As businesses reopen and ramp up operations in a Post-Covid environment, they will be anxious to move quickly and it could leave employees feeling a bit shell-shocked. An organisation that isn’t focused on employee-centric policies could find their comeback facing major obstacles.

In a Harvard Business Review article, some very startling statistics were published that should give any business owner pause. “Compared with people at low-trust companies, people at high-trust companies report: 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives, 40% less burnout” (Zak, 2017)

https://hbr.org/2017/01/the-neuroscience-of-trust?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=hbr&utm_source=linkedin&tpcc=orgsocial_edit

Building a culture of trust is critical for employee satisfaction, but it can also lead to bottom-line results. Zak notes that there are several areas business owners need to focus on to build trust.

  • Recognise excellence
  • Induce “challenge stress”
  • Give discretion on how people do their jobs
  • Enable job crafting
  • Share information broadly
  • Intentionally build relationship
  • Facilitate whole person growth
  • Show vulnerability

https://www.td.org/insights/5-steps-for-building-trust-in-the-workplace

Ultimately, trust must be built over time. If your business needs to amp up engagement and productivity quickly to meet the new demands, you must focus on few specific areas.
“Fast Company shared a story about a Fortune 500 company who realized it took an average of 89 weeks to execute change within their company, and 39 of those weeks were a direct result of mistrust’ (Manning, 2021). There is no time to waste.

https://www.td.org/insights/5-steps-for-building-trust-in-the-workplace

Here are 5 steps to build trust in your organization based on Manning’s article.

  1. Be Transparent- Open, candid communication and information flow eliminates misunderstanding or isolation.

Include everyone and don’t play favourites.

  1. Respect your employees- Don’t make assumptions and ensure that they feel respected and valued. Establish a no tolerance policy for disrespectful behavior amongst your team and model the behaviors you want.
  2. Unite your team- Organise more group activities and inclusive projects to build unity and cohesiveness. Don’t tolerate cliques or gossip.
  3. Show care- Keep in mind that employees spend most of their time at work and if the organisation shows that they truly care about them, they will feel more at ease. Provide support and additional services to ensure they are healthy, safe, and maintaining a positive mindset.
  4. Trust building activities- Create activities and exercises to build trust among your team. Offer additional training and educational sessions to allow employees to build confidence and skills. These two areas build morale which ultimately reflect a trustworthy organization.

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-ways-to-build-trust-at-work-1919402

To further improve morale and build trust, ensure managers are equipped and experienced. Managers’ competency and skills can go a long way to galvanising a team. Make sure that ‘difficult’ issues are addressed quickly. Don’t let things linger. That causes employees to be skeptical about your commitment to an employee-centric environment. Listen and be open to hearing from your team directly. Ensure that even if their recommendations or ideas are not adopted, they are valued. Finally, make sure you offer training, education and skill building to further develop competencies.