Thinking of a career change? The list of best places to work in Ireland has been updated, and AbbVie Ireland, the Irish Stock Exchange and Radio Systems Petsafe Europe are top of the pile.
The awards, which are supported by The Irish Times, are now in their 16th year, and 2018 saw a total of 85 organisations recognised for creating positive work environments for employees.
Pharmaceutical firm AbbVie Ireland took the award for best large workplace, with the Irish Stock Exchange topping the medium-sized workplace category. Pet accessory company Radio Systems Petsafe Europe was named best small workplace. Previous winners of those categories include Microsoft, Cisco and Salesforce.
"It's been a mixed year for Irish workplaces who have seen good trading growth is tempered by ongoing uncertainty over the impact Brexit will have. Infrastructure challenges are making planning for expansion difficult, and we're on the threshold of full employment in our cities, which creates a real headache for organisations who are trying to attract and retain top talent," said John Ryan, chief executive of Great Place to Work Ireland. "The organisations on this year's list know that beyond a certain point, employees aren't going to be tempted by a slightly more generous financial package: they want an environment where they feel psychologically safe, encouraged to grow, provided with opportunities to develop, and empowered to do their best work."
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Global network
Great Place to Work Ireland is part of a global network of culture consultants spanning 48 countries, and uses established methodology to publish lists at country, regional, and global levels. The awards are determined by assessing the policies and practices in place in organisations under nine key areas that include inspiring, speaking, listening and hiring. Those practices are then benchmarked against other organisations in that country. An anonymous trust index survey gathers the opinions of employees under five headings, including credibility, respect and fairness, and there is an in-depth qualitative analysis of open-ended comments from employees, and the results are combined to devise the list of best places to work.
“Rather than simply throwing money at their staff, Irish workplaces should take advantage of reward and recognition opportunities as a chance to develop their employer brand; enhancing and amplifying their unique culture,” Mr Ryan said.
