The vast majority (93 per cent) of Canadians agree a work environment that allows employees to be honest is essential to their company’s success, with 89 per cent noting honest workplace communication is critical for a productive workforce, according to a new survey by the Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals.
The survey, which polled more than 500 Canadian workers and more than 500 employers, found 75 per cent of job seekers said employees should feel comfortable discussing their personal issues with their manager if it’s impacting their day-to-day work.
Communication is vital to honesty and trust in the workplace, says Hanif Hemani, managing director at Express Employment Professionals. “Employers should create multiple channels of communication, because not everybody does well with raw feedback or one-on-one meetings. Sometimes you need other forms of communications, like anonymous surveys or something as simple as a suggestion box, to recognize people prefer multiple routes of communication.”
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Frequency of communication is also important, especially with remote employees, where access is a little more difficult, he adds. By creating scheduled one-on-one opportunities or virtual coffee breaks, employers can improve trust, collaboration and honesty among employees in a remote working arrangement.
The majority (82 per cent) of respondents said they’d be more loyal to a company if they felt they could be honest with their manager. When employees aren’t able to speak honestly at work, respondents said employee morale falls (58 per cent), productivity decreases (51 per cent), employee burnout worsens (48 per cent) and employee turnover increases (44 per cent).
“Often mistrust or the perception of dishonesty arises when there are inconsistencies or when expectations aren’t made clear,” notes Hemani. “To help mitigate that, I would suggest being as clear as possible on expectations and policies. It’s important for employers to create a safe environment and multiple avenues to report issues without fear of repercussions.”
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Nearly all (96 per cent) employers felt their employees can speak honestly regarding their concerns or issues — most commonly with their supervisor (66 per cent) and their colleagues (57 per cent) — and 70 per cent of employees agreed their company encourages honest communication.
Three-quarters (76 per cent) of employees reported it’s easy to receive constructive feedback from a supervisor, set professional boundaries (73 per cent) and be honest with a supervisor about issues (63 per cent). However, only 40 per cent reported it’s easy to discuss personal issues with their manager.
Notably, 58 per cent of hiring decision-makers reported their company doesn’t currently provide managers with resources or training on how to handle employees’ personal issues. Nearly all (90 per cent) employees said it’s at least somewhat important for companies provide managers with the proper resources and training.
“The way managers communicate to their team sets the stage for honesty and trust within a team. When leaders are wrong, they need to communicate that they were wrong. That’s really the first and easiest step, is leading by example. There are a number of leadership training courses that are available for proper for management in terms of how to communicate with employees around certain issues and [create an open environment].”
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