Trust in leaders 'key for retaining talent'

Improving pay may be the top reason people give for wanting to move jobs in the current climate but new research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development shows that employers that neglect concerns about trust in senior leaders, stress in the workplace or job satisfaction risk losing their top talent.

Improving pay may be the top reason people give for wanting to move jobs in the current climate but new research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development shows that employers that neglect concerns about trust in senior leaders, stress in the workplace or job satisfaction risk losing their top talent.

The CIPD's quarterly Employee Outlook survey has found that employees are much more likely to be among the 22% currently looking for a new employer if they express low trust in their senior managers, are dissatisfied with their job or are under excessive pressure every day. The survey found:

- Nearly half (47%) of employees who strongly distrust their directors / senior management team are currently looking for a new job compared to just 8% of workers who strongly trust their senior leaders.
- Only 8% of employees that are satisfied with their job are looking for a new employer, compared to 57% of dissatisfied employees.
- People who face excessive pressure in their jobs on a daily basis are more than twice as likely to be looking for a new job (39%) than those who experience excessive pressure once or twice a month (21%).

Claire McCartney, Resourcing and Talent adviser at CIPD, says: "With many organisations struggling to compete and survive, the issue of organisation culture and values can take a back seat. Some employers may also feel that they don't have to work as hard to keep their people because there are fewer opportunities in the labour market that will allow employees to jump ship. However, vacancies always exist for motivated and skilled staff and employers risk losing their most valued employees – those most able to compete in a tough labour market.

"Trust forms a key part of the employment relationship and if employees feel there is a gap between what directors say and do, or that there is a lack of transparency or fairness in terms of how people are recognised and rewarded, they are likely to feel disenchanted. The openness, quality and frequency of communication from the top is also critical to trust, as is the extent to which any consultation is meaningful and happens before decisions are taken."

The survey shows overall trust in leaders is low across the board, with 34% of employees agreeing they trust their senior management teams and 38% disagreeing. However, there is significant regional variation, with employees in Wales, North East England, North West England and Scotland most distrustful of their leaders. Workers in South West England, London and the East of England are generally more positive.

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