Last week I participated in a webinar related to how to foster trust in the workplace. One of the key points conveyed during the presentation was that whenever a company is trying to direct its culture and values, giving employees a say throughout the process will help them feel more invested in the company.

TVG currently works with one of its clients to better understand the employee conversations taking place within their marketplace, and uses social media methods to capture feedback on relevant topics from these employee audiences. After identifying the “influencers” in the client’s employee population, TVG set up an online discussion group to bring employees together to discuss or “Jam”—transparently and openly–on the organization’s values, and existing company practices and policies. Each week employees can respond to the posted question, or the comments left by others, providing invaluable data useful in establishing the company’s employment branding built upon the company’s values.

Providing an open discussion forum such as the one detailed above, helps establish trust with employees because company leaders are seeking opinions and ideas from all members of the organization.

How are you encouraging dialogue between employees and your company about your values? Is it helping to foster trust with employees when company leaders seek to engage employees in strengthening company values?