In 2025, trust is no longer a soft leadership virtue, it’s a measurable driver of revenue, retention, and reputation. SparkEffect, a Seattle-based talent solutions firm with more than 40 years of experience, today released its 2025 Trust Research Report in collaboration with Dr. Aaron Delgaty, PhD. The study reveals a surprising outcome: organizations that handle disruption very well earn higher employee trust than those that experience no disruption at all, creating what SparkEffect has coined the “trust dividend™.” 

The study surveyed employees across industries including technology, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and education, representing organizations from fewer than 100 employees to more than 5,000. High-trust organizations reported 97% confidence in financial performance compared to just 46% for low-trust organizations — a 51-point gap with direct implications for retention, customer advocacy, and market reputation. 

“Trust isn’t a soft metric anymore — it’s a structural competitive advantage,” said Kim Bohr, President & COO at SparkEffect. “Our research shows that when organizations treat trust as a business strategy during disruption, they don’t just protect morale — they outperform peers who faced no disruption at all.” 

Key Findings 

• Disruption is the norm: 71% of employees reported significant workplace disruption in the past 24 months. 
• Crisis creates opportunity: Well-handled disruptions scored 11.23 on SparkEffect’s Trust Elasticity™ measure, compared to just 5.61 for poorly handled responses. 
• Manager trust is fragile: Employees trust direct managers more than organizational leadership, but manager trust takes the steepest hit during crises. 

“Organizations that win will treat trust as a measurable, manageable business asset and equip leaders at every level to turn turbulence into competitive advantage,” said Dr. Delgaty. 

The research also introduces the Trust Performance Index™, SparkEffect’s framework for measuring trust across five domains: Strategic Clarity, Psychological Safety, Relational Continuity & Cultural Belonging, Technology & Systems Trust, and Fairness & Change Impact Perception. 

“For our clients, this research confirms what we’ve seen for years — trust is not a side effect of good leadership, it’s the engine of organizational performance,” said Kim Bohr, President of SparkEffect. “By equipping leaders with the tools to communicate clearly, act with fairness, and lead through disruption, organizations don’t just protect their culture — they strengthen it.” 

SparkEffect has translated the findings into practical field guides and organizational playbooks, giving leaders actionable frameworks for strengthening trust systematically across their organizations. 

For HR and business leaders facing layoffs, leadership transitions, or cultural shifts, the research underscores a critical takeaway: trust is measurable, manageable, and decisive for performance. 

The complete 2025 Trust Research Report is available for download at https://info.sparkeffect.com/trust-study-2025-download. Supplemental field guides will be made available after download. SparkEffect is offering complimentary trust strategy consultations for HR executives through October 2025.