Insights from the November 2024 Harris Poll and Actionable Strategies for Leaders
The Trust Effect™
In Today’s Workplace Trusted Relationships Drive a Positive Sense of Belonging, Engagement, and Wellbeing
VICTOR J STRECHER PhD, MPH,
Professor, University of Michigan
Schools of Public Health and Medicine
Harris Poll Key Takeaways: The Power of Trust in the Workplace
Trust Fuels Belonging – Trust in co-workers, managers, and executives is a major driver of organizational belonging, with trust in one’s manager being the most important. Together, these trust factors explain nearly half of what makes people feel they belong at work.
Belonging Drives Engagement – Employees who feel a strong sense of belonging are far more engaged, with belonging explaining 88% of the variation in engagement levels. That’s a game-changing insight.
Trust → Belonging → Engagement – The data suggests that trust does more than influence engagement directly—it works through belonging. Build trust, and you build belonging, build belonging, and engagement soars.
What is the key takeaway? Trust is more than a “nice-to-have”—it’s a business imperative.
The Problem: A Workplace in Crisis
In an era marked by shifting workplace dynamics and a growing “trust recession,” organizations face mounting challenges in employee engagement and wellbeing. Gallup reports that fewer than 35% of employees globally feel engaged at work, and burnout rates are at an all-time high. The 2024 Harris Poll on workplace trust, conducted in November, reveals a critical insight: the foundational role of trust in shaping a sense of belonging, engagement, and wellbeing. And at the same time, trust remains fragile in many organizations, undermining productivity and morale.
The Harris Poll results are clear:
1. Trust matters deeply. Trust in coworkers, managers, and the C-suite independently drives nearly half of the variation in employees' sense of belonging.
2. Belonging fuels engagement. Over 88% of the variation in work engagement is explained by an employee’s sense of organizational belonging.
3. Trust drives engagement through belonging. Trust’s primary pathway to improving engagement is via the belonging it creates.
The challenge for leaders is evident: How can they foster trust and, through it, amplify belonging, engagement, and wellbeing?
The Insight: Belonging is the Missing Link
The Harris Poll findings underline a critical insight: Belonging acts as the bridge between trust and engagement. Employees who trust their colleagues, managers, and senior leaders feel safer, more valued, and more included. This sense of belonging unlocks their emotional investment in their work, making them more engaged and resilient.
Beyond engagement, belonging has profound implications for employee wellbeing. Research by the American Psychological Association highlights that belonging reduces stress and enhances psychological safety, both of which are essential for mental and physical health. When employees feel they belong, they are less likely to experience burnout and more likely to thrive.
Visualizing the Dynamics: The Structural Equation Model
To better understand these relationships, the Harris Poll leveraged a structural equation model. This model highlights:
· The direct and independent effects of trust in coworkers, managers, and the C-suite on belonging.
· The dominant role of belonging in driving engagement (explaining 88% of its variation).
· The mediated pathway where trust influences engagement through belonging.
This visual representation reinforces the critical role of trust and belonging in organizational outcomes.
Actionable Strategies to Build Trust, Belonging, Engagement, and Wellbeing
To address these challenges, leaders at all levels must adopt behaviors and mindsets that intentionally build trust, foster belonging, and leverage these to drive engagement and wellbeing. The following 15 actionable recommendations offer a roadmap:
Build Trusted Relationships
1. Be Transparent: Share information openly, including challenges. Transparency builds credibility and reduces uncertainty.
2. Follow Through: Consistently deliver on commitments to reinforce reliability.
3. Foster Psychological Safety: Create an environment where employees can share ideas and concerns without fear of retribution.
4. Model Integrity: Uphold fairness and align actions with organizational values.
5. Demonstrate Competence: Show expertise and decisiveness in leadership.
Foster Belonging
6. Celebrate Contributions: Regularly recognize individual and team achievements.
7. Promote Inclusion: Actively include diverse voices in decision-making.
8. Show Empathy: Understand and address employee challenges, both personal and professional.
9. Build Team Cohesion: Strengthen connections within and across teams to create a sense of community.
10. Communicate Shared Purpose: Reinforce how individual roles contribute to organizational success.
Drive Engagement
11. Empower Autonomy: Trust employees to make decisions within a clear framework.
12. Provide Growth Opportunities: Offer professional development programs to signal trust in potential.
13. Deliver Constructive Feedback: Use feedback as a tool for growth and improvement.
Enhance Wellbeing
14. Respect Work-Life Balance: Encourage healthy boundaries and lead by example.
15. Offer Health Resources: Provide access to wellness programs and mental health support.
16. Reduce Uncertainty: Clearly communicate expectations and changes to alleviate stress.
Final Thoughts
The 2024 Harris Poll provides a powerful framework for leaders to understand the interconnected dynamics of trust, belonging, engagement, and wellbeing. The implications are clear: leaders who prioritize trust-building behaviors and foster a culture of belonging will unlock greater engagement and also create workplaces where employees thrive. By following the actionable strategies outlined here, leaders can navigate today’s trust recession and build more resilient, engaged, and healthy organizations
Supporting Research and References
Key Sources:
1. Harris Poll (November 2024): Link to full poll results: Harris Poll 2024 on Workplace Trust
2. Trust and Engagement: Studies by Dirks and Ferrin (2002) highlight trust’s impact on employee commitment and motivation.
3. Belonging and Engagement: Kahn’s (1990) engagement theory emphasizes belonging and meaningful connection as prerequisites for engagement.
4. Victor Strecher (University of Michigan): Strecher’s research on purpose and its links to health and motivation underscores the foundational role of trust and belonging.
5. Recent Articles:
a. BetterUp (2020): The ROI of Belonging
b. Harvard Business Review (2021): The High Cost of Disconnection
c. Gallup (2023): State of the Global Workplace Report
6. Engagement and Wellbeing:
a. American Psychological Association: Research on psychological safety and stress reduction in the workplace.
b. Harvard Business Review (2020): Why Belonging at Work Matters
7. Recent Trends:
a. Studies on post-2020 workplace dynamics show how trust and wellbeing are critical for resilience and retention.
