Dive Brief:

• At so-called simple organizations, 95% of employees are more likely to trust the leadership, according to a new Siegel+Gale survey. The branding firm polled 14,000 people in nine countries to understand the tie between "simple" organizations and employee engagement —  and how that link affects profitability.
• Siegel+Gale describes "simple" organizations as those that exhibit clear, top-down communication about the organization's purpose and business goals.
• The poll also found that respondents from "simple" companies said that being innovative is easy, that they were likely to refer job candidates to their company and that they intended to stay at their jobs longer.

Dive Insight:

"Simple" organizations may be best described as less bureaucratic than most. Clear communication is passed along from company leaders to employees quickly and more effectively when there are fewer barriers to obscure the message. 

Employers that value all workers' input and maintain an environment in which they can share their ideas at meetings and in other group settings without fear of being criticized are psychologically safe workplaces, another feature of "simple" organizations that the report identified.

Another recent Robert Half survey offered similar results: the biggest barriers to innovation are bureaucracy (30%) and getting bogged down by everyday tasks and constantly solving small dilemmas (27%). Employers that can streamline procedures and processes that frustrate workers and hinder job satisfaction will likely have a competitive edge in recruitment, hiring and retention.