{"id":8888,"date":"2021-05-17T14:52:16","date_gmt":"2021-05-17T12:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/?p=8888"},"modified":"2026-03-30T08:12:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T06:12:55","slug":"employee-honesty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clockify.me\/blog\/managing-teams\/employee-honesty\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Encourage Honesty Among Employees and Staff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
How would you describe your ideal coworker or employee?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Professional, productive, efficient, problem-solver, team worker, trustworthy… the list goes on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of those characteristics, such as trustworthiness, honesty, and dependability, are especially important now, when we mostly work remotely. While everyone would want a team with those qualities, not everyone is ready to build a safe and open environment that will encourage honesty, instead of meeting it with defensiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, we\u2019ll discuss what makes a person trustworthy, how to show trustworthiness in a workplace, how to build a work environment that encourages honesty, as well as how to go about communication in a virtual workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n
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What are the qualities of a trustworthy person?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are two types of trust: competence trust<\/i> (professional ability, trusting that they know how to do their job) and interpersonal trust<\/i> (trusting them as a person). They are not the same, but they are often connected: if someone shows integrity in their personal life, it\u2019s not wrong to assume that they\u2019ll show integrity in a professional setting, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a workplace, you have to have a little bit of both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are the qualities of a trustworthy person?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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They are reliable<\/b> and dependable<\/b>: you know they\u2019ll keep their word, do their job well, and you can rely on them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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They possess integrity<\/b> and authenticity<\/b>: they know what they stand for and they don\u2019t think they\u2019re above anyone else. They are humble and easy to talk to.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Consistency<\/b> is one of the most important qualities: they won\u2019t turn their back on you out of the blue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
They don\u2019t sweep issues under the rug, they face them. They also try to see both sides of the issue to make a fair judgment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
How do you show trustworthiness at work and how to make your boss trust you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Be punctual<\/b>. Always show up on time and don\u2019t miss deadlines. Don\u2019t make your team guess where Waldo is instead of discussing important issues at a meeting. They\u2019ll perceive you as unreliable. It\u2019s also disrespectful to others.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Be consistent<\/b>. Don\u2019t give 110% one day and 23,54% the next day. No one will know what to expect from you and if they can trust you with the next project. Consistency also applies to your words and your actions being aligned: if you give someone your word, keep it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Give praise and credit where it\u2019s due<\/b>. It will make your coworkers feel valued, especially if they can tell it\u2019s genuine, and it will show that you\u2019re a team player.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Give good constructive criticism<\/b>. When someone asks you to give your opinion, try to give a thoughtful and honest answer. Of course, don\u2019t be too harsh (social intelligence is absolutely needed in instances like this): be kind, but also point out things that should be improved. The difference between wanting to help someone and being rude is the intention you are speaking with, but lines can get blurred in delivery, so be aware of that.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t hide information<\/b>. I don\u2019t think this one needs further explanation – would you trust someone knowing they hid something from you?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Avoid gossip<\/b>. If someone talks badly about others to you, they\u2019ll talk badly about you to others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Building a trustworthy work environment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
An open and respectful work environment is the key if you strive for honesty among employees and staff. As much as \u201chonesty is the best policy\u201d, life taught us all that it\u2019s not always the case. Not everyone appreciates honesty: oftentimes, it\u2019s punished instead of praised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why it\u2019s your role as a manager or an employer to build an environment where everyone feels accepted, heard, and free to communicate openly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s how to do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Define your company\u2019s values and stay true to them<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What does your company stand for? Make it clear and stay true to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Strive to lead by example, as you set the tone for the company\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Writing a statement that \u201cbullying won\u2019t be tolerated\u201d doesn\u2019t mean much if some of your employees are experiencing mobbing. Punishing those who bully is a much more powerful statement and it shows that you practice what you preach. It makes both employees and (potential) clients trust you more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can\u2019t expect employees to be trustworthy if you\u2019re not trustworthy yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also, it\u2019s important to introduce company culture and values to new hires from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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