Few employees trust senior management

PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT

Few employees trust senior management

A survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting reveals a high level of distrust in management.

The survey of 1,100 UK employees found that fewer than four in ten respondents (36%) trust senior managers to always communicate honestly -- down slightly from 39% in 2002.

Length of service

The survey also found that levels of trust decline with length of service:

• As many as 57% of employees with less than a year's service trust management to communicate honestly.
• But this figure declines to just 26% for employees with 15 or more years' service.

Dr. Patrick Gilbert, head of organisational research and effectiveness at Mercer, said: "It is particularly worrying that long-serving employees -- who know most about their organisations -- trust management the least."  

"Employees tend to be especially distrustful of management in times of organisational change as they can feel less secure in their jobs and uncertain about their future in the organisation. But trust is crucial for change to be successful, otherwise staff will not believe the messages communicated by management."
Communication

Only half the employees surveyed (53%) feel their organisation does a good job of keeping employees informed about matters that affect them.

Dr Gilbert said: "The more accessible and visible managers are, the more likely employees are to trust them and have confidence in the organisation."

Organisational values

The survey also found that 58% of employees feel their organisation has communicated its company values clearly to employees. However, fewer than half of employees (45%) think management behaves in a way which is consistent with company values, while just 35% feel that what their organisation says it values is consistent with what it actually rewards.  

"A company's values provide a touchstone for guiding and evaluating behaviours, but these values only become meaningful if managers adopt them and lead by example," said Dr Gilbert. "If these values are ignored by those at the top of the organisation, employees can become disaffected and cynical."

Want to know more?

Title: What's Working Survey, Mercer Human Resource Consulting.

Survey sample: The survey results are based on data collected from a survey of 1,119 working adults in Britain representing a broad cross-section of industries. Respondents completed an employee opinion survey about their perceptions of their job, organisation, work environment, compensation, benefits and the management of their organisation.

Mercer has also carried out the What's Working Survey in 18 countries where data has been collected from over 20,000 employees working in over 10,000 companies.

Mercer Human Resource Consulting is the "global leader for trusted HR and related financial advice, products, and services. It employs more than 15,000 employees, serving clients in 149 cities and 41 countries and territories worldwide. To find out more visit www.mercerhr.com

Posted 14 September 2005