Winning Back the Workplace: How to Build Trust Between Employees and HR

Distrust of HR has grown from lighthearted jokes into something more troubling. The trust disconnect is growing between employees and HR. Is it too late to reverse this trend? Does HR have the best interest of employees at heart? Does HR serve employees or the company more?

According to one survey, more than 70% of workers don’t trust HR to advocate for the best interest of employees.

• 86% of workers report that they’re afraid of HR representative whenever concerns arise
• 31% of employees feared negative consequences if they raised concerns
• 37% of employees worried their communication with HR wouldn’t remain confidential 

Why should employees take the risk of communicating about problems with HR? For those that manage to get HR’s attention (without being reported), the response rarely seems worthwhile.

• 68% of workers believe HR is more concerned with policies and procedures than actual people
• 67% have found that it’s hard to get a timely response from HR staff
• 90% of surveyed workers felt that HR failed to adequately address an issue they reported

Why do employees no longer trust HR

Cynicism about HR isn’t new. Back in 2016, Forbes published “Ten Reasons Everybody Hates HR”. Despite the clickbait title, many of the “reasons” still ring true today. Workers are justifiably skeptical about HR’s priorities. In a precarious economy, people are more sensitive about uncertainty at work. News stories about mass layoffs, RTO mandates, and other policy changes add to everyone’s anxiety.

READ: Seven Major Post-Election HR Implications for Businesses

The current controversy around DEI has undermined the credibility of HR departments. Major corporations are abandoning DEI programs after years of proudly advertising their commitment to values like “equity”. Some HR departments found ways to defend DEI against pushback, but even proponents of DEI recognize that written policies should be reviewed in response to the current political climate.

Experienced employees have good reasons to be skeptical about new proposals from HR. After all, nearly half of all HR initiatives fail. Plans to improve the company culture or boost morale tend to be too abstract. Smaller changes can be ill-conceived, poorly executed, or too unpopular to last. It’s no wonder that HR lacks respect when some of their proposals have only a lukewarm endorsement from the C-suite.

10 ways to build greater trust between employees and HR

The loss of confidence in HR isn’t a lost cause. Many people dislike HR because of negative experiences in the past. Fortunately, positive experiences with your HR department will directly influence opinions across your workforce.

Frequent, transparent communication

At some companies, employees only hear from HR when there’s a problem. You can set a more positive tone by reaching out more often. Look for opportunities to be transparent with workers.

Consistent leadership

Your HR department needs a strong relationship with the CEO. Commit to long term goals that have the support of managers and executives. 

Integrity, honesty, & confidentiality

Even in today’s post-truth culture, HR staff needs to be as transparent as possible. When some information can’t be disclosed, you can be honest about those boundaries. Honest and trust go hand-in-hand.

Empathy and support

How can HR respond when a worker has a crisis in their personal life? Develop ways to help 

employee mental health and other support systems.

Fairness, equity, and safety

Help your company get ready for pay transparency, looking into policies that might be causing inequitable pay. 

Empowerment and autonomy

Many executives see hybrid and remote work as a reward for elite employees. HR can develop policies that treat everyone as professional adults. 

Recognition and appreciation

Celebrate employee milestones, employment anniversaries, productivity, and professional growth. 

Listening and feedback

Too many workers feel unheard. Create a culture of employee feedback by listening to concerns and protecting anonymity. Truly listening to employee needs is a guaranteed way to win back trust.

Competence and reliability

Set a target for email response times, and make sure HR is consistently responsive. Use HR software to eliminate human errors.

Personal interest

Don’t let policies and programs keep HR staff from making person-to-person connections. Talk to workers individually, not just their managers.

5 benefits of a culture built on mutual trust

How much does it matter whether or not employees trust HR? When you try to get support from managers and executives, remember to emphasize how HR initiatives help the company’s bottom line. 

1. Increased engagement and retention

Use employee engagement surveys as one way to measure confidence in HR. Lower turnover will reduce recruiting and onboarding costs.

2. Enhanced innovation and collaboration

When there’s more trust and communication, teams can work together more effectively. Isolated and insecure people take fewer risks, just getting by.

3. Higher productivity and performance

Engaged and confident people get more work done. It’s the opposite of quiet quitting, where disengaged workers do as little as possible.

4. Improved employee well-being and morale

Even if they quibble about policies, most of your workers want to be good at their jobs. Employees will be happier if they feel genuinely supported by HR.

5. Stronger employer reputation

As turnover goes down, other professionals in your industry will hear good things about your company. It’s not just about Glassdoor reviews–workers talk to friends and post their opinions to social media. 

Discover how Netchex can help you build better trust between employees and HR: