IRFU Named As One Of The Best Workplaces In Ireland

The IRFU is delighted to announce that we have been officially recognised as one of the Best Workplaces in Ireland in 2020.

The IRFU were recognised at the 18th annual Great Place to Work Best Workplaces in Ireland Awards in the Clayton Hotel on Burlington Road in Dublin on Wednesday.

This is our first year to be named as a top Irish workplace, which is assessed through Great Place to Work’s robust ‘Trust Index©’ employee survey and a thorough ‘Culture Audit©’ assessment of their policies and practices.

The IRFU were recognised as the 16th Best Medium sized Workplace in Ireland 2020.

IRFU Chief Executive Philip Browne commented:

Rugby has always tried to promote and preserve a strong, supportive and inclusive culture based on values such as respect and inclusivity. In addition, with people spending so much of their time in work, we also promote a fun environment that can inspire.

“We have some of the most engaged staff in Ireland and it is very rewarding and satisfying that the IRFU is now confirmed as one of the Best Workplaces in Ireland.

“I want to thank all our people for their participation and feedback and take a moment to thank our HR team, lead by Aileen Bailey, for all the work they do for our people.”

Cathal Divilly, Partner at Great Place to Work® Ireland, explained: “Strong economic conditions have resulted in another record year for total number of employees participating in the Best Workplaces in Ireland process.

“The ‘war for talent’ is continuing apace with the best employers in Ireland competing for specific industry-critical skills, while a range of external social pressures are forcing organisations to develop innovative initiatives to help alleviate burdens faced by their employees.

“Reaching the criteria to appear on the list of Best Workplaces in Ireland is a massive achievement, and has provided a great platform for these organisations to differentiate themselves both externally and internally as employers of choice.

“While attractive benefit packages will go some way towards employee satisfaction, the companies on this year’s list have realised that their unique and distinctive cultures are what will mark them out in a crowded market.”

He added: “This year’s survey findings show that employees in these workplaces feel greater levels of organisational pride than ever before, which is being supported by internal CSR initiatives that emphasise employee ownership and decision-making.

“Organisations are responding to the housing crisis and commuter pressures by offering more flexible work-from-home and work-life balance arrangements. Employees are seeking a greater sense of purpose from their roles, and companies are attempting to meet this by implementing strong green initiatives with a real, authentic focus on sustainability.

“Overall, these companies are marking themselves out by providing a distinctive sense of meaning in both personal and organisational roles for their staff. Each and every organisation on this year’s list has reason to celebrate: I’d like to take the time to say congratulations to all of Ireland’s Best Workplaces 2020!”

About Great Place to Work® and the Assessment Process

Great Place to Work Ireland is part of a global network of culture consultants, with offices in 48 countries using an established methodology to publish lists at country, regional, and global levels. The best known of these is the Fortune 100 list of Best Companies to Work For in the United States. Our media partner in Ireland is The Irish Times, who develop the annual Best Workplaces Special Report.

The key defining feature of a great workplace is the level of trust that exists within it. From an employee’s viewpoint, the definition of a great workplace is one where you trust the people you work with, you have great pride in what you do, and you enjoy the people you work with.

The Great Place to Work Institute assesses the policies and practices in place in organisations under nine key areas: Inspiring, Speaking, Listening, Caring, Developing, Thanking, Hiring, Celebrating, and Sharing. They then benchmark these practices against other organisations in that country.

The second key component of the assessment is an anonymous Trust Index survey that gathers the perceptions of employees under five dimensions: Credibility, Respect, Fairness, Pride, and Camaraderie. Finally, there is an in-depth qualitative analysis of open ended comments from employees.

The full 2020 lists of organisations and award winners, as well as rankings from previous years, are available at www.greatplacetowork.ie.