This just in from SHRM . . .

In a survey of more than 7,500 workers on four continents, 75% said they trust their immediate boss, compared with just 60% who trust their organization’s senior leaders.  The split is greatest among employees in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with 75% trusting their own managers vs. only about half trusting senior management.  The survey results were released this past summer and was conducted by HR consultancy BlessingWhite. Two thirds of respondents were in North America and India; others were from Europe, Asia and Australia.

So what this data should tell us is that employees know and interact daily with their immediate supervisor and this firsthand knowledge and familiarity builds trust. On the other hand senior executives are often perceived as distant and saying one thing and doing another.

Why this is important is because when organizations are facing a challenging economic environment, the companies who have more trust built up between senior management and employees will be able to respond more productively and effectively because employees feel better informed and engaged.