What is required to build trust with employees?

The guts to provide candid feedback, and be with them in good and bad times.

Building trust is a continuous process that requires intentional effort from leadership at all levels. It's about creating a culture where employees feel valued, respected, heard, and confident in the organization's integrity and competence. Treat people like humans. 

Embracing radical transparency does more than shed light on hidden issues—it sparks a company-wide Growth Mindset rooted in trust. Harvard Business Review found that teams with clear, shared metrics outperform opaque teams by 25 % in execution speed and 40 % in employee engagement. 

When everyone sees the same data at the same time, blame games disappear. Conversations shift from “who’s at fault?” to “how do we fix it?” That psychological safety fuels experimentation, faster learning cycles, and, ultimately, higher velocity.

This is where tools like Performalise help. The platform captures 500+ live signals—confidence, flow, blockers—and turns them into transparent dashboards and AI nudges that teams act on daily. The result: trust grows, accountability rises, and performance gains compound sprint after sprint.

I agree with Sean Higgins.  Along with that, I would like to add a few more points.  I would give them an opportunity and follow-up regularly to ensure they are on-track.  Plus, inquire with them if they need guidance if they face an impediment.  

It's like we trust our family members (especially our kids) to perform a task.

We have to believe in them, they will sail through the task with ease and enjoyment.  Also, Trust will give them self-confidence, high self-esteem and faith in their ability to complete the work. 

Open communications are key. For direct reports, I believe strongly in weekly one-on-ones to build that relationship which will build trust if open and honest communication flows.