A healthy Human Resources (HR) department is a sign of a healthy organization. HR employees are the ones people talk to during some of their most vulnerable moments and the quality of those experiences indicates the strength and maturity of the organization. When employees trust HR, concerns get raised early, workplace conflicts are addressed before they escalate into formal complaints, and leaders have a clear understanding of the health of the organization.

When trust starts to erode, employees clam up about issues, supervisors try to deal with complicated situations on their own, and leadership loses sight of problems until it’s too late. The reality is that it can take years to rebuild that trust after it’s eroded.

When HR departments and employees are perpetually at odds, the organization can’t function, and agency leadership needs to take action. It’s much more efficient—and effective—to address conflict early than to undergo a lengthy and potentially expensive investigation when a problem escalates.

Here are a few strategies leaders can employ to begin rebuilding trust between HR and staff—and prevent this situation from happening again.

Recognize the Warning Signs

Loss of trust doesn’t happen overnight: it happens over the course of weeks or months of inconsistencies. That’s why the HR Director is one of the most critical positions in any city. Decisions involving complicated matters such as collective bargaining can have significant financial consequences, or can set off an exodus of good talent.

You may notice:

• Higher turnover in a particular department
• An increase in anonymous complaints
• Employee concerns surfacing for the first time during exit interviews

These signs can indicate that employees no longer believe HR is the best place to bring workplace concerns.

Understand the Root Cause

It is tempting to pin lost confidence in HR on a single decision or moment in time, especially if there’s been a major change in your organization recently. But trust is usually shaped by many small interactions over time, and a deterioration in that trust is probably due to an established pattern.

Sometimes HR also becomes the face of decisions it did not make. One example is the CalPERS shift to PEPRA membership in 2013. Because HR departments had to administer the change across public agencies and address its effects on employees, they often became the face of a change for which they were not directly responsible. Unfortunately, that dynamic can still affect trust.

Right now, maintaining trust can be particularly difficult. In my view, many newer HR professionals have moved into leadership quickly before gaining some of the foundational experience that typically develops over time, such as collective bargaining or role classification. HR can also lean too heavily on outside legal counsel, which may offer black-and-white legal answers to organizational or cultural problems. HR directors need to actively address the underlying problem instead of shuffling it off or allowing it to grow.

Here are some questions to ask about your HR department:

• Are policies being applied consistently across departments?
• Do supervisors understand when to escalate issues to HR?
• Are expectations between departments and HR communicated clearly?
• Do employees understand what HR can and cannot do, as well as their confidentiality rights and limits?
• Does the department have the experience and capacity needed to address complex organizational issues?

Equip Supervisors to Be Better Partners with HR

Supervisors play a significant role in shaping employees’ perceptions of HR.

When supervisors delay difficult conversations, discourage employees from contacting HR, or attempt to resolve complex employee relations issues without guidance, trust can deteriorate quickly. But the opposite is also true; supervisors who understand HR’s role and engage the department early help reinforce confidence in organizational processes.

Every leader should understand the rules of the road in their agency. Supervisors at all levels should be able to answer questions like:

• What does the memorandum of understanding require?
• What are the organization’s personnel rules?
• What is the organization’s policy on progressive discipline?

Leadership needs to ensure that supervisors have access to the training and resources to understand performance management and fulfill their responsibilities.

Focus on Consistency, Not Perfection

No HR department can eliminate every workplace conflict or satisfy every employee. But if policies are clearly communicated and consistently followed, there is less fuel for accusations of unfairness.

Part of addressing this situation is recognizing that some employees will end up disgruntled. Sometimes those feelings are fair, and sometimes they aren’t. HR directors must occasionally make decisions that people aren’t happy with, such as reclassifying a role, but early and continued communication can reduce lasting dissatisfaction.

For executive leaders, consistency should be viewed as an organizational objective rather than an HR objective. Simply raising standards for an out-of-favor HR team won’t solve the problem in the long run. This level of concern merits an assessment of organizational policies and practices to ensure that they’re up to date, practical, and address potential problem areas through clear, understandable processes.

Some thoughtful HR departments have developed strategic plans or action plans for addressing concerns while openly acknowledging the work they need to do. This can include collecting data through surveys and customer engagement and asking practical questions:

• Are employees able to access HR within the constraints of their working hours?
• Where can the recruitment process be improved?
• What changes would make HR more accessible and effective?

Consider an Outside Perspective

Sometimes, rebuilding trust requires more than internal adjustments. An independent expert can sometimes find issues that leaders are too entrenched to see clearly.

An external HR consultant can provide an objective assessment of organizational practices, identify gaps in policy implementation, and facilitate difficult conversations that may be challenging for internal staff to lead.

Outside support can also supplement HR capacity during periods of organizational change, leadership transition, or increased employee relations activity.

Rebuilding Trust in the Long Run

In my career, I’ve seen many excellent HR organizations, and a few not-so-good ones. The best HR teams earn trust through consistent, excellent service. Organizations that invest in clear communication, consistent leadership practices, supervisor development, and accessible HR support are better positioned to identify concerns early, strengthen employee confidence, and foster healthier workplaces.

I founded MRG in part because HR teams needed help. An under-resourced or inexperienced HR team can be a liability to the entire organization. But with dedicated support, skill-building, and an honest assessment of the challenges, any HR team can turn things around and start rebuilding trust among staff.