Posted by Alexandra Cappetta
Trust is a two-way street, and distrust can be contagious. When you establish rapport with your employees, it not only improves the quality of both your experiences working together. It can also improve retention and empower your hires to be more successful as they practice.
As you engage with members of your team, keep in mind these five ways you can strengthen bonds and actively work to build employee trust:
- Encourage clear and honest communication
Communication. It’s one of the most important aspects of developing and maintaining strong connections with others - employees included. It isn’t just about sharing relevant information in a clear and timely manner, although that’s a big part of it. Employees also need to know their thoughts, ideas and concerns will be heard.
Emphasize an open line of communication with your team and follow through by being both transparent and receptive to their questions and feedback. Be diligent about asking employees if their needs are met, how their experience could be improved and what else they need to be successful.
- Find opportunities to show appreciation
Making sure your staff knows you value them goes a long way for building trust, whether through verbal reminders or more tangible tokens of gratitude.
One way you can do this is through an employee recognition program that routinely highlights and rewards the achievements or stand-out qualities of a team member. You might acknowledge them with a gift card, or even a post on social media.
It doesn’t have to be a large act to be effective; simply finding daily opportunities to engage with and affirm employees for their hard work and dedication shows you care.
- Provide helpful resources
As a subject matter expert in health care recruiting, you likely have access to a range of helpful resources for your candidates and employees. When shared, you show them you’re intentional about helping them grow and thrive as they practice.
Consider offering your team helpful materials, such as PracticeLink Magazine, The Career Advancement Resource for Physicians, to get advice, participate in conversations impacting the industry and continue evolving as a valued provider serving your organization.
- Trust your employees first
The more you show your employees that you trust them to do the work you hired them to do, the more they will trust you as their employer.
It may sound backward, but research shows asking for a small favor, advice or suggestions is a sign of intimacy and can be effective for building trust. Find opportunities to show staff members you value their input by asking for their insights or help solving a problem.
- Be mindful of how you speak about others
Have you ever had a friend who indulges in "harmless" gossip about another co-worker, friend or acquaintance? You may have thought, "If this is how they talk about them, how do they talk about me when I’m not around?"
Never delve into an employee’s private details with others, no matter how seemingly innocent; instead, focus on how you can elevate them in the presence of their peers. Remember, how you speak about members of your staff will ultimately reveal more about you than them.