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Earn Great Place To Work® Certification™

Certification™ proves you are creating a great employee experience, which allows you to distinguish your brand in a competitive recruitment market, and elevates your status as an employer of choice.

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What is Great Place To Work® Certification™?

Great Place To Work® Certification™ recognises employers who are creating a positive employee experience, with the straightforward process including surveying your employees and completing a short questionnaire about your workplace.

Certification™ gives your organisation a recruiting advantage by providing a globally recognised and data-driven verification of your great employee experience, and key insights into your workplace culture.

70% of Irish employees are more likely to want to work at an organisation that has been Certified™

Inside the Great Place To Work® Programme

  • 12 month use of Certification badge
  • 65% minium Trust Index score
  • 6 week Certification™ process
  • 1 application, multiple recognitions

How to Earn Your Great Place To Work Certification™

1

 Survey Your Employees

 Select a 2-week period to launch our Trust Index™ employee survey
 
 
Survey
2

Complete the Culture Brief

Fill out a short questionnaire about your company's history and demographics
 
 
Culture Brief
3

Get your report and presentation

 We'll present your findings and benchmarks to your leadership team
 
 
Present
4

Get Certified & Earn Recognition

If your Trust Index™  results are 65%+, you'll be Certified™  and be eligible for our Best Workplaces™ lists
 
Celebrate

Organisations Leading with a Great Workplace Culture

Ready to Get Certified™?

Book a free, no strings attached consultation with one of our experts right away and we will be in touch soon to explain how Certification™ works.

▶  Get noticed as an employer of choice

▶  Fill your recruitment pipeline

▶  Boost your employee pride

▶  Multiple recognition opportunities with one application

Discover the Benefits of the Great Place To Work® Programme

Fill your recruitment pipeline, gaining more high-calibre candidates

  • Earning Certification™ highlights that you are creating a great employee experience and elevates your status as an employer of choice.
  • Certification™ can help you stand out from the competition and give you the edge you need to land the best talent.
  • Get Certified™ and get more high-quality applicants and increase your offer acceptance rate.
Certification

Elevate your employer brand & boost employee pride

  • Certification™ helps foster a strong sense of community among employees and inspires workplace pride. 
  • Strengthen what your company stands for. Certification™ is a global recognition which shows you have a clear purpose and reinforces your company’s mission, vision and values. 
  • Proudly display your Certification™ badge to be recognised among the most respected employer brands in the world.
Certification  (3)

Certified™ organisations receive 40% more applications per job opening than non-Certified™ organisations

Gain access to a suite of employer branding tools and promotional materials

  • A custom, royalty-free Certification™ badge to use on all your recruiting campaigns and assets.
  • Digital toolkit full of social media images, press materials, shareable content, and more.
  • Your Certified™ company profile on www.greatplacetowork.ie
  • Access to exclusive Certified™ products and branded packs.
  • Be part of a community and network of like-minded individuals, with the opportunity to learn and share stories on what it means to be a great workplace.
Certification - Benefit 3

Earn more company culture awards and employer branding opportunities

  • Once Certified™, you'll be automatically considered for placement in our upcoming Best Workplaces™ Lists. One application is all you need.
  • Gain the opportunity for your organisation to be featured in Great Place to Work® publications, blogs, case studies, webinars, social media, and more!
Certification Celebrations

Gain powerful insights into your employee experience

  • Gain a detailed analysis and insights into your employees' experiences through our results presentation, either onsite or online, delivered by our experts to your Senior Management team.
  • Work closely with your dedicated Great Place To Work® project manager for support throughout your journey, regardless of your questions.
  • Unlock insights to foster an inclusive workplace, enhancing team collaboration, continuous improvement, and financial growth.
  • See how you compare to the Best Workplaceswith benchmark data.
Certification - Team

Certified™ organisations outperform the market by an average of 2% - 3% a year

Meet the organisations that have directly benefitted from Great Place To Work® Certification™:

“My experience with Great Place to Work Ireland over the past several years has been overwhelmingly positive. The partnership has helped our company deepen its cultural understanding, learn how we could enhance our employee experience, expand our horizons in terms of what other like-minded companies are doing, and build a network that would help our brand in the market. I cannot recommend the experience highly enough.”

Jamie Griffin, Vice President of Global Commercial Operations, Cloudera

“Great Place to Work Certification has played an instrumental role in attracting great talent at ORS. It symbolises who we are as an employer and in a competitive hiring environment, demonstrating our strong organisational culture and opportunities for people to grow has resulted in a high calibre of talent joining the ORS team.”

John Brennan, Managing Director, ORS

“We use the Great Place to Work model as a compass to reinforce our vision, mission and, most importantly, our company values. Its ethos is now firmly embedded in our culture, hearts, and minds: it’s a barometer for how we’re doing and a framework for how we continue to invest in our people and our business. We’re extremely proud of our whole team and look forward to building on this achievement in the future.”

Joanne McLaughlin, Head of Marketing , Esri Ireland

“Great Place to Work are an exceptional organisation. Their application of a truly world class customer experience on the employee engagement topic is second to none in Ireland. I’ve engaged with this organisation for over 10 years and have found them to be professional, responsive and most importantly educational. I've personally developed from my engagement with Cathal and his team."

Garry McCabe, Chief People Officer , Mater Private Network

"We have been on the Great Place to Work journey in Distilled for the last 8 years and the outcome is that we have built an amazing culture. The feedback that we have received from our employees through the survey and the insights the Great Place to Work team have given us have been key to getting where we are today. I would highly recommend the team and the framework.”

