It has long been claimed that a business’s greatest asset is its employees, and this may be truer than ever.

Edelman’s recent Trust Barometer, a global survey of more than 30,000 people, shows that confidence in employees of lower-medium seniority throughout an organisation rose from 34% to 50% (as reported by PR Week on 27 April 2012).

On the contrary, the survey indicates that the credibility of chief executive officers has crashed by 12 points, to 38%, compared to 2011.

Against the backdrop of issues being played out in the media, such as over-inflated bonuses and chief executive officers stepping down from high profile roles, it is perhaps not surprising that there has been a shift in people’s perception about how businesses are structured and the integrity of senior management.

This research suggests that organisations must place greater value on the importance of the wider workforce, rather than just paying lip-service to the notion. Focusing on senior management to portray the voice of an organisation may not have as much credibility as harnessing the support of employees’.

This will become a particularly important tool for internal communicators who must ensure that messages are communicated effectively around an organisation and ensure senior management is not viewed suspiciously as a distrusted ‘other’ entity.