| When I was a clinical psychologist in private practice, I | | | | manager or employee in front of them--and to that |
| was often puzzled (although always thrilled) about why | | | | extent they won't be trusted. |
| my therapy clients got better. | | | | * Trust builder: Constantly ask for feedback. Conduct |
| When I asked them, explanations inevitably focused on | | | | annual surveys and customer focus groups to find out |
| our therapeutic relationship. "You really seemed to care | | | | what your employee customers think. Pursue |
| about me." "You were always there to listen." "I felt | | | | continuous improvement as a result of the feedback. |
| safe enough to tell you things I've never told anyone." | | | | Those who are always getting better are always |
| Essentially, the talk centered on the quality of our | | | | more respected. |
| relationship rather than the therapeutic techniques I | | | | * Trust builder: Listen for understanding. Listening for |
| spent years studying. | | | | understanding means creating a relationship with those |
| The same seems to be true of human resource | | | | you are listening to which they experience being |
| professionals. After over two decades of | | | | completely heard and understood. This involves |
| management and human resource consulting, I have | | | | understanding the other party's perspective before |
| consistently found that the effectiveness of an | | | | progressing to a discussion regarding agreement or |
| organization's human resource department centers on | | | | disagreement. This also involves listening to much more |
| the managers' and employees' ability to trust the HR | | | | than the content of what is said; it means listening, and |
| staff. | | | | asking questions about, the history behind the current |
| In fact, when we talk about "organizational trust," we | | | | issue, the thoughts and feelings about the issue, and |
| are often talking about a limited concept - the degree | | | | the intentions behind why the other person is saying |
| of to which corporate communication is clear, the | | | | what s/he is saying. |
| existence of rules and procedures, and the | | | | All's Fair in Love and Work? |
| consistency of an organization's business philosophy | | | | It has long been thought that employee satisfaction is |
| and goals. Trust lies primarily in the realm not of | | | | the key to employee work motivation and participation. |
| organizational dynamics, but of interpersonal dynamics. | | | | Yet more recent research points to the way |
| In this article, we'll take a look at how human resource | | | | employees feel about the fairness of the organization |
| professionals can play a critical role in building trust with | | | | they work for as the true key to employee motivation. |
| the managers and employees who ultimately control | | | | In fact, researchers at West Virginia University found |
| the bottom line. | | | | that it is the employee's faith in his or her supervisor |
| Four Parts of the Trust Equation | | | | and the fairness implicit in day-to-day transactions that |
| Trust is the foundation for effective communication, | | | | is the key. People consider the nature of their |
| employee retention, and employee motivation. When | | | | treatment by others when determining if fairness is |
| trust exists in an organization or in a work relationship, | | | | present and can be trusted. Each person in a |
| almost everything else is easier and more comfortable | | | | relationship views the other from his or her personal |
| to achieve. When it's absent, people leave, file lawsuits, | | | | perspective. |
| and are less productive. Trust is also a more | | | | In the workplace the organization is represented by or |
| complicated concept than it at first appears. While trust | | | | presented to employees by supervisors. Employees |
| is most often thought of as an intangible gut feeling, in | | | | view the organization through their supervisor. In turn |
| reality it is a complex mixture of four basic ingredients | | | | supervisors view the organization through their |
| - credibility, reliability, intimacy, and personal orientation. | | | | supervisor and so on. It is mostly the supervisor that |
| Let's take a look at each of these ingredients and how | | | | explains the organization to the employee and explains |
| human resource professionals can demonstrate them: | | | | the employee to the organization. Based on this |
| 1. Credibility has to do with the words we speak--are | | | | research, supervisors, through the supervisory |
| we believable? When managers and employees are | | | | relationship, are the only logical catalysts to creating an |
| evaluating their human resource department's credibility, | | | | organization that excels. |
| they look well beyond credentials to the person's | | | | Human resource professionals can play a pivotal role in |
| behavior, demonstrated expertise, and interpersonal | | | | ensuring fairness and justice regarding all basic issues |
| demeanor. | | | | is in place and that supervisors are inspiring employees |
| * Trust builder: Be a constant source of information. | | | | toward goals. Here are just a few of the steps in this |
| Supply information to employees on a wide range of | | | | process: |
| employment issues through a variety of media. If | | | | 1. Check all policies and work rules to assure that there |
| possible, provide information on a weekly or daily basis | | | | are procedures that create fairness. The important |
| on a variety of topics that directly impact or benefit | | | | ones center on pay, diversity, and etc. |
| employees. Use as many communication methods as | | | | 2. Look at decisions made in implementing these rules |
| possible. They'll soon come to see you as a resource, | | | | and general working practices to assure that fairness |
| rather than an obstacle. | | | | and equality exist in all supervisory and management |
| * Trust builder: Know your stuff. Trusted professionals | | | | decisions about employees and their work. |
