Employers who fail to tackle distrust of senior management among their staff risk losing the most talented to other companies, a report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has stated. Of those polled in the quarterly ‘Employee Outlook survey’ over a third (38%) said that they did not trust their leaders when it came to their jobs, and of those nearly half (47%) were actively looking for work elsewhere. Claire McCartney, resourcing and talent adviser at the CIPD, commented: ‘Trust forms a key part of the employment relationship and if employees feel there is a gap between what directors say and do, or that there is a lack of transparency or fairness in terms of how people are recognised and rewarded, they are likely to feel disenchanted.’ McCartney added that, with many organisations facing tough times, issues such as organisational culture and values often “take a back seat”. “Some employers may also feel they don’t have to work as hard to keep their people because there are fewer opportunities in the labour market that will allow employees to jump ship,” she explains. “However, vacancies still exist for motivated and skilled staff and employers risk losing their valued employees – those most able to compete in a tough labour market.” Stress and job dissatisfaction were also linked to workers seeking to change jobs. 57% of those unhappy in their current role were looking for a move, while for those feeling under particular pressure the number was 39%. The message to management appears to be ‘value your staff, gain their trust through transparent and honest dealing, and you will be much more likely to keep your best people’. More on this in a later article.