If you work in HR, you’ve probably heard the half-joking comments “Oh, careful, HR is listening”. Like no other function, HR has an odd reputation in many organizations. HR is often most visible when something has gone wrong: a policy breach, a restructuring, a performance issue, or a compliance requirement. Over time, this has shaped a perception of HR as the “corporate enforcer,” rather than a trusted partner in the employee experience. And for some employees, the People function is still viewed as reactive, procedural, or even disconnected from the realities of day-to-day work.
This disconnect is not accidental, nor is it solely the fault of HR professionals. The function has spent decades being asked to balance competing mandates. The corporate version of “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” so to speak. Protect the organization, ensure compliance, support leaders, and advocate for employees, often simultaneously, and often with limited influence over the broader system. The result, in many organizations, is a lack of clarity of the function’s mission. And that leads to a trust gap.
If you’re in that situation, rebuilding that trust is one of your most important (and most challenging) priorities.
Acknowledging the Disconnect
Trust cannot be rebuilt without first naming what employees already feel. Research from Edelman’s Trust Barometer consistently shows that employees expect HR to be fair, transparent, and empathetic, yet often experience it as opaque and risk-averse. Gallup data reinforces this, linking low trust in leadership and systems to reduced engagement, higher turnover, and weaker performance outcomes.
In my own experience, employee feedback – whether through engagement surveys, listening sessions, or informal conversations – often points to the same themes: decisions feel pre-determined, communication feels incomplete, and HR feels distant from the lived experience of the workforce. Ignoring this feedback, or defending legacy practices, only deepens skepticism.
Acknowledgment is not an admission of failure; it is a signal of credibility. When HR leaders openly recognize where processes have become overly bureaucratic or disconnected from purpose, it creates space conversations around improvement rather than justification.
The Rise of Employee Experience as a Strategic Lever
The growing focus on Employee Experience (EX) represents a meaningful shift in how organizations think about people strategy. Research by Deloitte and MIT Sloan has shown that organizations that intentionally design EX (focussing on moments that matter such as onboarding, development, performance, and transitions) outperform peers on engagement, productivity, and retention.
However, EX is not about perks, platforms, or pulse surveys alone. It is about coherence and whether what an organization says aligns with what it does. Policies, leadership behaviors, reward systems, and decision-making processes all contribute to that assessment.
I have seen trust increase not because HR introduced a new program, but because it simplified a process, explained the rationale behind a difficult decision, or involved employees earlier in shaping change. EX becomes strategic when HR moves upstream where it partners with leaders before decisions are finalized, rather than communicating after the fact.
Transparency, Accountability, and Empathy as Trust Builders
Three capabilities consistently differentiate trusted People functions from transactional ones: transparency, accountability, and empathy.
Transparency means explaining not just what decisions are made, but why. Even when outcomes are unpopular, employees are more likely to trust a process they understand. Research published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior shows that perceived procedural fairness significantly mitigates negative reactions to adverse outcomes.
Accountability requires HR to hold itself – and leaders – responsible for lived behaviors, not just stated values. When leaders are coached, challenged, and supported to align actions with commitments, HR’s credibility increases. When misalignment is ignored, trust erodes quickly.
Empathy is often discussed, but less often operationalized. It shows up in how policies are applied, how conversations are handled, and whether people feel heard … even when the answer cannot be “yes.” In periods of organizational change, I have seen empathetic communication make the difference between resistance and resilience.
The Modern Face of HR: Visible, Vocal, Values-Driven
The “modern” People function is not hidden behind policy manuals or email inboxes. It is visible in the business, vocal about values, and willing to engage in uncomfortable conversations. It partners closely with leaders while maintaining an independent point of view rooted in fairness and long-term organizational health.
This version of HR understands that trust is not built through perfection, but through consistency and authenticity. It listens more than it speaks, explains more than it defends, and acts with intention rather than habit.
Rebuilding trust in the People function is not a branding exercise. It is a sustained leadership effort; one that requires courage, self-reflection, and a willingness to evolve. When done well, HR becomes not just a support function, but a stabilizing force and a source of confidence for employees navigating complexity and change.
Trust, once rebuilt, becomes a powerful asset. And the organizations that invest in it through a modern, human-centered People function are better positioned to perform, adapt, and endure.
If rebuilding trust in HR is on your radar, we can help. Book a call with our team to explore what a more human, purpose-driven People function could look like in your organization.
Meet The Author
Marcel Badertscher is a Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE) with a background in cultural transformation, talent development, and organizational effectiveness across multiple sectors. He has supported both large and small organizations in financial services, education, public service, and healthcare sectors. He uses his experience in driving engagement, reducing turnover, and aligning people strategies with business objectives to enable organizations achieve their strategic priorities.