Company Culture, Employee Engagement , Employee Trust
As we navigate the evolving landscape of Canadian workplace culture the insights emerging from employee feedback offer a compelling roadmap for organizational success. Amid broader employee experience trends in 2025 such as embracing AI and prioritizing personalized well-being, the voices of workers affirm for us that trust is what underscores a great work environment.
What often stumps people is understanding how trust shows up for people. What is it that leaders can do to gain trust and be seen as trustworthy?
The answer is as simple as it complex because trust is woven into every daily interaction and it’s built on many moments. So there isn’t one thing, or a list of things, you must do to build trust, it’s more about showing up consistently, fairly and transparently over time, every time. These elements work together to improve trust, enrich the employee experience and create a great Canadian workplace culture.
What 125,000 Employees Told Us
We know this because people tell us what is important to them. Drawing from the insights provided by employees at the Best Workplaces™ by Region three key findings stand out:
- Workplaces with strong trust foundations achieve 15% higher engagement and twice more pride in purpose (Average Pride score – 89%).
- Fairness and inclusion consistently drive performance across all regions (Average Inclusion score – 93%).
- Employee feedback directly influences how satisfied people are with leadership transparency and the quality of their decision making. (Average Leadership score – 89%).
These revelations, grounded in the experiences of these 125,000 workers, and replicated across millions of voices in our years of research with the Great Place To Work Institute, highlight how trust, inclusion, and transparency are shaping Canada’s best and most resilient workplaces. Let’s explore how these perspectives help define a great Canadian workplace culture and learn how you can build trust and create a stronger culture within your organization.
Consider the impact of trust. What are the benefits of building a high-trust workplace?
High-trust cultures help employees thrive, which fuels company performance in all areas — from referrals and retention to productivity and revenue. Our 30 years of research about company culture has told us that it’s impossible to create a great workplace for all employees without trust, especially as new business challenges emerge, whether it’s remote work, AI, or economic uncertainty.
If you recall from earlier, trust isn’t created by one thing, rather it’s built moment after moment, time after time. It’s also built person by person. Leaders impact 70% of the employee experience with the other 30% coming from our teammates. This means everyone, whether a people leader or not, needs to understand the importance of trust and do their part to create a great Canadian workplace culture.
Tips for Strengthening Trust
1. Listen well.
Encourage active listening where people set aside their own internal dialogue and instead focus solely on what the other person is saying. Put away distractions like phones during conversations. Ask clarifying questions before responding. True listening requires humility, vulnerability, and empathy. This change of intention signals respect and fosters open dialogue which strengthens team cohesion.
2. Consider a “trust buddy” program.
Pair cross-team members for monthly check-ins where they discuss wins and challenges and share struggles they may be having from burnout to anxiety with new AI tools. The more inter-department trust you build, the more trust permeates the culture as a whole.
3. Follow Through on Commitments.
Reliability and consistency are trust cornerstones. Whether it’s meeting a deadline or responding to an email, deliver on what you promise. If something delays you, let the person know as soon as possible and be transparent about what happened. This reassures people that their needs are important to you and it shows you hold yourself accountable for reinforcing trust within the organization.
Fairness and inclusion drive performance. How does inclusion improve employee engagement?
Across Canada’s diverse regions, from BC’s technology hubs, to Alberta’s energy sector to Ontario and Quebec’s manufacturing sector, employees rank fairness and inclusion as key to their overall workplace satisfaction and engagement. Given the diverse needs of these Canadian teams particularly amid evolving employee experience trends in 2025, inclusive practices ensure every voice is heard and valued which drives performance and builds belonging across all levels.
Your commitment to inclusion plays a significant role in overall well-being too, as it unabashedly announces that everyone has value, everyone can be themselves without compromise, and that opportunities for growth and recognition are available for all. Inclusive practices reinforce the trust you’ve built and they allow people to connect with their work instead of connecting with HR because they feel unseen or unappreciated.
Tips for Strengthening Inclusion
1. Amplify Underrepresented Voices. Make it a habit to invite input from quieter team members or those from different backgrounds. Ask, “Does anyone have a perspective we haven’t heard yet?” Support a colleague’s idea by saying, “I think Cory’s suggestion could work, let’s explore it.” Soliciting ideas from people and acting as an ally help to generate trust and, if modeled consistently, will encourage even the quietest team member to contribute.
2. Share Different Perspectives. Encourage people to share their backgrounds and experiences and how these influence the person they are today and even the decisions they make. Opening up like this shows vulnerability and encourages a more inclusive environment where everyone feels seen. You can further leverage your differences through mentorship by pairing employees from different backgrounds to reinforce an inclusive approach.
3. Participate in Inclusion Initiatives. Recognize diverse holidays or cultural celebrations with brief acknowledgments in the monthly newsletter or as an excuse for an office social. Highlighting events such as Diwali or Indigenous Peoples’ Day shows respect for cultural identities while strengthening workplace inclusivity. Participate in, or lead, diversity events, training sessions, panels or workshops to help weave inclusivity into the fabric of daily work.
Employee Input and Engagement. How can companies measure employee engagement
and belonging?
Transparency and employee input are powerful drivers of engagement. Transparency builds trust by clarifying decision-making. Encouraging employee input empowers employees by signaling that their voice is valued. Both foster a sense of connection and commitment which are key to a great Canadian workplace culture. Indeed, employees in high trust environments look forward to work when they see their input is actually shaping outcomes.
When you include people and actively solicit their ideas you demystify the decision-making process and help them understand the "why" behind organizational actions. This openness reduces uncertainty and builds a sense of belonging as employees feel part of the bigger picture. The combination creates a positive loop where transparency invites input, input refines transparency, and both fuel a committed, engaged workforce.
Tips for Measuring and Improving Engagement
1. Conduct Pulse Surveys. Use short, monthly pulse surveys to ask questions related to leadership and transparency like how well managers keeps people informed of important issues and changes, or how well they deliver on promises. Analyze trends to identify areas where transparency contributes to, or undermines, engagement.
2. Adopt a Learning Mindset. Think about who you haven’t heard from lately and then go ask them questions with a learning mindset. Schedule informal meetings like brown-bag lunches and Q&A sessions. Use surveys and focus groups to regularly elicit employee opinions and then follow up with feedback and action. Not only might you be surprised by what you learn, but this kind of listening builds deeps connections between people and their role in the organization.
3. Speak with Purpose and Transparency. Speaking is more than what you say and who you say it to, it is how you share information. The goal is to engage people with your message and tailor it to their needs and experience. Speak to every warehouse worker, every receptionist, every salesperson, every executive, every teammate in a way that they feel that doing their job is important for the organization to achieve its purpose.
Best Workplaces™ by Region
Across Canada, organizations are shaping strong workplace cultures rooted in trust, inclusion, and transparency. These companies stand out for creating exceptional employee experiences within their regions — proving that great workplaces exist in every corner of the country.
Trust, as a cornerstone of Canadian workplace culture ensures that engagement and performance follow. And trust relies on everyone within the organization to do their part to be consistently inclusive, open, and transparent.
It asks that people engage others respectfully and with a genuine desire to learn from one another. It thrives when people from across the organization work together to use their collective voices to turn insights in action.
Ultimately it fosters an environment where employees thrive and business excels. 125,000 voices can’t be wrong – now is the time to make your Canadian workplace culture great!
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