How to Build Trust with Employees in the Workplace

Trust is one of the most important factors influencing employee performance, engagement, and commitment. Eighteen percent of respondents say they do not trust their boss, while 49% of employees report having left a job because of a poor working relationship with their manager. In addition, 45% of employees say that a lack of trust in leadership is the biggest issue affecting their performance at work.

1. Communicate Transparently

Trust is difficult to build when employees lack information or are frequently left to speculate about leadership decisions. Prolonged silence can quickly lead to rumors, anxiety, and inaccurate interpretations.

Leaders should proactively communicate goals, priorities, the rationale behind decisions, and changes that may affect the team. Transparency does not mean that every piece of information must be disclosed. What matters is that employees understand what is happening, why the organization is moving in a particular direction, and how their role fits into the bigger picture.

When leaders are unable to share complete information, they should clearly communicate those limitations rather than leaving employees to find their own answers.

2. Demonstrate Consistency

Employees often judge a leader’s trustworthiness by the consistency between what the leader says and what the leader does. If a leader encourages openness but reacts negatively to opposing views, employees will quickly notice the contradiction. Likewise, unfulfilled promises or principles that are applied differently depending on the individual can significantly erode trust.

Consistency can be demonstrated by:

• Following through on commitments;
• Applying principles consistently;
• Maintaining composure under pressure;
• Clearly explaining when a decision needs to change;

Acknowledging when your actions have not aligned with what you said.

3. Build a Culture of Accountability

Trust cannot be sustained in an environment where responsibilities are unclear, mistakes are concealed, or individuals repeatedly fail to honor commitments without being held accountable.

Leaders should clearly define goals, roles, decision-making authority, and performance expectations. When problems arise, conversations should focus on causes, accountability, and solutions for improvement rather than on finding someone to blame.

A culture of accountability also starts with the leader. Acknowledging mistakes, correcting poor decisions, and taking responsibility for outcomes set a powerful standard for the rest of the team.

Accountability and trust need to develop together. Trust does not mean ignoring performance outcomes, and accountability does not mean excessive monitoring or control.

4. Build an Inclusive Culture

Employees are unlikely to trust an organization if they feel that their voices, circumstances, or identities are not respected. An inclusive workplace helps people feel seen, heard, and able to contribute.

Leaders should create opportunities for different perspectives to be included in discussions, particularly those of employees who may be less vocal or who are not part of the most influential groups. When differences are genuinely welcomed, employees are more confident in sharing their perspectives and contributing their strengths.

Leaders can support a more inclusive environment by:

• Involving a broader range of team members in decision-making;
• Actively seeking different perspectives;
• Preventing a small number of individuals from dominating every discussion;
• Ensuring that development opportunities are allocated fairly;
• Addressing disrespectful behavior promptly.

5. Listen to and Respect Others

Listening is one of the clearest ways leaders can demonstrate that they value their employees. Effective listening requires presence, focus, and a genuine desire to understand an issue from the other person’s perspective.

Instead of preparing a response while an employee is still speaking, leaders should ask questions, confirm what they have heard, and explore the concerns behind the issue.

Respect is also reflected in how leaders respond. Even when they disagree, leaders can acknowledge an employee’s perspective, explain their decision, and keep the conversation constructive.

Employees may be able to accept that their suggestion was not selected. What often damages trust is the feeling that their opinion was never seriously considered in the first place.

6. Be Fair and Objective

Perceived favoritism is one of the fastest ways to erode trust. Leaders should make decisions based on clear criteria, relevant data, and the actual requirements of the work.

Decisions involving performance evaluations, recognition, allocation of opportunities, or employee development should be explained transparently.

Fairness does not mean providing every employee with exactly the same level or type of support. Different people may need different levels of direction, feedback, or resources. However, the principles and standards used to make decisions should remain consistent.

When employees understand how decisions are made, they are more likely to accept the outcome, even when it does not fully align with their personal expectations.

7. Recognize and Appreciate Contributions

Employees need to know that their efforts are noticed and that their work contributes meaningfully to shared goals. Effective recognition should be specific, timely, and connected to actual behaviors or results.

Rather than simply saying, “You did a great job,” leaders can explain which contribution made a difference and why it mattered.

Recognition should also reflect individual preferences. Some employees appreciate being recognized publicly in front of the team, while others may value a private conversation or the opportunity to take on greater responsibility.

When recognition becomes a natural part of the workplace culture, employees are more likely to feel valued and motivated to continue contributing.

8. Encourage Two-Way Feedback

Trust cannot be built when feedback only flows in one direction, from leaders to employees.

Trustworthy leaders should be willing to ask employees for feedback on their own leadership, the obstacles the team is facing, and what could be improved. More importantly, leaders need to respond constructively when employees provide candid feedback.

If leaders ask for feedback but regularly become defensive, dismiss concerns, or penalize those who speak up, employees will quickly choose silence instead.

To encourage two-way feedback, leaders can regularly ask questions such as:

• How can I support you more effectively?
• What is getting in the way of the team achieving its goals?
• Is there an issue we are avoiding discussing?
• What should I continue doing, stop doing, or change?
• Where do you need more direction, and where do you need more autonomy?

After receiving feedback, leaders should let the team know what will be changed and what cannot yet be addressed.

9. Empower Employees and Create Autonomy

Empowerment is a clear way for leaders to demonstrate trust in employees’ capabilities and judgment. However, empowering employees does not mean assigning work and leaving them to figure everything out on their own.

For autonomy to be effective, leaders need to establish clear goals, responsibilities, decision-making authority, available resources, and the support employees can expect when challenges arise.

When employees have sufficient capability and experience, excessive involvement in every detail can make them feel that they are not genuinely trusted. On the other hand, giving too much autonomy before an employee is ready can leave them without sufficient direction, increase the likelihood of mistakes, and gradually undermine their confidence.

10. Build a Culture of Psychological Safety

Psychological safety refers to an environment in which employees feel safe asking questions, admitting mistakes, raising concerns, and sharing different viewpoints without fear of judgment or unfair treatment.

Leaders play a critical role in creating this environment. How a leader responds to bad news, opposing views, or mistakes often sends a stronger message about the organization’s culture than any formal statement or policy.

To strengthen psychological safety, leaders should:

• Encourage employees to raise concerns early;
• Distinguish between mistakes made in the process of learning and irresponsible behavior;
• Focus on lessons learned and opportunities for improvement;
• Acknowledge the limits of their own knowledge;
• Actively invite constructive disagreement;
• Protect employees who speak up responsibly.

11. Cultivate Empathy

Empathy helps leaders see situations from the employee’s perspective and better understand the emotions, needs, and challenges they may be facing before responding or making a decision.

However, empathy does not mean always agreeing with employees or lowering performance standards. On the contrary, a deeper understanding of employees enables leaders to communicate, guide, and support them more effectively while maintaining clear expectations for results.

An empathetic leader will often consider questions such as:

• How is this employee seeing the situation?
• What might be causing them anxiety, pressure, or loss of motivation?
• Are they lacking capability, confidence, or the resources they need?
• How can I support them more effectively while still ensuring strong performance?

When employees feel genuinely cared for and know that their challenges are being taken seriously, they are more likely to communicate openly, collaborate, and stay engaged with their leader. This creates an important foundation for strengthening trust between leaders and employees.

Connect with Blanchard Vietnam to explore solutions that help leaders develop trustworthy behaviors, strengthen relationships with employees, and create a more engaged, proactive, and high-performing workplace.