Fiducia
29 January 2019
In whom do we trust? In our employer

We have little confidence in politicians and institutions, media and even NGOs. But we are more likely to trust our employer as a reliable source of information and knowledge

Trust is good, doubt is better. In the last years we distanced ourselves from all organizations which used to be influencial. Due to the economic recession and increasing fears around societal trends, the fall in trust sharply hit traditional bodies such as governments and political parties, education, and media, that haven’t yet managed the fake news overflow.

We came back to trust closer relationships, where we might have a stronger control. Edelman’s Trust Barometer 2019 offers an interesting insight about companies: people tend to trust  their employer (75%) more than NGOs (57%), business in general (56%), government (48%) and media (47%). Moreover, 58% looks at the employer as a trustworthy source of knowledge about the outside world, above all about economics, technological progress, and societal changes.

Employer trust exceeds 85% in Indonesia and China, but it is a truly global trend. Not surprisingly, employees who have trust in their employer are far more likely to become brand ambassadors (a 39-point trust advantage), be more engaged (33 points), loyal (38 points) and committed (31 points) than their skeptical colleagues.

But trust is not a known fact, rather a capital to continuously invest on. The research describes a new employees vs. employers partnership, where trust increases and consolidates if companies succeed in moving beyond ‘business as usual’. How to achieve this? By taking action on societal issues (67%), favoring personal empowerment (74%) and new job opportunities (80%).

There’s an increasing demand for corporate activism, an expectation that primarily deals with CEOs. The survey reveals that 71% of employees believes it’s critically important for “my CEO” to respond to challenging times, and 76% wants CEOs to take the lead on change instead of waiting for government to impose it.

Along these guidelines – authenticity, corporate activism, CEOs leadership – we should reconsider internal and corporate communication, transforming it into a multiplier of trust.

Brand safety: from digital advertising to media relations

Brand safety: from digital advertising to media relations

Corporate activism in war times

Corporate activism in war times

City branding is more than a logo

City branding is more than a logo

This site is registered on wpml.org as a development site.