Mastering Great Workplace Cultures: Lessons from Europe’s Best

The 2024 Best Workplaces in Europe™ (Small and Medium) and Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For in Europe (Large and MNC) lists are here, and we are delighted to celebrate the very best of the best in this region. These organisations understand that fostering a positive culture is essential for success, leading with empathy and setting strong examples. But how is this positive culture cultivated? It's more than an abstract concept; building a Great company culture starts with a commitment to building trust across the organisation. Let's dive into what sets these organisations apart from the rest.

 

Europe's Best Small & Medium Workplaces

This year’s Best Small & Medium Workplaces in Europe list features 100 organisations that were chosen after surveying more than 1.3 million employees in Europe about their experience in the workplace, representing the work experiences of over 2 million employees across the continent. Of those, 300,000 responses came from companies eligible for the list, and this ranking is based on that feedback. This recognition is based on confidential survey data assessing employee experiences of trust, innovation, company values, and leadership. Companies are also evaluated on how well they are creating a For All™ workplace experience, where all employees are welcomed and celebrated no matter who they are or what they do. 

Three Irish companies leading the way in this space and recognised on the Best Workplaces in Europe (Small and Medium) List this year are the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), SuperNode and Distilled. We've outlined the ways they prioritise their people to cultivate trust below.

 

Building a people first culture

At the IRFU, a people first culture is key to ensuring a Great workplace environment for all. Recognising that a holistic approach to employee satisfaction is essential for sustained success, the team at the IRFU exemplified this by focusing on four main pillars to address the diverse aspects of wellbeing and truly prioritise their people: financial wellbeing, emotional wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and mental wellbeing. 

Building on these wellness initiatives, the IRFU has introduced several key policies. Their Right to Disconnect Policy, introduced in 2021, helps maintain a healthy work life balance by establishing clear boundaries between work and personal time, preventing burnout and fostering a more sustainable work environment. Also introduced was self-care leave, providing employees with a half day off per quarter to give them the opportunity to focus on themselves.

These policies, and more, not only demonstrate the IRFU's dedication to their employees' wellbeing but also highlight their proactive approach to creating a supportive and positive workplace. 

 

Click below to check out our blog exploring our case study with the IRFU documenting their Great Place to Work journey 👇 

 

Open communication

Distilled believe that open communication and transparency is key to any Great workplace. The team achieve this by implementing regular check-ins with employees, encouraging feedback loops, and ensuring that leadership is approachable and actively engaged with their workforce. This approach not only enhances collaboration but also strengthens the overall morale and trust within the team, making it a core aspect of their organisational culture.

Distilled also organise regular wellness activities, providing employees with the support and resources they need to prioritise their physical and mental health on-site. Additionally, by fostering connections among colleagues in informal settings, this has the added benefit of helping employees feel more connected to their team.

Wellbeing-focused

Since SuperNode was founded in 2018, safety and wellbeing has been one of their core values. Along with having an EAP programme in place, they are proud to have an employee group who have volunteered to lead on Health and Wellbeing as part of one of their Great Place to Work workstreams. This group of volunteers engage with the rest of the team at SuperNode each year to check in on what is important to them, reviewing key Health and Safety highlights throughout the year and arranging appropriate events to support and educate employees.

In 2023, SuperNode engaged with the Marie Keating foundation who gave a talk on cancer, self-care and checks. They also invited the Samaritans in to discuss mental health and wellbeing and the importance of talking and listening. These wellbeing initiatives show employees that they are genuinely valued within the organisation, beyond just their role or output.

Check out Supernode's employees speaking into their Great culture below 👇

Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 

Large & Multinational Companies

To find the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, Great Place to Work analysed over 1 million employee surveys to identify companies where employees had the most consistently positive experience. 1.3 million employees were surveyed across Europe about experiences that build trust in the workplace. Of those, 1 million responses came from companies eligible for the list, and this ranking is based on that feedback.

At Irish company Woodie's, their focus on areas like diversity and inclusion has paved the way for their employees to feel they are fully supported in all areas of the organisation. As Head of HR David Nally spoke into on episode 15 of The Red Cube, "we don't want to be a business that just talks about diversity and inclusion, we want to be a business that actually makes it happen".

Implementing unconscious bias training, a colleague-led approach to their D&I policies and analysing their Great Place to Work data are just some of the initiatives Woodie's have undertaken to strengthen diversity and inclusion within the organisation and overall increase trust levels company-wide.

How can your organisation become one of Europe's Best?

Great Place to Work identifies the Best Workplaces in Europe by analysing companies’ workplace programs and surveying over 1.4 million employees across multiple countries about the key factors that create great workplaces for all.

To be considered, companies must first be identified as outstanding in their local region by appearing on one or more of our Best Workplaces lists in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Turkey and United Kingdom during 2022 or early 2023.

Think your company deserves special recognition? Get in contact with our team below to become eligible for next year’s Best Workplaces™ honours!

About the Best Small & Medium Workplaces in Europe List
Great Place To Work selected the 2024 Best Small & Medium Workplaces in Europe List by analysing companies’ workplace programs and surveying over 1.3 million employees across multiple countries in the region. Of those, 300,000 responses came from companies eligible for the list, and this ranking is based on that feedback. To be considered, companies must first be identified as outstanding in their local region by appearing on one or more of our Best Workplaces lists in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Türkiye, or the United Kingdom during 2023 or early 2024.

To be eligible for the Best Small & Medium Workplaces list, companies must be Great Place To Work Certified™ and must have between 50 and 499 employees in Europe

About the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For in Europe List

Great Place To Work selected the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For in Europe List by gathering and analysing more than 1.3 million confidential survey responses representing the experiences of over 2 million employees in the region. Of those, 1 million came from employees at companies eligible for this list, and this ranking is based on that feedback. Companies must be recognised on at least one national Best Workplaces list in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Türkiye, or the United Kingdom during 2023 or early 2024. To be eligible for the list, companies must have 500+ employees. Multinational organisations must also appear on at least three national lists in Europe. The list ranks the best 25 multinational companies followed by the best 75 large companies. Organisations are assessed on their efforts to create generous, supportive, high-performance work experiences for every employee in the organisation.

About Great Place to Work®

Great Place to Work® is the global authority on workplace culture. We help organisations quantify their culture and produce better business results by creating a high-trust work experience for all employees. We recognise Great Place to Work-Certified™ companies and the Best Workplaces™ in more than 60 countries.

To join the thousands of companies that have committed to building high-trust company cultures that help them attract, retain and take care of their people, contact us about getting Certified today.