The cost of onboarding, training and bringing new team members up to speed is expensive and can cost organizations a loss of institutional knowledge as well. But according to a new study shared by ADP Research, high employee turnover rates can be avoided with one primary factor – trust.
The study found that workers with a strong sense of motivation and commitment to the job are the least likely to be searching for new roles. The connection that employees feel to their work, colleagues and their employer are essential factors in maintaining high employee retention rates.
Recommended For You
In fact, the study found that higher rates of motivation and commitment self-reported by employees were directly tied to a lower likelihood to be searching for new roles. Additionally, the study found that higher rates of motivation and commitment were tied to higher levels of trust.
Workers who trust their teammates are 16x more likely to be highly motivated and committed compared to those who don’t. Similarly, workers who trust their managers and supervisors are 26x more likely to be highly motivated and committed compared to those who don’t.
The same applies for workers who trust their organization’s senior leadership, and are 41x more likely to be motivated and committed than employees who don’t.
In a post-covid world, where many organizations are requiring employees to return-to-office, how can employers ensure that their workers maintain a sense of trust?
The study recommends that organizations prioritize equipping employees with freedom, flexibility and autonomy – key pillars to building trust amongst employees. Especially as more than 3 in 5 workers (65%) say they don’t get enough of these three, key independences.
Workers who reported having all three levels of independence were much more likely to also have complete trust in their teammates, team leaders and senior leaders, the study found. When workers feel that they are trusted to get the job done, their levels of motivation and commitment increase dramatically.
“Employers can provide guidance and support where it’s needed while still giving employees ample freedom and autonomy to do their best work. Mutual trust is key to building any lasting relationship, including those in the workplace,” the study said.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
