More than a quarter (27%) of UK workers have little to no confidence in their senior leadership team, yet 79% trust the people on their teams. That’s according to the latest workforce study released by experience management company Qualtrics.

The survey of more than 1,000 workers in the UK reveals the significant impact that attitudes towards business leaders can have on staff attrition:

• 85% of workers who are confident in their senior leadership say that they expect to be working for the same company in two years’ time, compared to only 49% of those who have little confidence in their bosses.
• 63% of workers who have confidence in their bosses are extremely satisfied with their jobs, compared to only 3% of workers who don’t share that view about their senior leadership team.

Commenting on the findings, Ian McVey, Enterprise Lead for Northern Europe at Qualtrics, said:

“There is a clear correlation between worker confidence in senior leadership and staff loyalty. Leaders who inspire their workforces and make a conscious effort to build trust are much more likely drive high levels of satisfaction and, ultimately, employee retention.

“It all comes down to communication — if employees have confidence in the leadership team and understand their role in delivering on the organization’s strategy, they’re more likely to have the motivation to give their all at work and stay in their roles. Communication is very much a two-way street and the most successful leaders are those who not only communicate to their employees but listen to them to understand how they can better support them in their day-to-day roles.”

To find out more about the Qualtrics Employee Pulse, visit https://www.qualtrics.com/uk/employee-experience/employee-engagement-research/