The critical role that workplace trust plays in creating engaged and productive employees has been a hot topic in recent years.
While trust has always been a key ingredient of positive company culture, the rise of hybrid and remote roles coupled with an environment of change and uncertainty has brought it right back to the top of many organisations’ priority lists. So much so that the Institute of Internal Communication named its 2024 IC Index – ‘The Trust Issue’, focusing on the current state of trust in the workplace and the role that internal communicators can play in moving the dial.
This blog post explores why such renewed emphasis has been placed on workplace trust, and how M365 tools can help IC professionals build it.
The Importance of Trust in the Workplace
So let’s start with the basics – what do we actually mean by ‘workplace trust’?
According to Forbes, it refers to ‘…the mutual respect and psychological safety that exists between employees and management’. We like to take it one step further by thinking about organisational trust as the outcome of an open and honest relationship between employees, their managers, and the organisation’s leadership.
The organisational impacts of trust can be transformational.
93% of business executives agree that being able to build and maintain trust in the workplace is critical for improving the bottom line. One widely-referenced study in Harvard Business Review even found that employees in high-trust organisations reported 106% more energy at work, 76% higher engagement, 40% less burnout and 74% less stress than those in low-trust organisations.
And the benefits of workplace trust don’t end there. Employees in high-trust organisations are more connected to the overarching strategy, more motivated, more satisfied with life overall and less likely to leave the company.
However, despite these clear business wins, research has shown a widening gap – 86% of leaders believe employee trust is high, but just 67% of employees agree. And it’s the role of the IC leader to help close this gap and proactively build trust in the workplace.
Thankfully, you’re not alone. M365 has got your back.
Using Microsoft 365 Tools to Build Trust at Work
As people-first Microsoft 365 specialists, it’s our job to show you the art of the possible with M365 to help you create a high-trust workplace.
There are three key areas that IC leaders need to focus on to turn the tide on workplace trust:
Let’s explore some of the ways that M365 can support you in each of these areas.
Engaging employees with strategy
In its 2024 IC Index, the Institute of Internal Communication identified ‘belief in strategy’ as an important driver of trust. This belief is built by ensuring employees right across the business have clear visibility of the overarching strategy and objectives, and understand the role they play in helping to achieve those objectives.
Viva Goals is M365’s engaging goal-setting and management tool that promotes accountability and transparency. It aligns the efforts of individuals and teams with the organisation’s strategic priorities, helping turn strategy into outcomes. It’s an incredibly powerful resource that supports IC teams in proactively engaging employees with the company strategy.
It’s also a great idea to create campaigns that relate to the strategy and objectives within Viva Amplify. The app is a centralised IC tool that enables campaign publishing, management and reporting – allowing you to access valuable data and insights that will help you measure strategy engagement and understanding.
Communicating change
Change in the workplace is both inevitable and constant as organisations continue to evolve, innovate and grow. But the 2024 IC Index highlighted a clear demand for better change communication, reporting that a third of employees want more clarity and honesty from their organisations. Ineffective communication around workplace change can be a major driver of disengagement and mistrust, so it’s important to consider the best ways to share updates and create two-way dialogue during periods of change.
Viva Engage is an enterprise social networking platform that enables two-way communication, collaboration and productivity. It provides a central hub where employees can connect with each other, the business, and leadership. Internal communicators can use features like Ask Me Anything (AMA) events to facilitate open communication around change initiatives, allowing employees to ask questions to leaders.
Building a dedicated change hub within your SharePoint intranet is a great way to create a focal point for larger transformation programmes. You can pull everything together in one place – including updates, upcoming events and resources – to ensure employees are informed and engaged with the change initiative.
Increasing leadership visibility
Leaders play a critical role in building and maintaining workplace trust.
Senior leaders need to be visible during both good and challenging times to build a solid foundation of trust. They need to be transparent about their goals, open to feedback, and demonstrate genuine authenticity.
Leadership Corner in Viva Engage gives employees the tools they need to learn about their leaders and build valuable connections. Each employee automatically follows leaders in their upline, meaning that posts from any leaders in their extended team or department will be prioritised in their feed in addition to C-Suite and CEO updates.
Leadership Corner is also the home of leader-led AMA events and spotlighted Leaders’ Communities.
Microsoft’s Alvin Ashford-Quaye gives an overview of Leadership Corner. Or, catch up on the full webinar on Demystifying Microsoft Viva.
When you’re ready to take the next step, come and say hello to our friendly team of M365 specialists to find out how to get these tools set-up and optimised to support internal communication in your organisation. We’d love to connect!
An Internal Communicator’s Guide to Microsoft Viva
For a more in-depth look at Viva Amplify, Viva Engage, Viva Connections and Viva Goals, including key features and real life use-cases, download our guide to Microsoft Viva especially for internal communicators.