| continuously learn and stay up on the trends and | | | | 3. Set up a group of management, supervisory |
| issues of their industry. They also insist on rigorously | | | | employees and other employees whose sole job it is |
| clear thinking about HR issues; rather than blindly | | | | to watch for the creation and maintenance of fairness |
| pursuing employee retention programs, for example, | | | | in the organization. As a part of this effort this |
| they have a point of view about the right level of | | | | committee should be looking for results by answering |
| turnover; about the payback, return on investment and | | | | the question: Are people working conscientiously and |
| pro-cons of alternative approaches to retention; and | | | | voluntarily going beyond what is merely expected by |
| about the priority of retention among other general | | | | the job role we have given them and what are we |
| business initiatives. | | | | doing? |
| 2. Reliability has to do with the actions we take--are | | | | Training for Trust |
| we dependable? The factors that go into this part of | | | | Trust is predominantly an interpersonal matter; |
| the equation are predictability, dependability and | | | | organizational trust is a largely one-dimensional |
| familiarity. For instance, does the human resource | | | | reflection of the richer trust between people. But that |
| professional treat employees consistently, | | | | doesn't mean organizations should give up on the task |
| follow-through on his or her commitments, and respond | | | | of enhancing the trustworthiness of their people, by |
| quickly to problems and requests for information? | | | | any means. In fact, both organization and employee |
| * Trust builder: Get your ducks in a row. The quickest | | | | stand to benefit from such efforts. |
| way to lose credibility with a workforce is to make | | | | The Human Resources professional has a special role |
| mistakes. Not meeting deadlines, making "minor" errors, | | | | in promoting trust. You influence the power differentials |
| and not following through on promises will come back | | | | within the organization by developing and publishing |
| to haunt you every time. HR is watched by many | | | | supportive, protective, honorable policies. You are |
| eyes and can't afford to be sloppy or incomplete. | | | | influential in building appropriate social norms among |
| 3. Intimacy has to do with safety of the interactions | | | | people who are doing different jobs in your |
| between human resources and managers/employees. | | | | organization. By keeping your own staff members |
| The intimacy factor essentially has to do with a sense | | | | truthfully informed and divulging as much information as |
| that the human resource professional is discrete, | | | | appropriate to managers and employees, you are |
| understands how the manager or employee feels, and | | | | setting a tone of open communication that can |
| knows how to deal with that knowledge. | | | | enhance trust, especially during times of organizational |
| * Trust builder: Get clear with yourself. It's tricky to be | | | | transition. |
| the liaison between employees and employers. If you | | | | You are also in charge of hiring, coaching and training |
| have unresolved conflicts in your belief systems about | | | | your managers. Hire and promote people who are |
| the rights, obligations, and ethics of employees versus | | | | capable of forming positive, trusting relationships with |
| employers, it's important to either resolve them or | | | | people who report to them. Develop the interpersonal |
| clarify them. Managers can respect the integrity of | | | | skills of all employees, especially those of current |
| those they disagree with; but they will never trust | | | | supervisors and people desiring promotion; the reason |
| those with unclear belief systems. | | | | most managers fail within the first 18 months is |
| * Trust builder: Make your role known. Oftentimes, | | | | because of interpersonal reasons, not technical ones. |
| employees misunderstand how HR operates. To | | | | Train your managers to confront hard issues in a |
| combat this phenomenon, advertise your job, including | | | | timely fashion. If an employee has excessive |
| your mission, your role, and your services. Make it | | | | absences or spends work time wandering around, it is |
| known how you handle "confidential" information. Don't | | | | important to confront the employee about these |
| be afraid to do a little education about the HR world. | | | | issues. |
| The more they know, the more they trust and respect | | | | Play an active role in trust-building and team-building |
| you. | | | | activities, but only when there is a sincere desire in |
| * Trust builder: Avoid favoritism. Don't turn to the same | | | | your organization to create a trusting, empowering, |
| manager for input over and over again. Avoid | | | | team-oriented work environment. People will know the |
| socializing exclusively with senior managers or with | | | | difference, or they will find out, and then, they will never |
| specific managers/employees. If managers or | | | | trust you. |
| employees perceive that you have "special | | | | The Bottom Line |
| relationships" with certain members of the organization, | | | | The ability to build trust among managers and |
| they will be much less likely to trust you to be impartial. | | | | employees, especially in a tight labor market, may be |
| 4. Self- Orientation has to do with attention, i.e., on | | | | the single biggest lever in the portfolio of HR activities. |
| whom is your attention focused? Human resource | | | | Not only does trust directly impact employee retention |
| professionals often have only the best motives, but | | | | and satisfaction, it plays a critical role in reducing |
| worry about how they are being perceived, about how | | | | employment liability by increasing the chances that |
| smart they seem, and about whether they'll get the | | | | employee complaints will be handled internally. |
| job. To that extent, they may not focus on the | | | | |