28 June 2023 Research
Our latest trust index employee survey report
As a professional membership body, we are able to survey our members across a number of different sectors for insights.
28 June 2023 Research
As a professional membership body, we are able to survey our members across a number of different sectors for insights.
Line managers are marginally less trusted today than they were over a decade ago. This is part of the findings from new research by The Institute of Leadership, where over 1,000 people across a range of organisations and sectors were polled. The trust rating for line managers in 2023 stands at 67, a fall from 71 in 2018, and down from 69 in 2009, at the peak of the global financial crisis! Chief Executives today are slightly more trusted than they were in 2009, rising from 59 to 62, although they remain less trusted overall than Line Managers.
• Trust remains lower in CEOs than Line Managers.
• Trust diminishes over time with new employees displaying high trust initially.
• Trust is lowest in the public sector, and highest in the private sector.
• Trust is highest in SMEs with under 50 employees.
• Trust is significantly higher for those working from home the whole time.
Significant academic research into leadership trust has identified three broad determinates of trust: competence, benevolence and integrity. These are aggregates of several different behaviours that have been refined into six for Line Managers and seven for CEOs - these form the Trust Dimensions. The six that are common to both are:
Capability in their role and their ability to lead. This trust dimension is also closely linked to self-awareness. Leaders should be self-aware of their capabilities and any limitations, to ensure they delegate correctly.
Understanding the roles of those they lead and displaying knowledge of their responsibilities. We delve deeper into the topic of understanding stakeholders in a separate blog post.
Openness to ideas and suggestions from those they lead. In fact, we consider conversation as a leadership essential. This means that leaders should be engaging stakeholders at all levels in conversation for best results.
Fairness in the way they treat, and showing concern for, the people they lead. Ethics are important for signalling fairness.
Integrity in how well they live up to their espoused values, striving to be honest and fair. Explore in more detail, the importance of integrity as a leadership trait.
Consistency in decision-making, behaving in a reliable and predictable manner.
For CEOs, the seventh behaviour is:
Accessibility means simply being available to your staff. This can be conveyed through strong communication.