A new report from online career platform LiveCareer reveals workplace trust issues across generations, with Gen Z employees least likely to trust their employer’s leadership.
The report found that one in four (25%) workers don’t trust their manager to act in their best interests, and 40% have quit a job due to distrust in their manager. Forty-three percent of respondents say that Gen Z is the most likely to challenge leadership decisions openly.
For its Generational Workplace Trust report, LiveCareer polled 1,000 U.S. workers on their feelings about the level of trust the workplace has in corporate management and how those feelings differ by generation.
Trust between employees and their managers is a critical element of workplace success. However, many workers report varying levels of trust in their managers’ ability to act in their best interests.
- 25% don’t fully trust their manager to make decisions that prioritize their needs, goals, and overall well-being.
- 53% have felt lied to or misled by a manager.
- Respondents report that favoritism (23%), unethical behavior (18%), and poor communication (17%) are the top three factors that most damage employees’ trust in their managers.
The report also found a lack of accountability among those in management positions:
- 48% say their manager acknowledges mistakes but downplays them.
- 29% report their manager takes full responsibility for mistakes.
- 23% have managers that don’t admit fault when they make a mistake.
“The bottom line is that poor relationships between managers and their employees can have serious consequences,” LiveCareer said. “Forty percent of respondents reported that they have left a job because they did not trust their manager.”
The report found that workplace trust isn’t universal—it shifts across generations. Older generations place more confidence in corporate leadership, while those newer to the workforce remain skeptical about their company’s top brass.
- A majority (54%) say baby boomers trust corporate leadership the most.
- Nearly half (45%) of workers believe Gen Z has the least trust in corporate leadership.
Gen Z is redefining workplace dynamics by challenging leadership more openly than previous generations, according to the report. With a strong willingness to voice concerns and question decisions, they’re pushing for greater accountability and transparency in the workplace.
- 40% of workers believe Gen Z is the generation most likely to raise concerns when they disagree with leadership.
- 43% of respondents say Gen Z is the most willing to push back against leadership choices.
- 34% feel baby boomers are least likely to voice their concerns about company leadership.
“While more seasoned professionals often have strong criticisms of Gen Z, the root issue is that many managers are either unwilling or slow to adapt to a different leadership style that works best for younger workers,” Jasmine Escalera, career expert for LiveCareer, said in a statement. “While Gen Z’s outspokenness may be surprising for managers used to working with baby boomers, Gen X, and millennial professionals, leaders should instead appreciate this level of transparency. We are in the middle of the Great Detachment and can use this feedback to course correct.”
According to the report, the one common thread across age groups is a significant gap in understanding between themselves and leadership. Regardless of generation, the majority of respondents (63%) say that leaders don’t understand the priorities and challenges of their specific generation.
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Tags: employees, Firm Management, manager, Payroll, quitting job, Small Business
