The Trust Deficit report, a new end-of-year analysis from online resume builder LiveCareer, reveals that 2025 was marked by a profound breakdown in workplace confidence.
From job searches clouded by ghost jobs to biased performance reviews and strained relationships with managers and peers, trust weakened across nearly every layer of the modern workplace.
Trust erodes before day one: Hiring practices fuel skepticism
The job search itself became a central source of distrust. LiveCareer’s Ghost Jobs report, which surveyed more than 900 HR professionals, uncovered widespread use of job postings that were never meant to be filled, signaling a credibility crisis in the hiring process.
- 45% of HR professionals admit to posting ghost jobs regularly.
- 69% say they say they frequently close job searches and stop responding to candidates without notice.
- Nearly half (47%) say their company has received complaints about the practice.
Trust Break Point: When job postings aren’t real or communication abruptly stops, job seekers question whether employers are acting in good faith from the start. The result is a hiring ecosystem defined by doubt rather than opportunity.
Performance reviews lose credibility as feedback feels biased and political
Once inside the organization, the trust deficit deepens. LiveCareer’s 360-Degree Reviews report exposes how many workers view performance evaluations that incorporate 360-degree feedback as biased, inaccurate, and tangled in office politics, ultimately undermining confidence in advancement systems.
- 79% of employees would opt out of 360-degree performance reviews if they could.
- 74% say they’ve received feedback that was unfair, biased, or inaccurate.
- 48% believe the process amplifies office politics.
- 79% suspect colleagues use feedback to settle personal grudges.
Trust Break 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 gossip undermines workplace culture
Even peer relationships were marked by distrust in 2025. Findings from LiveCareer’s Workplace Gossip report reveal that harmful office chatter runs rampant in the workplace and the impact is deeply damaging.
- 58% of employees witness gossip weekly; nearly one-third (31%) hear it daily.
- 47% say gossip creates tension and distrust.
- 43% have been the subject of workplace gossip themselves.
- Nearly half (47%) do not trust anyone at work with confidential information.
Trust Break Point: When gossip becomes routine, psychological safety evaporates. Employees begin questioning coworker intentions, damaging 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 highlights a widening confidence gap fueled by poor communication, lack of accountability, and generational disconnects.
- 40% of workers have quit a job due to distrust in their manager.
- 53% say they have felt misled or lied to by a manager.
- 25% do not fully trust their manager to act in their best interests.
- 40% believe Gen Z is the generation most likely to raise concerns when they disagree with leadership.
Trust Break 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
Across hiring, leadership, performance systems, and peer relationships, the message is consistent: workers are increasingly unsure who or what to trust. This erosion of confidence creates ripple effects that extend far beyond morale and extends to productivity, retention, engagement, and organizational culture.
“2025 exposed the cracks in how organizations communicate, evaluate, and support their employees,” said Jasmine Escalera, career expert for LiveCareer. “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.”
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.
Photo credit: cagkansayin/iStock
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