Building Trust by Design: 5 Key Workplace Behaviors

Trust is foundational to high-performing teams. But trust doesn’t happen by default — it happens by design, said Steph Llano, a consultant at The Perk, a leadership and culture development firm in Madison, Wis.  

“Building trust is teachable, and trust issues at work can be fixed,” Llano told attendees March 25 at SHRM Talent 2025 in Nashville.  

She said that establishing trust affects the bottom line more than anything else in the organization. “Strong workplace cultures are built on a foundation of three things: trust, communication, and alignment,” she said. “And we have found that most of the time, problems go back to a lack of trust. If there is an issue with collaboration or communication, or not hitting the team’s goals, you can usually point back to trust as to why that is happening. On the other hand, teams with high trust are more productive and engaged.” 

Llano outlined the behaviors that build trust among teams and workplaces. “Through the five core trust behaviors — connect, create safety, commit, be clear, and celebrate — you’ll optimize workforce resources, align talent strategies with business goals, and strengthen organizational resilience,” she said.   

Connect

“We trust people we feel connected to,” Llano said. “At its core, trust is about relationships built through genuine, meaningful connections. When I feel seen, heard, and valued, that’s when I trust.”  

She advised managers to have meaningful conversations with their teams. She recommended eliminating distractions when talking to people, practicing curiosity, and listening to understand, not just to respond.  

One-on-one interactions such as scheduled check-ins can help build trust, she said. Video or audio messages are a good way to develop connections with remote workers. 

Create Safety

People trust people they feel emotionally and psychologically safe with, Llano said. “When we feel safe, we speak up, we admit our mistakes, ask for help, share ideas, and get to be ourselves. We’re more apt to give our all to a company when the culture is safe,” she explained. 

Llano recommended that leaders model safety by being vulnerable and assuming positive intent. “Assume that people are kind, fair, and trying their best,” she said. “This can be a mindset or cultural shift.”   

Commit

Do what you say you are going to do. “One of the fastest ways to destroy trust is to make commitments that you can’t keep,” Llano said. “Commit to something and follow through with it. If you determine that you can’t get something done, communicate it to your team, rather than let it slip through the cracks.” She also reminded attendees not to set unrealistic expectations for themselves.  

Be Clear

People who are clear and consistent with their words, intentions, and actions are trusted. On the other hand, ambiguity and confusion lead to distrust, Llano said. “Time is wasted when people are not clear about what they are working on, and who owns what,” she noted. “Expectations, priorities, roles, and responsibilities must be communicated clearly. Establish behavioral norms. A clear vision and purpose will build trust.” 

SHRM Members-Only Toolkit: Managing Employee Recognition Programs

Celebrate

Publicly recognize and appreciate your team’s work. “Celebrate your people,” Llano said. “It can be small things, but be specific and share the behavior that you are recognizing, so they can repeat that.” 

She encouraged attendees to not wait for an end goal to be hit before providing recognition, and instead to celebrate the steps along the way. It’s also important early on to ask your team members how they like to be recognized, she said.