Nearly all US job seekers believe honesty is important in the workplace, according to an Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey released Sept. 11. According to the poll, 96% say it’s at least somewhat important that they can be honest with new managers, while 36% believe open communication is absolutely essential.

Hiring managers agree, citing several benefits of employee honesty:

• Increased morale, 58%
• Improved productivity, 53%
• Fewer conflicts and disagreements, 45%
• More accountability, 45%
• Greater employee loyalty, 41%

While 36% of job seekers believe open communication is absolutely essential, 69% agree that employees should feel comfortable discussing personal issues with their manager if it impacts their daily work.    

The survey also found that 89% of job seekers feel fostering an honest work environment is crucial for a company’s success, while 87% believe that employee-manager honesty is vital for a productive workforce. Hiring managers echoed these sentiments, with 90% saying employees who feel they can be honest with leaders are more loyal.

Despite 45% of hiring managers noting fewer conflicts, more accountability and decreased employee turnover when employees are honest, 82% of job seekers believe they would be more loyal to a company if they could be candid with their manager. However, when employees do not speak openly, hiring managers believe employee morale decreases, employee turnover increases, productivity decreases and employee burnout increases.

While three in five hiring managers think employees’ ability to be honest with them is absolutely essential to their ability to be good managers, 95% feel employees can speak honestly with anyone at the company regarding their concerns/issues, primarily managers/supervisors and/or peers/colleagues.

In a recent article in Staffing Industry Review, Clinity Talent CEO Robert Palermo discusses how maintaining honesty with candidates is the ultimate staffing strategy.