Data from Workforce Science shows the importance of communicating with your workforce during times of crisis.
Lincoln, Nebraska (March 17, 2020) – Trust in some of the nation’s most storied institutions continues to deteriorate, and that trend has only been heightened by the public reaction of the global outbreak of COVID-19. According to Workforce Science Associates (WSA), forward-thinking business leaders who gain and keep the trust of their employees will see a positive effect on their entire organization post-crisis.
Data from WSA shows an increasing importance that trust has in driving the level of employee engagement and performance. Engagement is a key determinate in the motivation, commitment and overall positive feelings that employees have toward their leaders, their company and their job.
“We think employee engagement has never been more important than it is right now, given our current climate,” said Bill Erickson, president and co-founder of WSA and a former executive at Kenexa and Gallup. “We are entering a time when companies could be tested in ways they’ve never been tested before. It’s critical that business leaders keep lines of communication open and respond to the issues that are most important to their employees. The extent that this is or isn’t done is the tipping point for coming out of the current crisis steady and stronger or weaker and left behind.”
WSA was started by Erickson, former Kenexa leaders Zach Canaday and Kris Erickson. The company maintains the largest data base of employee survey responses ever collected.
WSA has discovered many organizations in which employees are turning to their leaders and, in some cases, those leaders are rising to the challenge.
“During the financial crisis of 2008, for Kenexa’s clients that continued to invest in engagement, not only did they not experience dips in trust and engagement, but some were even able to come through the crisis stronger than when they went into it. These were the companies that were able to rebound the fastest.” Erickson said.
For more information about how trust in leadership affects an organization during times of crisis, download the latest position paper from WSA.
About Workforce Science Associates
Formed by members of Kenexa’s legacy management team and consisting of employee engagement subject matter experts, Workforce Science Associates offers expertise in optimizing talent and team performance that has been proven to transform companies and communities. For more information, visit www.workforcescience.com.
PR Contact: Mary Lafferty, WSA / mary.lafferty@workforcescience.com
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