Blogs & News

Owners have a lot on their plate, so why add being a great workplace? Amidst the hundreds of decisions and discussions demanding attention daily, it seems natural that an owner's focus would fall solely on keeping the lights on, and not employees' experiences. Yet even in today's economic uncertainty, many owners still make it a priority.

Holding employees accountable to their assigned tasks without micromanaging is a classic workplace dilemma that can be difficult to navigate. The leaders of some of the best workplaces have turned the challenge on its head by building environments where people actually seek accountability and act as owners of the business, in turn eliminating the need for you to hover over them.

I was recently talking with a colleague about the ethical and moral choices that people need to make at work and the increased attention that many workplaces are paying to questions of culture and values in their hiring decisions. Our conversation prompted me to look through the materials collected at the Great Place to Work Institute as part of the Best Companies selection process, specifically the Culture Audit data on hiring practices, and the employee survey data about the welcoming of new hires.

Creating and sustaining a great workplace culture takes work. As much as we might wish there was, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, there are steps that organisations can take to understand and define their unique cultures.

We are delighted to announce that, with immediate effect, we will be partnering with The Irish Times in publishing our annual Best Workplaces publication.

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The Irish Times believe in social change and innovation and in setting the gold standard in rigorous and objective reporting, as do we for defining great workplaces for business, academia and government.

A key strength of The Irish Times lies with the particular composition of its readership comprising an exceptionally high ratio of business and professional reader.

The Irish Times has earned an international reputation as Ireland's quality daily newspaper. News reporting from throughout Ireland is accompanied by reports from a comprehensive network of foreign correspondents, as well as sports and business coverage, features and arts sections, lifestyle, jobs and property. Each issue contains well-informed background analysis and assessment of the events of the day, and diversity of debate in the daily opinion columns.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank The Irish Independent and their team for a professional and supportive working relationship over the past 10 years.

The 2013 edition of the 'Best Workplaces in Ireland' magazine will be distributed in the Irish Times on Friday 8th March following our awards in the Burlington on the 7th of March.

 

 

 

 

We are delighted to tell you that, effective Monday 15th October 2012, we have moved to new offices in the heart of Dublin's Business District, overlooking beautiful Fitzwilliam Square.

Singing in a choir, standing shoulder to shoulder, facing the same direction, being part of a joint endeavour, creates powerful bonds between people. Individually we may be ordinary but together we can make the most extraordinary sound.

A good choir makes the sum of the singers greater than the individual parts. And that’s exactly how teamwork / camaraderie / sense of family - call it what you want - makes such a positive difference in the workplace.

This point really came home to me over the last few weeks while watching BBC 2’s ‘The Choir – Sing While You Work’.

The Foundations of a Great Company Culture

In her recent article, Time for a New Leader in the C-Suite?, Meghan Biro of Forbes presents a number of compelling reasons for why companies should add a Chief of Culture Officer to their C-Suite. It’s easy to see why culture is so important, with companies such as Google and Whole Foods consistently demonstrating that putting people first helps them achieve record-breaking results.

How Scripps became a Best Company 

When Chris Van Gorder initially became CEO at Scripps Health in 2002, he found leadership problems, staffing problems, and, predictably, financial problems. So how did one man turn a failing company culture into the award-winning company it is today? With a lot of help, that’s how.

Any workplace can make life a little easier for the moms in the company. Here are five innovative ways the US' Best Small and Medium Workplaces provide support and flexibility to working moms.

The word "easy" is rarely used to describe motherhood, especially given the challenges working moms face juggling careers and children. So how can you make it easier for the mothers at your company?