London, 12 November 2020

Based on a study of 300 of the country’s largest listed companies, business leaders’ claim that their most significant learning from the pandemic is ‘having the culture and capacity to adapt/pivot’ and ‘putting people first'. However most employees in the UK and US don’t agree that businesses are putting people first, according to the latest study on trust and COVID-19 released by Echo Research today.

Echo conducted an integrated study of stakeholder interviews, consumer polls and social listening to better frame and understand changes to Trust and Expectations at a time of COVID-19.  

Asked about their greatest learnings from COVID, business leaders said: 

“The value of culture.  So many companies were stuck in the mud / unable to operate at pace due to their culture. Others were able to operate at pace to protect the company and jobs.” Director, business services group

“Inspirational leadership and a strong culture for inclusion and flexibility and trusting our people.  Resilience and passion of our frontline workers.” CHRO, top 50 global company

One Board Member of a leading outsourcing company summed up: “[COVID made us realize] just how important key workers are to the physical and economic health of our nation.”

Although companies have put culture as the number one learning from the pandemic, most people disagree that employers are thinking of people more – just under half at 48%  in the US feel that that employers are thinking of people more, while only 36% in the UK feel that way.