As public trust ebbs, workers turn to employers for info and assurances

Edelman SVP Jonathan Jordan taps polling data to explain how communicators can deliver reality to fact-starved internal and external audiences—and look toward the ‘next normal.’

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As COVID-19 surges and people’s trust in government entities wanes, employees are seeking reliable information and guidance from their organizations.

Jonathan Jordan, Edelman’s senior vice president for employee experience and business transformation, cited Edelman Trust Barometer statistics to offer keen insights on business life amid the pandemic.

In his keynote address April 22 for Ragan’s Best Practices in Internal Communications & Culture Virtual Summit, Jordan stressed the vital importance for organizations to deliver information and a sense of security to employees in these difficult times.

Despite gaps in trust these days, employers count on their companies to be straight with them and look after their best interests, Jordan said. Externally, consumers want companies looking after their workers, too. That translates to protecting customers.

Disparate trust realities exist today, Jordan said. The informed public is, on average, 14 percentage points more likely than the mass populace to trust NGOs, business sources, the government, and media outlets for reliable information.

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