Lack of trust in senior managers hamstrings UK business

Research from global HR consultancy BlessingWhite has revealed that the business issues created by the current economic uncertainty could be compounded by the fact that workers have lost faith in their leaders.

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BlessingWhite's survey canvassed the opinions of professionals in the UK and Ireland in March 2008. It found that while almost three quarters (71 per cent) of workers trust their immediate managers, less than half (48 per cent) feel the same way about their organisation's senior management team. The research underlines the vital role middle managers have in communicating and delivering the vision and strategies of business leaders.

Unfortunately, the research also reveals that the UK's middle managers are not sticking around long enough to fulfil that responsibility. The survey found that over half (51 per cent) of this group definitely plan to leave their current roles at some point this year, or are wavering. In addition, nearly a third (29 per cent) of middle managers don't trust their senior management team. Tom Barry, European Managing Director at BlessingWhite explains the ramifications: Our research has revealed that many senior managers appear to be issuing strategies from an ivory tower. Their direction can't filter through middle managers that don't trust them.

It's not all bad news though. The so-called 'Generation-Y' workers (those born between 1977 and 1990) are more trusting of senior management, with 59 per cent reporting they trusted their organisation's senior team. This suggests that both middle and senior management must work hard to maintain this higher level of trust among younger workers to ensure core organisational strategies turn into reality.

Barry continues: These results display clearly the importance of trust in engaging team members. Without it, managers at all levels will struggle to lead their staff through this period of economic uncertainty and may even consider leaving.

Business leaders must give middle managers the structure and tools they need to help staff establish a strong connection with, and commitment to, their work. But they must also find a genuine, authentic leadership voice themselves - one that inspires trust. The most successful companies make employee engagement an ongoing priority, not a once-a-year event. Without trust, engagement initiatives can seem hollow.

For further information on BlessingWhite and a copy of the research, The State of Engagement 2008, please visit www.blessingwhite.com.