Nine in 10 employees say they fear HR — how to rebuild trust in the workplace

According to a new report, a staggering 86% of employees said they “fear” approaching HR, citing confidentiality breaches, repercussions, and perceived entanglement in office politics as reasons.

This fear is not isolated. According to the report, 90% of employees felt HR inadequately addressed their grievances, and nearly 37% cited HR’s lack of approachability as a major barrier.

It is a reflection of a much deeper organizational issue, says Mary Crossan, professor of general management and strategy at Western University’s Ivey Business School.

"What is being reported about mistrust in HR is actually a reflection of mistrust in the organization more broadly, and not having a culture of trust,” she says.

“Whatever is happening in the rest of the organization will happen with HR, but it's just much more of a concern, because that's the very place where individuals need to be able to connect, to get the support to address issues.”

Trust in HR begins with organizational character

Crossan emphasizes that the root cause of eroded trust in HR lies in organizational culture, and before solving issues in HR, problem areas in the wider structure need to be pinpointed.

“The way to go at this is to begin to ask, ‘Where is the development of character in the organization?’ Knowing that it is a fundamental blind spot in most organizations for what they can do to be able to work on these areas of trust."

The data backs this up. Crossan’s research reveals that organizations with strong character see an 18% increase in employee voice and a 16% improvement in psychological safety. These figures highlight the direct impact character-building efforts can have on fostering trust – as well as repercussions from misplaced efforts.

“A lot of the issues around character in organizations arise from these imbalances, where we overweight on some dimensions of character and underweight others,” she says.

“For example, when organizations overweight on things like integrity, being candid and authentic and transparent in principle, but they have weak humility or humanity – the leaders can just be abrasive and dogmatic, and those things then make up the conditions for people not wanting to speak out or speak up.”

Policies that hinder trust in HR

Human resources leaders can fall into patterns of relying on compliance and policies too much, says Tim Glowa, founder of HR Brain. This can lead to a neglect of what he stresses is the main purpose of HR: to serve employee needs. 

"Shifting from a transactional to a strategic partner role—by listening to employee feedback and aligning HR goals with workforce needs—can bridge this gap," Glowa says.

"The issue of mistrust is both HR’s fault, and a broader organizational failure to prioritize HR's role as an advocate for employees. By addressing these gaps, HR can rebuild its image as a supportive and effective partner."

Rigid, one-size-fits-all HR policies often compound the issue, Crossan explains.

While policies are necessary for clarity and consistency, they can leave little room for the discretion needed to treat employees with humanity.

This rigidity not only risks alienating employees but also limits HR’s ability to address issues on an individual basis. To rebuild trust, HR must balance policies with flexibility and ensure they don’t compromise overall strategy.

“What I think can be a really difficult part, whether it's HR or any part of the organization, is the challenge around policies and procedures that can sometimes handcuff HR,” Crossan says.

“The idea that many organization systems, HR practices, sometimes only work because people have to lie in order to get around [them], because the one-size-fits-all approach on the policies leaves no room for discretion.”

Employees’ need for empathy and confidentiality

Trust in HR hinges on a foundation of empathy and confidentiality. Employees expect HR to handle their concerns with humanity and discretion, says Corran, meaning they think: “I trust that they will keep what I've said private, and confidential. I trust that they will hear me without reprimand, that they will be able to treat my particular issues that I'm sharing as issues that need to be addressed by the organization. I trust that they will treat me with humanity, empathy, and compassion."

Yet, the report highlights a critical gap: 37% of employees lack trust in HR’s ability to maintain confidentiality, and 31% fear repercussions for raising concerns. These figures underline the urgent need for HR to rebuild its reputation as a safe space for employees.

“When HR fails to build trust through transparency and secure processes, it exacerbates this fear,” Glowa says.

Plus, he points out that HR suffers from a reputation-by-association effect – namely, many employees only hear from HR when they are dealing with something unpleasant.

“Employees often encounter HR during disciplinary actions, layoffs, or disputes, which creates an association of HR with negative experiences. To counter this, HR must proactively engage with employees through initiatives like career development support and employee well-being programs. Proactive engagement builds rapport and humanizes HR.”

The role of HR in shaping organizational trust

Building HR’s credibility is job number one – proactive communication and follow-through on employee concerns are essential to rebuilding trust, Crossan says – but another crucial part of the equation, not to be forgotten, is senior management.

“HR needs to involve senior management in building a culture of trust. They influence things like leadership development and recommendations on these policies and practices."

According to Crossan, HR plays a pivotal role in influencing organizational culture and character.

“As an HR practitioner, I'd be starting with myself, I'd be thinking, ‘All right, what am I doing to develop my own character?’” Crossan says.

“HR folks face so many pressures in the organization, and, man, they have to have a lot of character to bring quality of judgment and decision-making to what they do. But they're also people who can really influence the system itself. … I think the HR person is really in the right position to affect the kinds of changes that need to be made.”

Glowa recommends the following steps for HR to start shifting perceptions and guide more positive outcomes for employees.

• Equip managers with training to handle policies empathetically, fostering trust through effective communication and fair enforcement.

• Align policies with engagement goals by advocating for approaches that combine accountability with development, such as pairing discipline with coaching.

• Implement support systems like mentorship programs, career planning, and wellness initiatives to position HR as a trusted partner in employee growth.

"HR's role inherently involves enforcing policies, but it doesn't have to stop there," says Glowa. 

"For too many — both working in the company and for HR professionals — it does stop there. While enforcing policies might be reactive, HR can take proactive steps to shape perceptions and outcomes positively."