This is its fourth year being named as a top Irish workplace, based on the findings of a robust employee survey and a thorough assessment of policies and practices by the Great Place to Work Institute.
Great Place to Work (GPTW) Ireland is part of a global network with offices in 48 countries. The organisation uses the same assessment methodology to publish 48 country lists, as well as regional and global lists. The best known of these is the Fortune 100 list of Best Companies to Work For in the United States. SAS, which has been #1 in the US, is regularly included among the GPTW’s Best Workplaces for countries around the world.
The SAS culture aims to encourage creativity, which drives the innovation needed to find the best solutions for its customers. This stems from CEO Jim Goodnight’s simple philosophy: “Treat employees like they make a difference and they will.”
“The process of engaging the organisation in the GPTW programme continues to be very beneficial for SAS in both the UK and Ireland and we are delighted to have made the list again,” said Charles Senabulya, Vice President, SAS UK & Ireland. “It’s opportunity for us to review areas where we can improve as an employer, as well as having the reassurance that we remain a great workplace.”
Brendan O’Dwyer, Head of EMEA Inside Sales at SAS, added: “GPTW provides a fantastic focus for our Employee Engagement Team which is a critical element bringing together the different teams which make up SAS Ireland. Across SAS EMEA Inside Sales, the SAS EMEA Customer Contact Centre, SAS UK & Ireland Field Sales, Pre-Sales and Professional Services, we continue to worth together to make SAS Ireland a great place to work and are delighted to have made the list for the fourth year in a row.”
The GPTW award honours relationships between employees and managers in five dimensions: credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie. The key defining feature of a great workplace is the level of trust among employees. For them, a great workplace is one where you trust and enjoy the people you work with, and take great pride in your work.
“It’s been a mixed year for Irish workplaces”, said John Ryan, CEO of Great Place to Work® Ireland, “who have seen good trading growth 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. 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. 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.”
