Employee’s Trust of Employers Affects Job Performance! |

The American Psychological Association (APA) survey for 2014 Work and Well-Being Survey includes both good news and bad news for employers. According to David W. Ballard, head of the APA’s Center for Organizational Excellence, “Trust plays an important role in the workplace and affects employees’ well-being and job performance.” The good news for employers is that the survey results show more than three-fourths of employees claim to trust their employers. The sad news is that nearly one-fourth of employees do not trust their employers. These survey results should enlighten employers how to improve organizational performance through a trustful employee-employer relationship.

The APA study also found that just over half the employees in the survey believe their employer is open and upfront with them. Why the mistrust and doubt? “The layoffs, benefits cuts, and job insecurity that accompanied the recession put a strain on the employee-employer relationship and people aren’t quick to forget,” Ballard says.

What Should Employers Consider to Improve Trust?

Power of recognition
Employees in the APA study reported being more trustful of their employer when they feel recognized for their contributions and when they feel their employers provide opportunities for involvement and communicate effectively.

Recognition was broken down into monetary compensation as well as non-monetary rewards. Just 48 % feel their monetary compensation is adequate, and 42 % are satisfied with non-monetary rewards, such as awards, praise from supervisors, or thank-you cards. Twenty-seven (27%) percent say they intend to seek new employment in the next year. The study shows employees who feel valued are more likely to say they have high levels of energy, are strongly involved in their work, and feel happily engrossed in what they do. Employees who feel valued are also much more likely to regularly participate in employee training and development. Those valued employees also are much more likely to report that they receive adequate monetary compensation and non-monetary rewards.

Work Stress Impacts Performance
The study identifies five top factors contributing to work stress. Low salary is No. 1, followed by lack of opportunity for growth and advancement. Rounding out the top five are uncertain or undefined job expectations, job insecurity, and long hours. Ballard states, “The emphasis in recent years on employee wellness is a step in the right direction, but the psychological factors are often overlooked.” Ballard further says, “It’s clear that an organizational culture that promotes and supports openness, honesty, transparency, and trust is key to a healthy, high-performing workplace.”