Blogs & News

What’s soft and mushy on the outside, but competitive and profitable on the inside? It’s a company that ranks highly on the annual Great Place To Work survey.  “It’s not some fluffy, nice-to-have concept,” said Paul Rellis, CEO of Microsoft Ireland. “It is really good for our business.”

“There is nothing soft or flabby about the best workplaces. They are incredibly well managed businesses,” said Bob Lee, EMEA Communications Director of Great Place To Work (GPTW).

Trust is an increasingly scarce commodity in the business world, and now more than ever, leaders who develop high-trust relationships within their organisations outshine the competition, according to GPTW co-founder Amy Lyman in her new book, 'The Trustworthy Leader'.

Amy was interviewed on Newstalk 106's Breakfast Show on 22nd March 2012 before delivering the closing keynote at our recent Great Workplace conference. 

To many, it comes as no surprise that great workplaces often are also great innovators. When we consider the likes of Google, Microsoft, W.L. Gore, Intel, and the other 96 companies on our 100 Best Companies to Work For list, it seems like these companies are just better at everything.

At Great Place to Work®, we were interested in understanding if there is a real link between being a great workplace and a great innovator. Our research into the Best Companies to Work For revealed three distinct areas where great workplaces put extraordinary focus that helps sustain a culture where innovation can thrive: Communication, Coordination, and Collaboration.

The 2012 Great Place to Work Conference was my first chance to attend the event and my expectations were overwhlemingly exceeded. I walked away energized by speakers and attendees alike, and with newfound knowledge in my pocket. Both keynotes and breakout sessions contained a wealth of information and myriad tips on how companies have successfully improved their workplace cultures- including practical advice that we can;t wait to share with you over the next few weeks!

Great Workplaces will become the norm in coming years as the tipping point gets ever-closer, according to Robert Levering, Great Place to Work (GPTW) Co-founder.

Robert gave the opening keynote on the second day of our Atlanta Conference, in which he reflected on the first twenty years of GPTW. In doing so, he shared his belief that by 2032 – twenty years from now – great workplaces will be prevalent and fully mainstream.

The most remarkable thing about the Great Place to Work Conference is the shared aspiration of the leaders assembled there.  They all want to create great workplaces.  Sure, the conversation may focus on increasing employee engagement, or understanding how workplace trust impacts financial returns, or how a different emphasis and approach to employee wellness, diversity, career pathing, etc, impact the employee experience. 

Last week, I was privileged to be a guest at Accenture’s International Women’s Day Conference in San Francisco.  First I need to acknowledge what an awesome practice the Conference itself is.  From my hosts, I learned that some 12,000 Accenture employees from around the world, take a full day off, to reflect on that state of women in the workplace and candidly share advice and ideas to help new and seasoned female professionals meet their career and personal goals. 

Great Place to Work® is celebrating 20 years of building a better society by helping companies transform their workplaces.

When you talk to people about Google (one of Ireland’s Best Large Workplaces 2012) the conversation will usually turn to their unique office environment complete with bean bags. But what many people don’t realise is the role that this office environment plays in the success of this organisation.