Large German companies report lower levels of trust in leadership

According to the Randstad ifo-HR survey for the third quarter of 2026, there is a significant disparity in trust between employees and management based on company size. While 53% of small businesses describe the relationship between employees and leaders as open and trusting, only 20% of large corporations report the same.

In large enterprises, the relationship is more frequently characterized as friendly (44%) or objective (29%). Although 68% of all surveyed companies perceive their management culture as familial, team-oriented, and cooperative, experts warn that friendliness does not equate to trust. Verena Menne, Human Resources Director DACH at Randstad, noted that without sufficient trust, employees may hesitate to ask uncomfortable questions, potentially causing critical information to be lost within hierarchical layers.

Across all industries and sizes, 43% of companies describe the relationship as open and trusting, 37% as friendly, 16% as objective, and 4% as distant and hierarchical. Economic pressure was cited as a defining theme for 44% of surveyed companies over the past twelve months.