Trust is a vital foundation to any business. Having employees that you trust will bring along a range of benefits for your business, and create a positive working environment. Trusting others can be a difficult process, particularly with something as important to you as your business, but finding employees that you trust can boost your success. Here are some of the benefits of trusting your employees.
- Productivity – Trusting your employees has been found to increase their productivity. But why? Research reveals that when employees are trusted to complete their necessary tasks that their productivity will increase. Research also finds that if you are overbearing in your approach to checking in with employees, they may feel that they are being micro-managed which can cause them to feel undervalued in their abilities to do their job. By employing people that you can trust to carry out tasks to a high standard, you will save time and create a more positive working environment.
- Communication – By avoiding micro-managing and trusting in your employees, you will create an environment in which you can communicate more openly with your employees and vice-versa. This is because trust can be felt by employees, and if they know that they are trusted and valued, they will feel more comfortable to voice their opinions. This creates value in a workplace by demonstrating to employees that their skills and efforts are recognised.
- Employee engagement – A recent study found that employees that work in a trusting environment felt 76% more engaged than those in “low trust environments”. By trusting your employees and demonstrating this trust through your management skills, you will show your employees that they are appreciated. This will improve their engagement with your business which will improve their overall quality of work, and they are more likely to represent your business well to others.
- Build team spirit – Trusting your employees to work independently by leaving them to their own devices will create a healthy, positive working environment and establish a sense of community and teamwork. Everyone is unique and has an individual set of skills and capabilities. When these skills are recognised, employees will feel more fulfilled. More still, trust can grow in a working environment and can encourage your employees to trust and lean on each other, as they recognise each other for their individual skills. By creating a trusting environment, employees self confidence will rise, which can make it easier for employees to ask for help if they need it without feeling insecure.
- Creating a good reputation – Employers who create positive, trusting working environments are quickly recognised for doing so. In the digital age, where the internet plays such a fundamental role in maintaining a positive reputation, ensure that all experiences with your business are as positive as possible. This includes internal experiences, for your employees. Brands and businesses that are notoriously good to work for stand out from the crowd, and are often more successful as a result.