The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer signals a trust crisis, with only 75% of employees believing employers “do the right thing,” down 3 points, amid rising disengagement.
This HR Spotlight article compiles practical steps from business leaders and HR professionals to bridge this gap.
Experts advocate radical transparency, regular Q&A forums, and anonymous surveys to foster accountability.
They stress auditing communications, empowering managers with 1:1s, and involving employees in decisions for genuine inclusion.
By owning mistakes, aligning actions with values, and addressing “open secrets,” leaders can rebuild psychological safety, boost morale, and drive retention.
These strategies transform trust from a buzzword to a measurable driver of performance in uncertain times.
Read on!
Dr Alison Edgar
Motivational Speaker, Alison Edgar Ltd
Trust is the foundation of every high-performing team. When it breaks down, so does performance.
The biggest culprit is broken promises. If you say you are going to do something and don’t deliver, you chip away at trust.
That is why I always say: know your own boundaries. It is better to say no upfront than to overpromise and underdeliver.
Building trust means being reliable, consistent, and clear. As leaders, we need to role model that.
When everyone in the business follows through on what they say they ll do, that is when trust is built and results follow.
Consistency Builds Reliable Trust
I’ve witnessed just how quickly employee trust can break down when leadership prioritizes numbers and loses sight of the humans behind them.
One action that significantly impacted us was having regular “unfiltered check-ins” where team members were able to speak candidly about what’s working, and not working, to anyone, without disruption or defending anything.
At first, it was difficult, but where even small pieces of feedback were followed up upon, trust began to be rebuilt.
Human beings anticipate consistency, not perfection. If you promise to listen, do it. That straightforward cycle—listen, act, follow up—is what rebuilt trust faster than any training or HR program could have done.
Unfiltered Check-Ins Restore Morale
Belize Hans Polloso
Vice President, Dog Academic
Last year, I witnessed firsthand how trust impacts workplace dynamics when our remote team’s engagement scores dropped unexpectedly. This challenged me to completely reimagine our approach to transparency and communication.
We implemented three key changes that transformed our trust metrics within six months: First, we established ‘Open Book Fridays’ where we share detailed company performance data and upcoming decisions with all employees.
Second, we created anonymous feedback channels that actually lead to visible changes – every suggestion gets a public response and action plan.
Third, we introduced ‘Shadow a Leader’ days where team members can observe executive meetings, understanding how decisions are made.
The results were remarkable: employee trust scores rose 27%, and voluntary sharing of concerns increased by 64%.
The key lesson? Trust isn’t built through grand gestures, but through consistent, visible demonstrations of transparency and accountability.
Open Book Fridays Boost Scores
Steven Rodemer
Owner & Attorney for Law Office, Criminal Defense Attorney
Trust in the workplace depends on consistency and accountability. When workers question the honesty of leadership, doubt spreads. To establish trust again, there needs to be transparent communication. Avoid vague messages. Explain decisions and their impacts directly to your team.
Accountability drives trust. Own mistakes openly and provide a clear plan for correction. One organization improved trust by holding weekly forums where leadership answered tough questions without deflecting.
Another implemented an anonymous reporting system, ensuring employee concerns received prompt responses.
Leading by example sets the tone. If employees see leaders ignoring rules or breaking promises, trust erodes quickly.
Demonstrating integrity through consistent actions rebuilds confidence. Rebuilding trust demands effort and time, but starts with clear communication, accountability, and leadership that follows through.”
Transparent Communication Drives Accountability
Dr. Chad Walding
Co-Founder, NativePath
With my professional background in physical therapy and nutrition, I have a solid understanding of how small actions and consistent habits contribute to predetermined outcomes, or overall wellness, of an individual, encompassing many things including company culture and organizational trust.
Transparency is the first step to rebuilding trust.
When leaders communicate frequently and honestly about organizational goals, challenges, and decisions, people feel included and appreciated.
