's 50 Best Workplaces.
General Mills' managing director, Jim Moseley, comments:
"Trust is critical in business, particularly in such uncertain times. Quite simply, it makes sense for both employers as well as employees. Trusted employees feel confident and strive to perform well, helping the business thrive and setting the stage for innovation and creation of new opportunities."
Sue Swanborough, the company's HR director expands:
"At General Mills, trust is reflected in our cultural values and our ways of working. We constantly seek to create an environment where people know not only that they are trusted, but that they can trust those around them. This paves the way for superior team work."
Lynette Deutsch concludes:
"You can generally rebuild trust. There are a few exceptions, but they are rare. It's all about behaviour. You can't talk yourself out of a problem you behaved yourself into, so you need to learn strategies that can help you behave your way out of it instead. Ultimately, it comes down to what you do, not what you say."
A management summary of the full trust research findings is currently under production and will be available in hard copy format at the Endaba Trust Conference. Following the conference, a pdf version will also be made available via the Endaba website. To apply in advance to receive a complimentary soft copy please register your details at www.endaba.com
Senior management wanting to learn more about building a culture of trust can register at www.endaba.com to be selected to attend the Endaba Trust Conference. The conference will take place in central London at the Royal Society of Arts on 28th January, 2009. The keynote speaker will be Stephen M R Covey, author of the bestselling book The Speed of Trust.
Notes to editors
Individual comment from the HR director at General Mills and/or a case study expanding on how the company adopted a trust leadership approach is available on request. Lynette Deutsch and Patrick Egan from Endaba are also available for interview through Louise Jaggs.
Research methodology:
Endaba commissioned OnePoll to undertake a study amongst UK employees during autumn 2008. Responses were received from 5,114 employees working across a wide variety of industry sectors. More detailed data can be requested from Louise Jaggs. Data splits available include age; gender; job role; position; sector and industry.
About Endaba - www.endaba.com
Endaba specialises in recruiting and developing high-calibre business leaders with the skills and experience to create immediate and sustainable value. The company works internationally across all industry sectors, focusing on enabling wealth generation for organisations through people.
Another area of expertise is in the field of cultural transformation where Endaba has an unrivalled depth and breadth of experience. To achieve this, the company has trademarked a set of unique tools to provide workable solutions to complex issues.
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