CBI: 50 Years of Business Innovation

CBI: 50 YEARS OF BUSINESS INNOVATION | A CHANGING SOCIETY

“Newspapers are full of articles about trust these days – or, usually, society’s lack of it,” says Helen Wright, Head of Marketing at the London-based Great Place to Work®

. The company specialises

CHAMPIONING THE VIRTUE OF VALUES

GREAT PLACE TO WORK www.greatplacetowork.co.uk

in the cultivation of trust – aiming to highlight the importance of integrity in the workplace – so it’s something that she’s keenly aware of. “People have seen what can happen when

trust breaks down,” says Wright. “For instance, look at the recent scandals involving politicians’ expenses, the failures at some NHS Trusts, or banks mis-selling PPI. And, once broken, trust is very difficult to mend. So, ultimately, trustworthy behaviour in business is critical, and that’s what we help to build.”

MAXIMISING PERFORMANCE A global consulting, employee research and training firm, Great Place to Work has 50 affiliate offices around the world. The company helps organisations to maximise productivity and profitability, and to gain external recognition via its employee survey and management audit, which drive the Best Workplaces awards. “We look at what employees say an organisation does and what the organisation says it does,” says Wright. “Then we compare the two.”

The employee survey, for example, invites

employees to reflect upon statements such as “I feel I can do a good job without someone breathing down my neck” and “I believe that my organisation has a clear sense of direction”. This reveals strengths and weaknesses from the employee’s perspective, which is key because, says Wright, “for an organisation to be successful, there must be faith that the management is skilled, capable and competent to run things for the benefit of the employees and the market that it serves”. The Great Place to Work management audit, on the other hand, produces qualitative data and gives independent insights into an organisation’s approaches, programmes and environment. The results must be considered in context, however. “It’s easy to look at the ‘wrong’ things when

evaluating audits,” says Wright. “Some organisations don’t see the bigger picture, but we help show where they’re out of kilter with the rest of the market.” Great Place to Work also offers targeted support in leadership and management.

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