IRFU Named As One Of The Best Workplaces In Ireland

The IRFU is delighted to announce that they have been officially recognised as one of the Best Workplaces in Ireland in 2021.

Irish Rugby’s governing body was recognised at the 19th annual Great Place to Work Best Workplaces in Ireland awards which, for the first time, took the form of a virtual broadcast on Wednesday 10th March 2021.

This is the sporting organisation’s second consecutive 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 ranked 12th, up from 16th last year, for 2021.

Human Resources Director, Aileen Bailey said, “We are very pleased to be recognised by our people and Great Place to Work as one of the best workplaces in Ireland.

The past twelve months have been challenging for everyone, and from the outset we recognised that our staff could experience anxiety related to their work. From this reason we prioritised communications and engagement with our people, telling them what we knew and importantly, being unafraid to admit that some things we simply could not know, as they were outside of our control. This approach, we hope, reduced staff anxiety levels and built trust within the organisation.”

“In a year where the concept of ‘place’ was unexpectedly ripped apart from the concept of ‘work’, these organisations have shown the strength and resilience that underlies the Great Place to Work ethos. Having developed a deep sense of trust within and across their teams, they have proved that anywhere – from a manufacturing facility to a spare bedroom – can be a Great Place to Work.

What matters are the fundamentals: treating your employees with fairness and respect, and keeping them up to speed with relevant, authentic, and honest communication.” said Cathal Divilly, CEO at Great Place to Work® Ireland.

“Reaching the criteria to appear on this list of Best Workplaces in Ireland is a massive achievement in any year, and all the more so in a year where disruptions to the workplace that would have taken decades were instead implemented practically overnight.

Employees across Ireland have shown great levels of adaptability and flexibility to these circumstances – and they’ve also shown that, left to their own devices, they can deliver high levels of performance from anywhere.

There’ll be plenty for us all to learn as we come out of this unprecedented time: but what’s already becoming clear is that top-quality talent will be drawn to workplaces that trust them to do their best work wherever they are.

The organisations that we recognise this year have spent years developing a high-trust relationships with their teams, and have spent this year continuing to strengthen and sustain those bonds. On behalf of all the team at Great Place to Work Ireland, I’d like to take the time to say congratulations to all of Ireland’s Best Workplaces 2021!”