Randstad-ifo survey reveals trust gaps in German companies

The Randstad-ifo HR survey for the third quarter of 2026 highlights significant disparities in trust levels between employees and management across different company sizes. According to the findings, only 20 percent of large corporations describe the relationship between staff and executives as open and trusting. In contrast, 53 percent of small businesses report similar levels of trust.

Economic pressure was cited by 44 percent of surveyed companies as a defining factor in employee-manager relations over the past twelve months. Expert Norman Gräter notes that a lack of psychological safety—where employees do not feel comfortable addressing problems or contradicting superiors—can pose a significant financial and operational risk to organizations.