Laura Doyle, Chief People Officer , Distilled

“Our organisation has been partnering with Great Place to Work for almost a decade now and the data and insights they provide enable us to create real, tangible change that benefits our employees and culture tenfold. Being a part of the Great Place to Work community has also been super beneficial as we have had the opportunity to meet peers in the industry and really understand what it takes to be a truly Great Place to Work in today's world.”

Rachael Quinlan, Head of Employee Experience, CluneTech

"Great Place to Work helped us gain a deeper understanding of our team, pinpoint areas of improvement, and also focus on the areas our people value. Everyone in the organisation takes great pride in being a Great Place to Work. "

Derek Conway, HR Director, Sport Ireland

"Since completing the Great Place to Work survey, our hotel has experienced numerous positive changes. Notably, staff morale has significantly improved,  and a notable increase in employee retention rates and job applicants. Furthermore, management has fostered a more open and communicative environment.  These changes collectively contribute to a more positive and productive workplace atmosphere since getting our Certification."

Louise Allen, Director of HR, Lyrath Estate

Get Certified™ today to attract top talent, build your employer brand and deliver business results.

Certified Ireland logo

Great Place To Work Certification FAQs

What is Great Place to Work Certification?

Great Place to Work Certification recognises employers who create an outstanding employee experience. Certification is a two-step process that includes surveying your employees and completing a short questionnaire about your workforce. It signals to the world that you have created a company culture your employees love. It proves that your organisation has created a work environment that fosters trust, fairness, respect, and camaraderie among its employees.

Which organisations can sign up for Certification?

All Ireland-based and multinational organisations with an Irish branch which have 10+ employees are eligible to become Great Place to Work Certified™.

What are the benefits of Great Place to Work Certification?

Being a Certified great workplace has several benefits for an organisation. It serves as a valuable external validation of your company's commitment to its employees which, in turn, will enhance your reputation as an employer of choice. It can also attract and retain high-quality talent, improve employee engagement and satisfaction, and contribute to overall business success. [Anchor to benefits]

What does participation in the Certification process look like?

Participation in the Great Place to Work Certification™ process is simple and based entirely on employee feedback, making it an authentic and reliable measure of workplace culture. Organisations with 10 or more employees are eligible for Certification™ when their overall Trust Index Survey results reach 65% or higher. The process can be completed in as little as six weeks with immediate access to the Certified™ badge, valid for 12 months.

Certified™ organisations receive a Certification Profile and an activation toolkit to help promote their achievement, as well as automatic entry into all of Great Place to Work’s Best Workplaces™ lists with just one application. In addition, all participating organisations' leadership teams are provided with detailed survey results and actionable insights, ensuring a clear understanding of their organisation's culture strengths and opportunities.

How long does Great Place to Work Certification take?

We typically suggest a 2-week window to launch your survey. Shortly after the survey has closed, and provided you have submitted your Culture Brief questionnaire and earned an overall survey score of 65% or higher, you will receive your official Certification™ digital badge, valid for 12 months.

How does Great Place To Work® compare with other recognition providers?

Great Place to Work® stands out from other recognition providers as the only one based entirely on the voice of employees, using the Trust Index™ Survey to measure the employee experience. This research-driven, globally credible approach ensures that recognition is meaningful and tied to measurable criteria, offering organisations valuable insights to improve their workplace culture. Unlike programmes that rely on peer nominations or external reviews, Great Place to Work’s methodology captures authentic employee experiences, making it a true reflection of workplace quality. Additionally, the range of sectorial, national and global Great Place to Work® recognitions carry strong employer branding value, helping companies attract and retain top talent while enhancing their reputation. Beyond recognition, Great Place to Work® provides consulting, workshops, and resources to support organisations in building and sustaining high-trust cultures, offering a comprehensive approach.

 

Is there an investment required to become Great Place to Work Certified?

Yes, this investment allows us to support our clients to action plan from their own data insights and offer recognition opportunities over a standard three-year engagement. Investment depends primarily upon the size of your organisation and the level of engagement your organisation will require.

An introductory call will allow us to gain an understanding of your needs and share the most relevant information with you. For a detailed quote and to learn more about how we can help your organisation become a Certified Great Place to Work, please contact us directly.

What is the difference between being Great Place to Work Certified and the Best Workplaces Programme?

The Great Place to Work Certification™ recognises organisations based on employee feedback gathered through the Trust Index™ survey. To achieve Certification, organisations must meet a minimum score of 65%; this recognition is valid for 12 months, showcasing the organisation's commitment to fostering a positive workplace culture.

On the other hand, the Best Workplaces™ Programme is a competitive initiative that benchmarks organisations against their peers. It evaluates both the Trust Index™ results and for large organisations, the Culture Audit™, an in-depth assessment of workplace practices and programs. Only the best from the pool of Certified organisations earn a spot on the annual Best Workplaces™ list, providing prestigious recognition as one of the best workplaces in Ireland.

How do I know if my organisation is ready to start the Great Place to Work® journey?

All that is needed to be ready to start the programme is a desire to create a great culture. We meet organisations where they are, without judgement or any preconceived idea of what a suitable programme participant looks like. While the most publicised aspect of the Great Place to Work® programme tends to be organisations being recognised and Certified™ as a Great Place to Work, this is merely the cherry on top. The real purpose of the programme is to create Great Workplaces and celebrate the work done by participating organisations.

The data from your Trust Index survey results will help you determine where to devote your resources. Through this, organisations save time and money by targeting areas that will have the most impact on employee experience, retention and productivity. It is the work done to address insights presented in the data that creates Great Workplaces.

So, when is the right time to join the Great Place to Work® Programme? The answer is … now!

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