Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
CEO trust matters most to employees – survey
ABOUT 37% of professionals in South Africa say they would rethink accepting a job offer based on a company’s CEO – even if they “liked” their line manager. A further 15% stated they would outright decline a job offer based on the CEO in position.
These findings come from a survey conducted by specialist recruitment firm Robert Walters – and underscore the significant role of CEOs and leaders in workplaces and among professionals in South Africa.
Key findings
Here are some of the other standout findings:
55% would rethink or reject a job offer based on the company’s chief executive.
45% feel CEOs and leaders have the biggest impact on workplace culture.
Four in five feel the biggest value CEOs bring is the ability to “lead by example”.
64% trust the leader of their company to “do what is right”. Almost a quarter say that hidden agendas and playing into corporate politics are the primary factors leading to distrust in leadership. According to the poll of 2 000 white-collar professionals, about 64% trust the leaders of their organisation to do what is right. This reveals a significant level of distrust in leadership, with more than a third of respondents stating that they don’t trust that their leaders would do the right thing.
Front and centre
Over the past year and a half, there has been a noticeable increase in the visibility and influence of CEOs and leaders in various sectors – extending from government officials and corporate executives to celebrities and influencers.
Anyone who has a significant “voice” is feeling the pressure to use it wisely and is increasingly expected to comment or provide a perspective on a host of different issues.
With this “voice” comes judgement – and the survey shows that prospective employees are in fact making career decisions based on a CEO’s opinion, or lack thereof.
According to the poll, almost 45% of professionals feel that the CEO has the biggest impact on a company’s culture; with a further third (35%) stating that mid-management can be just as influential. Interestingly, just 17% feel that general employees (those not in a leadership or management position)
have an influence on the culture of their workplaces.
Testament to this is what happened to Sam Altman, the CEO of US artificial intelligence research company OpenAI, who was fired by the company’s board and then reinstated in less than a week. According to reports, the change of heart by the board was in part driven by an employee-led threat of mass resignations.
This example effectively illustrates the influence that senior leadership can have on whether people want to work for an organisation, and the crucial role that CEOs and senior leaders play in employee turnover, attraction and retention rates.
Success factors
About two fifths (41%) of professionals believe that CEOs who “lead by example” bring the most value to a company, while a quarter put CEO success down to being empathetic and a good listener.
Just over a fifth feel that being decisive and taking advice where needed are key to winning people over.
Professionals want to know that leaders sitting at the helm of major companies know what they are doing and that they can lead with confidence and conviction, as well as maintain an empathetic and listening ear to employees and wider society.
It’s all about being in touch with the people around you, having a diverse team and hearing a host of different opinions while mediating on the single best solution to any problems that may arise. No matter how experienced a leader may be, they should never assume they have all the answers.
Two-way solution
The 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer found that out of the 71% of employees who felt trusted by their CEO, 87% trusted their CEO in return. Conversely, of the 29% of professionals who did not feel trusted by their CEO, only 27% trusted their chief executive.
There are many ways employees develop trust with their CEOs. These include feeling that their opinions are valued, that they can express their views and have them recognised, and that they have some involvement in or awareness of the decisions being made.
Unsurprising, results from the poll found that the two most common factors leading to employee distrust of CEOs are leaders having a hidden agenda and playing into corporate politics. CEOs who delivered unclear and inconsistent messages were also a significant factor.
Other influencing factors included CEOs lacking a strong voice (14%), and doubts over a negative reputation (6%).
The blueprint for building trust is clear – employees want leaders who are transparent, good communicators with a strong and consistent voice, and who aren’t afraid to play an active role in creating a positive culture.
Reputation, surprisingly, trails behind these other qualities – showing that executive leadership is not always about trying to have the “popular opinion”.