How HR Can Build Trust in the Workplace

As all HR professionals know, a large part of Human Resources management is building trust throughout the work environment. Building trust in the workplace is key for HR leaders to create high-performing teams and improve employee experience.

Good leadership starts with trust, so it’s important for HR departments to build trust in the workplace right from recruitment and maintain this trust throughout the employee lifecycle. The benefits of having trust in the workplace are plentiful, from increasing employee engagement, motivation and making employees feel like valued team members. 

There are many different actions that human resource management can take to develop trust. This blog will explore some of these methods, looking at both practical and emotional trust building activities, and how HR software can support this. 

Avoid micromanaging to build trust

Micromanaging employees is a sure-fire way to break down trust in the workplace, both for managers and employees. When employees are micromanaged they begin to feel as if they are not trusted to get the work done on their own. This can take its toll, and affect overall employee engagement levels, motivation and productivity.

A large part of building trust is about giving responsibility. HR Managers can guide line managers to give their employees responsibilities without constantly checking in on them (as this is often received as constantly checking up on them!). HR can guide managers to trust their employees by providing guidelines on which tasks can be passed down and which need to be handled by management. 

To effectively create and maintain trust in the workplace, HR and line managers should work together to track employee performance by output and results. XCD’s HR system with performance management software can effectively help HR staff to track employee performance without making them feel like they are being micromanaged. This will allow a clear structure to see exactly how each employee is reacting to being trusted with more responsibility, placing less strain and pressure on work relationships.

Appreciating employees’ efforts builds trust

Appreciation and recognition play a pivotal role in fostering trust and connection within the workplace. When employees feel genuinely valued and acknowledged for their contributions, they develop a sense of belonging and loyalty towards their organisation. By actively expressing gratitude for their colleagues’ efforts and achievements, employees create a positive atmosphere where trust can thrive.

Recognising the hard work and accomplishments of individuals not only boosts their morale but also cultivates a culture of mutual respect and support. When employees have access to a peer-to-peer appreciation software, it provides a quick and simple way to achieve just this, allowing them to express their appreciation and recognise their fellow employee.

When peers appreciate and recognise one another’s efforts, it creates a ripple effect, encouraging a collaborative and cohesive work environment. Ultimately, this enhances trust among employees, as they feel seen, heard, and appreciated by their colleagues, leading to increased engagement, productivity, and trust.

Listen to feedback to build trust in the workplace

When HR departments are open to feedback and actively listen to their employees, it can help to build a sense of trust between Human Resources and staff. As we know, managing employees can be difficult, but by taking feedback onboard, HR are able to learn from their feedback, and in turn improve their productivity and build trust. 

It is the responsibility of Human Resources to ensure that employees have their voices heard. Having regular appraisals can help to improve communication in the workplace, and remedy any issues that your team members may be experiencing in a much more efficient fashion.

Having regular feedback sessions as opposed to annual appraisals is considered best practice by HR departments as it can provide far more insight into trends like employee morale in a certain time frame. Build personalised review forms and feedback forms using XCD’s Employee Relationship Management software to help you effectively gain feedback from team members and build trust.

Being transparent builds trust

As Human Resource management, we expect employees to be transparent with us. It is important for those that are in leadership roles to do the same, as this trust building activity encourages employees to communicate with HR professionals more openly.

Share information when and where you can. If your employees sense that you are hiding things from them, it can damage the trust. Also, taking responsibility for when things go wrong helps to create trust within your company culture, showing that you’re not trying to hide your mistakes from employees. Of course, you don’t need to share everything with employees — they don’t need to know the minutiae of payroll processing, for example. But, they do appreciate feeling involved and trusted.

Cloud-based HR software can help Human Resources to share any important information instantly. The self-service feature of XCD’s HR software allows employees to access company dashboards and find any important upcoming information there. 

Effective onboarding and recruitment builds trust

Onboarding and recruitment are HR processes that play a key role in developing a sense of trust right from the start. 

Setting up training programs to help your new hire feel confident in their new role will make them feel both confident and valued. It demonstrates that as an employer, you have taken the time to help integrate the new hire, which in turn helps to build loyalty and trust. 

Using HR software to effectively onboard your employees can help build trust. Employees can monitor their own progress alongside HR and their new managers using XCD’s onboarding software, instilling open communication from the off. During the onboarding process, HR professionals and managers should have regular one-on-ones, which can be facilitated with automated reminders using HR software.

Connect with your employees on a personal level

It’s easy for Human Resources to get swept up in employee data, and forget that they’re called Human Resources for a reason. There is a clear relation between encouraging open communication in the workplace and developing a trusting workforce. HR should connect with their people on a personal level, letting them know that as their HR manager you are there to support them if need be. 

XCD’s HR software can help to build trust by helping Human Resources to spot the signs of when employees are having a hard time like dips in productivity or engagement. You are able to track employees using our performance management HR solution. If an employee’s performance is dropping off all of a sudden, it might be time to check-in rather than scolding them. 

Building Trust Doesn’t Happen Overnight

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is trust in the workplace. It can take time to build trust in any relationship, and a working relationship is no different. Developing, and maintaining trust throughout the workplace can help to get the very best results out of your employees, improve employee engagement and decrease turnover rates. 

There are many opportunities to develop workplace trust. From clear communication, transparency and dividing up responsibilities, HR can effectively support the creation and maintenance of trust in the workplace using XCD’s end-to-end HR software to help employers build trust at every stage of employee experience.

Human Resources can utilise HR software to help them in their trust building, by using employee data and easy-to-use self service HR systems. If you want to develop a high-trust culture, it starts with Human Resources.

Book a demo today to discover how HR software can provide HR with the tools to effectively build trust in your workforce.