Leadership IQ, (leadershipiq.com) which does leadership training for corporations, ran the survey to assess the overall levels of trust in organizations. Only 20% of people strongly trust their top management. 36% moderately trust their executives, while the remaining 44% range from not trusting to strongly distrusting.
The study further discovered that people trusted their direct boss more than top management. 34% of people strongly trust their direct boss. Another 35% trusted moderately, while the rest either didn't trust or strongly distrusted their direct boss.
But does it really matter? Apparently, it does. The study revealed that an employee's longevity with a company directly correlates with how much they trust management. Approximately 32% of a worker's desire to stay or go depends on whether or not they trust their boss.
"Trust is much more than a nice buzzword," says Mark Murphy, Leadership IQ CEO. "The extent to which an employee trusts their immediate superior directly relates to their desire to spend their career with a company."
There is good news, however. The study also identified five aspects of trust that were the best predictors of employee loyalty (listed in order of importance):
- When sharing a work-related problem, their direct boss responds constructively.
- The direct boss makes smart decisions.
- The direct boss is honest and truthful.
- The direct boss helps employees grow and develop professionally.
- Employees receive consistent direction from their direct boss.
