Trust & Truth

Trust is about saying the things that need to be said, and no more.

I am responsible for the sourcing, recruiting, contract negotiation, and overall management of numerous global employees from senior vice president down to assistant manager-level at our corporate office and across our overseas project sites.

Each of those stages is its own page, and if you want to turn a page over and progress to the next one, you need every stakeholder to be on the same page.

Since every position and employee requires their own unique touch, trust needs to be at the core of each relationship and every interaction if you hope to keep everyone aligned on a specific issue.

For example, every recruitment or any issue brought up by a global staff is a balance of sharing enough information with each relevant party and identifying key facts.

If I try to completely avoid talking about something with a candidate or employee, that is evidence of a lack of trust. It also means I am not saying something to my team leader or a supporting function or the department the position will be recruited into or works for.

Anything left unsaid is a potenial surprise. Surprises are violent, like page tears.

Establishing trust is acting in truth - in the Greek sense of the word, in unconcealment - since it exposes whatever *needs* to be laid bare. Sometimes it isn't pretty. Sometimes it isn't clear. But if it's out in the open, it can be handled.

If things are carried out in the open it is easier to spot insurmountable rifts or gaps. When these are spotted goodbyes can quickly be exchanged and no one is the worse for it; in fact it's at those times when the departing party is most appreciative.

They're almost as appreciative as candidates that both end up being a perfect fit for the role and like the package on offer.

In both cases they're happy that you trusted them enough to be truthful with them and didn't waste their time. The other stakeholders typically see things the same too.

Every potential recruit and every employee deserves to be told the truth. You get to the truth through trust. And it's not just good for you and them though. Since it saves time and money, trusting new recruits and employees is simply good business.