Workplace trust—the confidence employees place in leadership, peers, and organizational systems—plays a critical role in laboratory management, safety culture, productivity, and employee engagement. When hiring processes lack transparency, when performance reviews feel biased, or when communication breaks down between managers and staff, organizational trust erodes, and team stability suffers. A new year-end analysis, the Trust Deficit report from LiveCareer, examines how confidence declined across hiring, feedback systems, peer relationships, and leadership during 2025. For lab managers, these findings highlight operational and cultural risks that can influence retention, performance outcomes, and day-to-day collaboration in laboratory environments.

Workplace trust in laboratory management: Hiring and onboarding risks

The report identifies the hiring stage as a primary point of failure in workplace trust. Survey findings show that “ghost jobs” and abrupt communication stoppages contributed to skepticism among candidates before employment even began.

• 45 percent of HR professionals report posting roles not intended to be filled
• 69 percent say they stop hiring communication without notifying applicants
• Nearly half say their organization has received complaints about the practice

Trust breakpoint: When job postings are not genuine, or communication disappears, candidates question whether employers are acting in good faith. In laboratory management contexts—where reliability, onboarding continuity, and role clarity are essential—damaged trust at this stage can weaken commitment and employee engagement from day one.

Workplace trust, performance reviews, and employee engagement

Inside organizations, the report shows that many workers distrust performance evaluations, particularly systems that rely on 360-degree peer feedback. Employees report concerns about bias, inaccuracy, and office politics influencing advancement decisions.

• 79 percent would opt out of 360-degree reviews
• 74 percent say the feedback they received was biased or inaccurate
• 48 percent believe the process amplifies workplace politics
• 79 percent suspect colleagues use reviews to settle grievances

Trust breakpoint: When evaluation systems appear political rather than merit-based, workers lose confidence in advancement pathways and in leadership credibility. In laboratory management, this may affect training participation, collaboration, and motivation to contribute to improvement initiatives, directly influencing employee engagement.

Peer relationships, gossip, and psychological safety

The report also finds that workplace gossip significantly undermines peer trust. Many employees experience recurring informal chatter that creates tension, confidentiality concerns, and hesitation to share information openly.

• 58 percent observe workplace gossip weekly
• Nearly one-third hear it daily
• 47 percent say gossip creates tension and distrust
• Nearly half do not trust coworkers with confidential information

Trust breakpoint: When gossip becomes normalized, psychological safety declines, collaboration suffers, and workers begin to question colleagues' intentions. In laboratory environments, this can limit knowledge sharing, reporting of concerns, and cross-team coordination.

Leadership credibility and trust between managers and staff

According to the report, the most significant workplace trust gaps emerge between employees and managers, driven by issues related to communication, accountability, and generational expectations.

• 40 percent of workers have left a job due to distrust in a manager
• More than half say they have felt misled by leadership
• One-quarter do not fully trust their manager to act in their best interests

Trust breakpoint: When leaders fail to communicate transparently or model fairness, turnover risk increases and engagement declines. In laboratory management settings, this can affect participation in safety programs, change initiatives, and team alignment.

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What this study means for lab managers

Across these findings, the pattern is consistent: workplace trust directly affects productivity, retention, culture, and employee engagement. For laboratory management leaders, strengthening trust requires transparent hiring communication, structured, evidence-based review practices, clear expectations for professional conduct, and visible accountability at all levels. As Jasmine Escalera explains, “Rebuilding it requires transparency, accountability, and intentional connection at every level of the workplace.” In laboratories—where precision, reliability, and teamwork drive outcomes—workplace trust is both a cultural priority and a management imperative.

This article was created with the assistance of Generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing.