Employee engagement and retention have been top of mind for leaders in recent years, particularly as the pandemic shifted where and when work is performed. With the ever-changing job market, retaining employees and maintaining high engagement is becoming more and more challenging. A leading multinational consumer packaged goods company with $50 billion in annual revenue experienced incredible success with year-over-year growth in revenue and was looking to stay ahead by identifying patterns of overwork and burnout after noticing early warning signs. In order to address this issue and ensure its workforce goals were tied to its business strategy, the organization increased its focus on leveraging employee networks to improve ways of working and ultimately drive innovation.

McChrystal Group Senior Advisor Robert Hastings brings with him a background of more than 40 years in communications spanning the military, government, industry, and non-profit sectors. Hastings is a former Principal Deputy/Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, appointed by President George W. Bush to lead all Department of Defense communications and public information programs, and was most recently chief marketing & communications officer for Bell Textron Inc. In the following Q&A, Hastings discusses his progression through the various roles and titles he has held and how he leads teams to embrace a culture of innovation and risk-taking.

The battle for employee trust comes at a time when trust and organizational performance are more closely related than ever. A 2022 study by Trust Across America found that trustworthy companies generated significantly more revenue than less trustworthy companies; in some cases, trustworthy companies made 47 percent more than their competitors who were deemed less trustworthy. The case is clear: Developing trust is good for the bottom line and engagement throughout your organization. From employee recruitment and retention to developing an inclusive environment, trust is a vital ingredient for individual and organizational success. The concept of building trust has been the subject of numerous books and the pursuit of countless executives.