Trust Deficit Report: How Broken Confidence Defined the 2025 Workplace

The Trust Deficit Report, a new end-of-year analysis from LiveCareer, highlights a profound breakdown in workplace confidence in 2025. Issues such as job searches affected by ghost jobs, biased performance reviews, and strained relationships with managers and colleagues contributed to a loss of trust at nearly every level of the modern workplace.

Trust Erodes Before Day One: Hiring Practices Fuel Skepticism

The job search process became a major source of distrust in 2025. LiveCareer’s Ghost Jobs Report, which surveyed more than 900 HR professionals, revealed the widespread practice of posting job listings that were never intended to be filled, indicating a credibility crisis within the hiring process.

Some key ghost jobs statistics LiveCareer uncovered include:

45% of HR professionals admitted to posting ghost jobs regularly.
69% reported that they often close job searches and stop responding to candidates without notice.
Nearly half (47%) mentioned their company has received complaints about the practice.

Trust breaking point: When job postings aren’t real, or communication stops abruptly, job seekers question whether employers are acting in good faith. The result is a hiring ecosystem defined by doubt rather than opportunity.

Performance Reviews Lose Credibility as Feedback Feels Biased and Political

Inside the organization, the trust deficit deepens. LiveCareer’s 360-Degree Reviews Report found that many workers regarded performance evaluations incorporating 360-degree feedback as biased, inaccurate, and influenced by office politics, ultimately undermining confidence in advancement systems.

According to the report:

79% of employees said they would opt out of 360-degree performance reviews if they could.
74% reported receiving feedback that was unfair, biased, or inaccurate.
48% said they believe the process amplifies office politics.
79% shared suspicions that colleagues use feedback to settle personal grudges.

Trust breaking point: When performance reviews become a political arena instead of a fair assessment tool, workers lose confidence that career advancement is based on merit. The fallout harms motivation, morale, and employee engagement.

Colleagues Lose Faith in One Another as Workplace Gossip Undermines Culture

Even peer relationships were marked by distrust in 2025. Findings from LiveCareer’s Workplace Gossip Report revealed that harmful office chatter runs rampant in the workplace. The impact can be deeply damaging, as the following data shows:

58% of employees witnessed gossip weekly; nearly one-third (31%) encountered it daily.
47% said gossip creates tension and distrust.
43% shared they’ve been the subject of gossip in the workplace themselves.
Nearly half (47%) said they don’t trust anyone at work with confidential information.

Trust breaking point: When gossip becomes routine, psychological safety evaporates. Employees begin questioning coworkers’ intentions, which damages collaboration and day-to-day morale.

The Trust Crisis Peaks at the Top: Broken Confidence in Leadership

The most consequential trust fractures occurred between employees and their managers. The Generational Workplace Trust Report highlighted a widening confidence gap fueled by poor communication, lack of accountability, and generational disconnects.

Survey findings showed the following:

40% of workers mentioned they’ve quit a job due to distrust in their manager.
53% have felt misled or lied to by a manager.
25% said they don’t fully trust their manager to act in their best interests.
40% said they believe Gen Z is the generation most likely to raise concerns when they disagree with leadership.

Trust breaking point: When managers fail to communicate honestly, demonstrate fairness, or take accountability, employee confidence erodes. The outcome is higher turnover, strained relationships, and deeper generational tension across teams.

A Workplace Defined by Doubt: The Year Trust Broke Down

These statistics on trust in the workplace show that 2025 was a challenging year. It exposed the cracks in how organizations communicate, evaluate, and support their employees. When people doubt the honesty of hiring teams, question the fairness of feedback, or feel unsupported by managers, trust deteriorates quickly. Rebuilding it requires transparency, accountability, and intentional connection at every level of the workplace.

Across hiring, leadership, performance systems, and peer relationships, the message is consistent: Employee trust issues are pervasive, with many unsure in whom or what to place their faith. This erosion of confidence creates ripple effects that extend far beyond morale, affecting productivity, retention, engagement, and organizational culture.

For press inquiries, contact Elizabeth Buccianti, senior manager of public relations, at elizabeth.buccianti@bold.com.

Methodology

The Trust Deficit Report draws from four LiveCareer studies conducted throughout 2025, surveying between 918 and 1,006 U.S. workers or HR professionals on hiring transparency, leadership trust, feedback systems, and coworker relationships. Surveys included yes/no questions, open-ended responses, multiple-choice formats, and agreement scale items to capture national perceptions of workplace trust.

About LiveCareer

LiveCareer's online Resume Builder is designed to empower its users to get better jobs and improve their job search. A one-stop shop among AI resume builder tools, LiveCareer features cutting-edge resume templates, a powerful cover letter builder, and extensive free career resources to support job candidates in reaching their professional goals. Trusted by over 10 million users around the world, LiveCareer has been publishing expert advice from Certified Professional Resume Writers since 2005. LiveCareer’s career tips have been featured in renowned media outlets, including Bloomberg, Forbes, and Newsweek. Stay connected with LiveCareer's latest updates to improve your job search on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.