Best Places to Work Ireland 2024

Organisations that are able to boast the most motivated employees are going to be far more successful than their rivals – and here is the proof

The companies and organisations that make it on to our inaugural list, including Waterford-based healthcare services firm RelateCare, fire protection company Writech in Westmeath, and bathroom renovations company, Bathrooms 4U in Kerry, have cracked the code on how to motivate their teams. Spread geographically across the country with staff numbers ranging from 10 to 1,077, the Sunday Times Best Places to Work have one thing in common – their employees love working for them. “The scores are just universally good,” says Price. WorkL’s data shows these employees record a much higher engagement score (85 per cent) than those working for employers in its wider database of Irish organisations (71 per cent) and even the Best Places to Work in the UK (80 per cent). “People feel happier in their work, more akin to the scores we see in America or Australia,” Price says. “If you look at the overall score for Ireland of those companies that have entered there isn’t one area where Ireland is lower than the UK across all demographics. “We measure six areas, questions around reward and recognition, information sharing, how empowered people feel in their job, wellbeing, about having a sense of pride in the job that they do and questions around how satisfied they are in their job.” The data also shows that Gen Z workers, who are the least happy age group in the UK, are the second happiest in Ireland. Staff working for the Best Places to Work also represent a much lower flight risk, which is good news for their chief executives and finance directors, as recruiting and training staff is costly and time-consuming, not to mention that with almost full employment in Ireland competition for talent is fierce. So why are Irish staff happier? “I would probably say that managers are taking more interest in their people, their wellbeing, they are looking after their people better,” says Price. The best employers acknowledge their employees’ personal and professional needs, from family-friendly working policies to training and creating a positive environment to work in. The team at Dublin-based Vodafone Ireland can work three days a week from home and from anywhere in the world for 20 days a year, while Keldin Engineering offers options from remote work to compressed weeks and job-sharing. Over at IT services firm Nostra, each of the 240 staff get an annual training and exam budget of up to €1,500 to boost their careers, and agricultural technology company FARMEYE gives employees a monthly project day to foster their creativity and develop new products. The Sunday Times Best Places to Work are also creative about how they foster relationships across the workforce, from a buddy scheme for new starters at The Law Society of Ireland to trips abroad and team-bonding getaways at events management company Grooveyard Agency and a book club, walking challenges and pizza nights at law firm Lavelle Partners. Making staff feel valued is key to engagement from performance-based incentives to bonuses. At financial planning firm Metis Ireland everybody shares in its success with the generous bonus scheme paying up to 20 per cent of salary. Financial rewards are important but employers should not underestimate the power of small gestures to thank people for their contributions. At roofing and cladding manufacturers EQC, staff receive a gift hamper on their birthday, while the peer-to-peer appreciation programme at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences includes a letter from the vice-chancellor. “There is nothing worse than if you go to do a job, work hard and nobody notices,” says Price. Everybody wins when employers invest in their staff, says Price. “We do lots of research on extra discretionary effort and find there is a clear correlation between those companies that have happy and engaged workforces and those that get extra from their people. “Companies that have happier employees have lower staff turnover and lower sick absence. We can demonstrate conclusively that these companies with higher scores around happiness have higher commercial performance, greater productivity and greater profitability.”

Work is simply smiles better

Vodafone staff can work remotely from anywhere in the world for 20 days annually

Ireland’s professional rugby journey can be split into two not so equal parts. It began when Ulster won Ireland's first European trophy in 1999. That was followed by Munster losing two and then winning two European finals. What defined their rise was an extremely powerful sense of identity, a passion for the cause, and pride in the jersey.

