Find out what your employees may be thinking or feeling in the midst of this uncertain economic climate. This episode of Transform Your Workplace features guest Soni Basi, Global Chief People Officer of Edelman. Soni discusses the recent findings of Edelman’s “Trust Barometer” and provides tips for how employers can foster greater trust and connection in the workplace.
GUEST AT A GLANCE
Soni Basi Edelman’s Global Chief People Officer. Having joined the consultancy firm in May of 2022, Soni leads talent development, recruitment, and retention. She is passionate about helping leaders cultivate people-first workplace cultures.
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THE TRUST BAROMETER
In May of 2022, Soni Basi joined Edelman, a global public relations consultancy firm. She quickly learned about their yearly Trust Barometer, and “after hearing about it from the outside, I was really intrigued by what we do on the inside,” she explained.
The Trust Barometer is a survey that measures the average percent of trust in institutions such as nonprofits, businesses, government, and media. Specifically, employers can use the results to get a sense of where their employees stand on a variety of timely topics.
PODCAST EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
The Trust Hierarchy
“After friends and family, the workplace is the most important source of community to people. So if you think about your community of church or your community of schools or your parents or other things that might be important to you after friends and family and all those other communities, it’s the workplace and coworkers as the number one most trusted. Then, it’s your manager, then HR, and then the CEO.”
The Challenge for HR
“So much has been happening across the last couple of years related to expectations from what the HR team can offer the organization, whether it’s around social unrest, stronger employee network groups, or resource groups around diversity […]. There are a lot of expectations from the HR function to really step up and be there where the people need them to be. And unless they see that, unless they can see that you’re truly there and you’re truly committed to being a people-first organization, I think that organizations will continue to find that the role of HR maybe isn’t as trusted.”
Putting People First
“It’s really easy to say, but being people-first is very difficult to actually do in practice. And I think this is what we’re seeing in the trust. […] It’s like your values are on the wall, but you’re not really living your values. Lip service is what it is. So being people-first to me means that we’re really ‘pulling it through all the way’ in terms of what we hear is important, looking at our own organizational dynamics and seeing what’s important to our people and then pulling it all the way through.”
A Radical Shift
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve learned a lot. And you know, one of the things that’s really important is societal issues. I think that that’s one of the biggest shifts that I’ve seen in the organizations I’ve worked in over the last couple of years, and I’m sure our own HR professionals are finding that as well. People want their employers to stand up for what they see as right. So they want to work for a company that espouses their own values and that really talks about them.”
Restoring Trust
“Once you’ve lost a little bit of trust, it’s really difficult to get it back. But there are ways that you can get it back. I think the first thing is it’s always up to the leadership team to start, one, to become aware of it. If you’re not aware of it, then you’re going to continue to make the same mistake over and over again. So if you’re aware of it, let’s assume that you are, the first step is to start to role model what you’re really all about. […] I think step number two is really about showing, through specific actions, how you can rebuild that trust. We say at Edelman, ‘Action builds trust.’ The only way to build trust is through repeated behaviors and actions that people expect to see or want to see.”
Embracing Change
“People have changed how they’re working, when they’re working, and why they’re working. So from a career development standpoint, I think as a people function, we really have to be in tune with what people want for their careers moving forward. And, you know, it can be scary to think about — do we want more freelancers, or what is the gig economy all about? — but I think we’re gonna have to start embracing that more and more.”
Approaching the New Year
“There’s no better time than around the Performance Management Season One to say thank you to your people and to let them know how their contributions have really impacted the business. I think a lot of people will do that, but it’s great to be able to add some specifics around what you’re trying to achieve. […] It’s so important to share with people what the short-term and the long-term goals of your organization are. That’s a time when people are looking to set their own goals, but managers have to make that real for their teams, right?”
LEARN MORE
Follow Soni Basi on Linkedin or check out some of Edelman’s valuable resources here.