Trust and Transparency: What Leaders Should Get Right as we Return to Offices

The last two years have been a complex time for both employees and employers. The initial transition to remote work was abrupt, and the re-entrance to any semblance of in-person work has been beleaguered by fits and starts as the pandemic continues to spur changing plans and safety protocols.

Now, as the U.S. prepares to enter year three of the pandemic and a possible transition to the endemic stage, plans for many organizations remain uncertain. Sixteen percent of workers globally remain fully remote, while the majority navigate evolving hybrid plans or fully in-person set-ups; many without a clear long-term plan for office utilization. This uncertainty may lead to a growing disconnect between leadership and employees, that has the potential to impact employee engagement and retention.

Further emphasizing this disconnect, new data found that ongoing uncertainty has impacted the employer-employee relationship; employees’ trust in their employers’ return-to-workplace decisions has hit its lowest point in 12 months . Although this can create a difficult dynamic, there are ways to transform this uncertainty into an opportunity to strengthen workplace bonds.

I believe trust and transparency are core tenets to effective leadership, and while the residual effects of the pandemic have undeniably made establishing and maintaining those principles more complex, there are a few fundamental behaviors that can go a long way towards delivering on these tenets. ?According to Deloitte’s The Future of Trust , trustworthy companies outperform non-trustworthy companies by 2.5 times and employees’ trust in their leaders improves job performance, job satisfaction, and commitment to the organization and its mission.

"I believe trust and transparency are core tenets to effective leadership."

So, how do organizations build – and re-build – trust amongst employees when it comes to bringing people back to the office? In my work leading Deloitte’s return-to-workplaces efforts, we’ve prioritized consistent communication with our employees, clearly articulating what we know, what we don’t know, what’s informing our decisions, and what our current expectations are for our in-office operations. Most importantly, we communicate quickly in order to address changing circumstances. Office operation decisions are nuanced – but being thoughtful communicators in such an ever-changing environment has proven to be a true exercise in what transparent leadership really means.

Give Employees Clear Answers & Address Their Concerns

Building trust around return-to-workplace decisions can become easier when employees see proof that leadership understands and has a vested interest in their well-being. Throughout Deloitte’s return to workplaces initiative, well-being has been a component of every communication whether we were introducing new benefits or reinforcing existing ones. Well-being in its various forms, be it physical, emotional, social or financial, are the topics that are largely discussed when it comes to talent turnover, and leaders who are prepared to be transparent on these subjects can create stronger relationships with employees. After facing extraordinary circumstances over the last two years, it’s important to focus on employees and meet them where they are. Employees want clear answers on the factors that have the greatest impact on their lives; addressing those concerns can be the best embodiment of transparent leadership in action.

Establishing that level of trust and transparency is not without its challenges, but for leaders looking to get ahead of workers’ anxiety, it is worth it. While ongoing uncertainty around the virus makes it difficult to set workplace plans far in advance, giving workers insights into the conversations that leaders are having can go a long way to assuaging concerns. After all, it is often that lack of visibility that creates anxiety of the unknown. If an employee feels they can’t envision a plan for their immediate future, there is a risk they will become disengaged, or, as we’ve seen with The Great Resignation, even leave the organization.

Leverage All Opportunities for Communication

To help ensure employees feel confident in the decisions of leadership, it’s important for leaders to offer candid discussions in as many forms as possible – whether that comes as written communications from top leaders, face to face conversations at the individual level, Zoom meetings with your team or so on and so forth. The ability to articulate a return-to-office approach at all levels can build trust with current employees and act as a draw with prospective hires. New candidates will likely appreciate an organization with a clear and open environment, and current employees will likely be inclined and eager to contribute to a positive workplace culture. At a time when authentic connections can be harder than ever, transparent leadership can be the key differentiator in building a strong hybrid culture. It sets the stage for stronger and more successful employer-employee relationships.

"Office operation decisions are nuanced – but being thoughtful communicators in such an ever-changing environment is a true exercise in transparent leadership."

Build Resilience Through Authenticity

Recruitment and retention efforts tend to thrive best in environments where trust has built a clear sense of culture and purpose. Employees want consistency, yet they can tolerate and even thrive in change when leaders are authentic and transparent in their communications. At the beginning of the pandemic, we saw just how resilient organizations can be when trust is in place, even in times of crisis and disruption. We now have the opportunity to take those lessons and apply them in a thoughtful, future-focused manner for the hybrid workplace.

Transparent leadership can be key to getting this moment right and building a new era for both employers and employees based on trust.

Stacy Janiak is Chief Growth Officer of Deloitte, responsible for bringing the breadth of Deloitte’s service capabilities and assets to the market to accelerate growth while delivering bold, integrated, digitally enabled business solutions, services and insights for Deloitte’s clients. She is currently a member of Deloitte’s US Executive Committee and Global Board of Directors.

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