The survey revealed that nearly two-thirds of employees globally say trust has a direct impact on their sense of belonging at work

The Workforce Institute at UKG, an HR and workforce management provider, carried out a survey to understand the importance of elevating trust to a foundational imperative to create high-performing workplace cultures that better serve customers and their communities.

“Trust in the Modern Workplace” is based on a global survey of nearly 4,000 employees and business leaders in 11 countries. The report examines the current state of trust — especially between employees and leaders — and the opportunities organizations can create by making trust a foundational element of their employee experience.

According to global research, most employees and business leaders (63 percent) think that trust at work must be earned. Among C-level leaders, nearly three-quarters (72 percent) believe that it is up to the employee to earn trust. Only one-third (37 percent) of employees and business leaders around the world feel trust should be presumed.

The belief that trust must be earned is most prevalent in India (90 percent) compared to the US (68 percent), the UK (67 percent), Australia and New Zealand (64 percent), Canada (64 percent), and France (64 percent).

More than half of global employees and business leaders (52 percent) say trust is higher at their organization today than it was before the pandemic. Workplace trust improved most in India (67 percent), followed by Mexico (56 percent), the US (53 percent).

While 55 percent think it is easier to trust colleagues in a physical workplace versus those working virtually, nearly two-thirds (61 percent) say the pandemic has positively reshaped perceptions about flexible and remote work arrangements.

The survey revealed that nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of employees globally say trust has a direct impact on their sense of belonging at work. This includes 4 out of 5 employees in India (79 percent) and two-thirds of employees in the US (68 percent).

It noted that employees who do not feel trusted are less productive: Four in 5 (81 percent) Indians say that the perception of low trust hurts their daily effort compared to 68 percent globally.

While an overwhelming 79 percent of Indians feel a lack of trust affects their career choices compared to 58 percent. Globally.

The report added that poor trust even hurts talent pools like one in five employees globally (22 percent) actively did not refer a friend, family member, or former colleague to an open role because they did not trust their company.

The survey report showed that an overwhelming 76 percent of Indian employees trust their organization to put employee interests ahead of profits compared to only 61 percent of employees globally.

Commenting on the survey, Dr. Chris Mullen, Executive Director, The Workforce Institute at UKG said in an official release: “Trust must constantly be nurtured, and when the organization’s default position is to presume trust and good intentions, they can reimagine outdated processes and policies to focus on driving performance through a truly modern employee experience.”

“Trust makes it safe to pursue new innovations and challenge the status quo. It’s a critical element to deliver meaningful and connected experiences,” he added.