CREATING A SENSE OF IDENTITY

with BRIAN CAREY, Business editor

NUMBER CRUNCHING

The Sunday Times Best Places to Work awards survey uses 26 questions from WorkL’s employee engagement survey, developed by behavioural scientists, data analysts, psychologists, business leaders, academics and other independent parties to most accurately monitor employee engagement, wellbeing and discretionary effort in the workplace. To achieve a high overall engagement score, an organisation must score well across WorkL’s six-step framework: 1. Reward and Recognition 2. Instilling Pride 3. Information Sharing 4. Empowerment 5. Wellbeing 6. Job Satisfaction In a highly engaged workplace all six steps will be seen positively by employees, albeit to varying degrees. Each of WorkL’s Six Steps consists of between three and five key elements, which are measured on a 0-10 scale. An organisation’s overall engagement score is the sum of all question responses, divided by the maximum possible value as a percentage. The Sunday Times Best Places to Work survey asks employees to respond to statements including: - I am happy with the hours I work - I am fairly paid - I am recognised when I do something well - I do something worthwhile - I feel proud to work for my organisation - Information is regularly and openly shared with me - I have enough information (and training) to do my job - My views are heard at work - I understand the organisation’s plan - I am trusted to make decisions - I have what I need to do my job well - My employer cares for my wellbeing - I rarely feel anxious or depressed about work - I feel happy at work - I am treated with respect - I have a good relationship with my manager - I am being developed - I work in a well-run organisation To be successfully accredited as a Sunday Times Best Place to Work, organisations must achieve a minimum 70 per cent overall engagement score. Our banding threshold is based on both independent and WorkL commissioned research on employee engagement initiatives and is reinforced by WorkL’s benchmarking data of more than 70,000 organisations. For an accurate representation of employee sentiment, organisations were required to send the survey to as many current employees as possible. Those participating had to reach these minimum average response rates to qualify: Very big, 40 per cent; Big, 50 per cent; Medium, 50 per cent; Small, 60 per cent. All employee numbers were correct at the time of survey.

calculating the RESULTS

Percentage of staff with Bard for more than 10 years

Leinster emerged from Munster's shadow, winning four finals. Their period of dominance is rooted in recruitment of top coaches and developing squads who strive for relentless improvement. Identity and culture have kept Irish clubs at or near the top of the sport in this part of the world for 25 years. Workplaces across Ireland look to engage staff through creating the same strong bonds, a sense of belonging and well-being – hugely important elements of any organisation’s success. There are practical and commercial implications. Over recent years the country has enjoyed near full employment, creating a competitive market for recruiters and an environment where talent retention is at a premium. A happy workforce creates a stable workplace. The Sunday Times Ireland Best Places to Work awards survey brings behavioural science, psychology and data analytics to the task of measuring nebulous concepts such as culture and identity. It is powered by WorkL’s employment engagement survey which accurately monitors employees’ commitment, well-being and discretionary effort. The Sunday Times is proud to bring the Best Places to Work survey awards to Ireland, to sponsor an initiative that drives and recognises good practice, helps organisations develop their culture and identity and promotes employee welfare and ultimately economic success. Our inaugural list reflects the dynamic and entrepreneurial spirit of Ireland. These wealth creators include Sculpted by Aimee, founded by make-up artist Aimee Connolly when she was 23, and RelateCare, which works with hospitals in North America and employs 1,400 people globally. Other companies that know the value of a happy workforce include financial planning firm Metis Ireland, IT services firm Nostra, and Vodafone Ireland. To be a success on the international stage, Ireland must offer the Best Places to Work. This is a very good start.

“We’ve been able to figure out, from a qualitative and a quantitative point of view, what the real benefits are of having a happier and more engaged workforce,” he says, recalling one financial institution that had below-average engagement scores. “We calculated that the cost of their sick absence and staff turnover and loss of productivity was £2.5 million a year.” Upping its staff engagement figures to the average rate would save £1 million, WorkL found. “So although people think of this as being quite fluffy, it’s hard-nosed,” says Lord Price.

Learnosity’s overseas colleagues enjoy the sights on an amphibious tour of Dublin

RideTandem colleagues are on board the campaign for sustainable transport

The age Aimee Connolly was when she founded Sculpted

1,500

Nostra's annual training budget for each employee

Percentage of staff with Bard for more than 10 years

Writer Sue Leonard Sub-editors Derek Clements, Justin Barrett Designer Mat Mannion Picture editor Paul Langan Illustrator Nina Krause

o you enjoy your job and look forward to going to work? If not it is not just bad news for you but also for your employers because research by employee experience specialist WorkL, shows that happy staff aren’t just a nice bonus, they are essential for organisations to thrive. “People think this is kind of light and fluffy stuff but it isn’t,” says WorkL founder Mark Price, former managing director of Waitrose and ex-deputy chairman of the John Lewis Partnership. “What you find is those companies that have the happiest employees are also commercially the most successful.” The Sunday Times has teamed up with WorkL to find the Best Places to Work and to discover what brings their employees the kind of happiness at work that a salary alone cannot buy. Price set up WorkL in 2017 to transform the workplace, building a benchmarking database of more than 70,000 organisations around the world to improve the experience of employees and help businesses get their best from them.

Organisations

Introduction

Home

Organisations

Introduction

Home