Amid rocky waters in the economy, one metric may stand out in analyzing organizational health: leadership trust, according to Aura Intelligence, an artificial intelligence and data platform that helps firms with decision making.
Employees’ sentiment toward their leaders is “the most sensitive early indicator” of organizational health, Aura Intelligence said; such sentiment declined “significantly” in sectors that faced layoffs, compliance controversies and “sudden RTO mandates.”
Notably, however, the data also showed that employee satisfaction increased after structured returns, which could indicate that a good execution of a return-to-office plan may ameliorate the issue of a mandate.
The report was based on insights gathered from 20 million company profiles on its platform, Aura Intelligence said.
Whether workers can trust company leadership plays a large role in worker retention and resiliency, a Gallup report from February implied. Many workers look to company higher-ups as a source of hope and a beacon of clear direction, the report said.
To gain trust, leaders need to be open to conversations with workers and be inclusive, good listeners and willing to be vulnerable, experts previously told HR Dive. Generally, poor communication at work can prevent workers from thriving, especially women, a March report from the Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership said.