I do this by providing weekly updates to my company so that we are all on the same page, knowing what is happening and why. This eliminates guessing and uncertainty, as well as further connecting the team as people feel included as we all learn from the same source.
Consistency is also important.
Trust is deepened when an organization can show up consistently in a similar way every day and frequently and consistently follow through on its commitments.
I often explain this in terms of building a fitness regimen – when people see someone consistently demonstrate the actions required together over time, change sticks.
I would encourage leaders to show up as far as making commitments, even small commitments, so that people are engaged and feel like there is a solid structure, and the integrity resides in those people.
Weekly Updates Eliminate Uncertainty
Laura Bouttell
Managing Director, Quarterdeck
Rebuilding employee trust requires deliberate actions that demonstrate integrity rather than mere statements of intent.
Start by practicing radical transparency—share both successes and challenges openly, involving employees in problem-solving.
Active listening is crucial; create psychological safety where concerns can be voiced without fear of repercussion.
Consider implementing regular “trust pulse” surveys to measure progress objectively.
Leaders should focus on developing emotional intelligence to understand employee perspectives (seeking first to understand before being understood).
Consistency between words and actions is non-negotiable—employees observe behavior, not intentions.
Address trust issues through adult-to-adult communication, avoiding parent-child dynamics that breed resentment.
Remember that trust is built in small moments: keeping commitments, acknowledging mistakes, and celebrating contributions authentically. These micro-interactions, not grand gestures, create the foundation for sustainable trust.
Radical Transparency Fosters Inclusion
Moattar Ali
VP of Marketing, HARO Link Builder
After rebuilding trust in three crisis-ridden institutions, I’ve found these counterintuitive approaches are most effective:
Radical Pay Transparency. We have every pay grade and promotion standard. This removed 87% of pay grievances and boosted internal movement by 40%.
“Failure Forums”. Weekly sessions where leaders visit to discuss their biggest mistakes. When our CEO admitted that a losing product bet would cost us $2M, employee trust scores rose by 22 points.
Two-Way Performance Reviews. Employees now rate managers quarterly. We fired two toxic managers after repeated poor ratings, showing we listen. Surveys don’t rebuild trust – they are built on brutal honesty. Our current eNPS score of 82 shows that this is effective.
Pay Transparency Cuts Grievances
Dr Enya Doyle
The Harassment Doctor, Enyadoyle
Accountability is the number one way to increase trust. People are bored and let down by the 100th rewrite of the zero-tolerance policy, and the eLearning module, that doesn’t reflect the reality within your business.
People need to see that their reports when things go wrong – including bullying and harassment – are going to be handled well. They need to see a lack of retaliation for reporting.
They need to know that the senior leaders and Board are investing in listening to their people – and not just for PR.
Colleagues want proof that everyone from intern on month 3 to senior leader in their 18th year will be held accountable.
Employers ought to be more curious about what “open secrets” are driving down trust in the company values and culture.
Ask yourself: “Which colleague would not surprise me to hear had been reported for harassment or violence?” Go from there.
Accountability Tackles Open Secrets
Abhishek Shah
Founder, Testlify
To rebuild trust, start by auditing your internal communication, employees lose trust when they hear company news externally first. Share business goals, metrics, and tough decisions in real time, and explain the “why” behind them.
Set up quarterly leadership Q&A sessions where no topic is off-limits. Make managers the frontline of trust: train them to have regular 1:1s focused on employee growth and concerns, not just performance.
Give employees a say, form cross-functional trust councils or involve them in decision-making on policies that affect their work. Implement anonymous pulse surveys monthly, and publish follow-up action plans to show you’re listening.
Finally, fix inconsistencies, if leadership says one thing but rewards another, trust erodes. Trust isn’t built through perks, but through clarity, consistency, and shared accountability.
Pulse Surveys Show Listening
The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.
Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?
Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.
Discover the latest HR Tips and trends with our weekly newsletters!