Does Trust Matter?

   When it comes to trust, the public is accustomed to questioning the intentions of its politicians. Yet, the issue of trust pervades society more profoundly. Kenexa® (NASDAQ: KNXA), a global provider of business solutions for human resources, addresses the issue of trust in the workplace in its annual WorkTrends™ report. Published by Kenexa High Performance Institute, "Trust Matters" examines the links between trust and employee retention and well-being.

In 2011, approximately 10,000 individuals in the U.S., and about 1,000 individuals in the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom, took the WorkTrends survey online. The survey has 141 items that ask employees about workplace issues such as managerial effectiveness, senior management behavior, diversity practices, turnover intention and job satisfaction.

When asked about trust -- the ability to have reliance on and confidence in the actions of another -- 48 percent of all employees trusted their leaders. Twenty-eight percent actively distrusted their leaders and 24 percent were undecided. The research reflects that employees who distrust their leaders are seven times more likely to report they are mentally and physically unwell and almost half of employees who distrust their leaders are seriously considering leaving their employer.

Jack Wiley, Founder and Executive Director KHPI, stated, "These significant levels of distrust demand attention from HR professionals, as they have clear implications for employee retention and well-being, as well as organizational performance. There are a number of best practices such as cross-training employees, conducting annual performance reviews and employee opinion surveys, and sponsoring quality improvement initiatives that can increase trust and engage employees."

The WorkTrends "Trust Matters" report can be downloaded by accessing www.khpi.com/Current-R-D/WorkTrends/Trust-Matters. For more information about Kenexa High Performance Institute and Kenexa's employee and customer satisfaction surveys, please visit www.kenexa.com

About Kenexa Kenexa (NASDAQ: KNXA) helps drive HR and business outcomes through its unique combination of technology, content and services. Enabling organizations to optimize their workforces since 1987, Kenexa's integrated talent acquisition and talent management solutions have touched the lives of more than 110 million people. Additional information about Kenexa and its global products and services can be accessed at www.kenexa.com. Follow Kenexa on Twitter: @kenexa.

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