When employee trust breaks, organizations suffer. Employees withdraw, question decisions, withhold ideas, suppress feedback, and generally disengage from work — leading to measurable business impacts.
Research cited in MIT Sloan Management Review shows that employees in high-trust workplaces are 260% more motivated, 41% less absent, and 50% less likely to leave. High-trust companies also see greater earnings — a whopping 8.5 times more per employee, according to Great Place to Work.
But most organizations are missing out. A 2025 Gallup poll found that just 19% of employees trust their organization’s leadership, indicating significant opportunity exists to improve not only how employees feel but how organizations perform.
While building employee trust can feel abstract, leaders can take concrete actions to increase trust with employees. These actions are part of a framework that guides how decisions are formed, aligned, and experienced.
Include Employee Perspectives
Incorporate existing employee feedback and/or invite employee champions into the decision-making process. When leaders bake these perspectives into the process, employees can trust that decisions aren’t made in a vacuum. Employees know leaders have considered their thoughts, feelings, and ideas.
Synchronize on Decisions
Before announcing a decision, change, or initiative, ensure that all leadership team members are aligned. Don’t assume each team member knows whether a decision has been made. Intentionally share the decision state and whether it’s ready to activate. Then, set expectations around sharing the decision: who, when, and how it should be shared. When leaders share a decision before it’s finalized or share different versions of the decision, employee confidence — and trust — declines.
Share What’s Happening & Why it Matters
Clearly and concisely explain what decision or change has been made or initiative is launching. Include the reasons for the decision and explain why the timing is right. Share how the decision ties to the organization’s broader strategy or mission and identify how it impacts employees at different levels. When leaders don’t share the why behind a decision, employees often make up their own stories, which are usually inaccurate.
Model Desired Behavior
Leaders who take a “do as I say, not as I do” approach will never fully earn employee trust. If leaders expect employees to demonstrate values and procedures, leaders must visibly and consistently demonstrate those values and procedures. When a leader’s actions don’t align with their words, the foundation upon which trust is built crumbles along with productivity, morale, and momentum.
Act on Requested Feedback
When requesting employee feedback — whether through surveys, meetings, or informal channels — it’s imperative to act on it. This doesn’t mean leading by consensus or allowing every bit of feedback to drive decisions. It means sharing when feedback has influenced a decision and explaining why feedback and decisions might not align. Trust increases when employees see that their input matters.