Transparency during COVID-19 pandemic increases staff engagement by 85 per cent

Organisations that have increased transparency with their employees since the start of the COVID-19 crisis have seen an 85 per cent increase in staff engagement. This is according to latest research by Global corporate culture specialist, O.C Tanner, which surveyed 1,715 employees across the U.K, U.S and Canada.

The survey found that leadership transparency is a critical factor right now with employees craving honesty, authenticity and regular communications. In transparent organisations, in which clarity and honesty are prioritised, trust in leaders has increased by 174 per cent, employee satisfaction is up by 72 per cent and employee burnout has reduced by 13 per cent.

“Those organisations that have been open and honest since the start of the crisis have far more engaged, optimistic and content people”, says Robert Ordever, Managing Director of O.C Tanner Europe. “Staff are craving transparency and those organisations that are delivering it are creating a strong culture that’s more likely to weather the storm.”

In organisations where perceived transparency fell since the start of COVID-19, employees report a 25 per cent reduction in employee engagement and people’s sense of wellbeing has fallen by 19 per cent. There is also an 87 per cent greater likelihood of staff leaving the organisation.

Ordever says, “Ambiguous and ad hoc communications and in the worst cases, leadership silence, are particularly damaging in times of crisis resulting in high levels of anxiety among employees. Trust in management can also be destroyed creating a wary and demotivated workforce who are more likely to leave once the dust settles. Companies that don’t seize the opportunity to be transparent during COVID-19 do so at their peril.”