While the economy appears to be recovering from the effects of the pandemic, many still feel left behind. Where people once had a feeling of gratitude and relief to just have a job, many employees now experience a sense of stagnation and discontent with their work. 

The reason behind this is a lack of trust! Management must trust employees to be productive and deliver high-quality work, and so must employees trust their leaders for guidance and support. Instead, many workplaces are mired in fear.

When there is a climate of mistrust, employees perform the bare minimum needed to get work done and spend their free time looking for new jobs or even a side hustle.

Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella has emphasised the disconnect between the management and the employees, coining the term “Productivity Paranoia” to describe it. 

In his words, there is a fundamental disagreement between employers and employees: “Leaders think their employees are not productive, whereas employees think they are being productive and in many cases even feel burnt out.”

To discuss in detail how to overcome mistrust and tension for the future of work, People Matters brings you an exclusive discussion on – Lack of trust at work: the deficit that cripples productivity and growth. 

Here’s what we'll cover:

1. What causes a lack of trust such that employees have doubts about the organisation or their coworkers, further feeling they can't rely on others to get tasks done?
2. Many employees have an antagonistic impression of company executives, believing that they do not take employee interests to heart. How can leaders improve this impression to build trust? 
3. Leaders say the shift to remote and hybrid work has made it challenging for them to have confidence in their employees. How can create clarity and alignment to meet company goals? 
4. We know remote and hybrid work models have created a growing disconnect between employees and leaders. What are the best ways to create a win-win by maintaining autonomy while ensuring accountability and the benefits of flexibility? 
5. For employees who aren’t in senior positions, it can be easy to feel like the HR department isn’t on their side. How can HR improve the employee experience?