Version 1 is delighted to announce that it was recognised as one of the Top 10 Best Workplaces in Ireland for 2021, marking an outstanding milestone of 10 consecutive years as a Great Place to Work®.
At the 19th annual Great Place to Work® Best Workplaces in Ireland Awards, held virtually on 10 February 2021, Version 1 received recognition in three separate categories.
Three Major Achievements
1. Top 10 Best Workplace in Ireland
Version 1 was ranked 6th place in the Large Workplace category, securing its position among Ireland’s Top 10 Best Workplaces.
Image caption: Version 1 recognised as a Top 10 Best Workplace in Ireland 2021.
2. Inspiring Award 2021
Version 1 received the prestigious Inspiring Award 2021 in recognition of its innovative Shadow Board Programme.
The Shadow Board initiative was designed to bring fresh perspectives into strategic decision-making and empower employees to influence the future direction of the organisation.
Image caption: Version 1 receives the Inspiring Award 2021.
3. Best Workplace Laureate Award
Version 1 was also honoured with a Best Workplace Laureate Award for achieving Great Place to Work® status for 10 consecutive years.
This recognition celebrates sustained excellence in workplace culture and employee experience over an entire decade.
Image caption: Version 1 receives the Best Workplace Laureate Award for 10 consecutive years of recognition.
Great Place to Work: What Does It Take?
The Great Place to Work® Awards recognise organisations that create exceptional workplace cultures through a rigorous assessment process based on two key components:
Trust Index® Employee Survey
Measures the extent to which employees believe their organisation is a great place to work.
Culture Audit
Evaluates organisational policies, programmes, practices and management behaviours that contribute to workplace culture.
Assessments are measured across five dimensions of the Great Place to Work® methodology:
- Credibility
- Respect
- Fairness
- Pride
- Camaraderie
The first three dimensions assess trust in leadership and management, while the latter two measure employees’ feelings about their work, organisation and colleagues.
Celebrating 10 Years of Success
Reflecting on the achievement, Version 1 CEO Tom O’Connor highlighted both the milestone and the organisation’s continued commitment to innovation and employee experience.
“What a remarkable achievement this is for Version 1. We are truly honoured.
In a year that Version 1 will celebrate another major milestone of 25 years in business, we are delighted to see that our commitment as an employer has received such positive feedback.
While I’m very happy that we are being welcomed as a Best Workplace Laureate this year for ten years of hard work, I’m even more delighted that this award is being received alongside the Inspiring Award for 2021.
I would like to thank every Version 1 employee for this achievement. Your innovation, creativity and energy on initiatives such as our Shadow Board mean we remain at the forefront of employee experience. The last decade has been a truly phenomenal transformation and acceleration for our business.”
Tom added:
“We are humbled by the three milestones we reached tonight. It’s not something we ever take for granted, and we are very grateful that our efforts have received this recognition once again.
I am confident going into our 25th year in business, and our 10th year officially as a Great Place to Work, that these achievements are only the beginning of what we can achieve in creating customer success, empowering our people and building a strong organisation for the future.”
From Employee Experience to Human Experience
Version 1’s Director of People Success, Jarlath Dooley, attributed the achievement to the organisation’s people-first culture and its focus on supporting employees throughout the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are extremely proud to receive this award for the tenth year in a row. We cannot overstate the importance we place on creating an enriching culture and working environment for our employees.
Our goal is to retain and continually attract top talent in every region where we operate, and we are fortunate to have such an outstanding workforce.”
Dooley also described how the organisation shifted its focus during the pandemic from Employee Experience (EX) to Human Experience (HX).
“COVID taught us that we have to stop treating humans as employees and instead treat employees as humans.
It forced us to consider the full lives of our people, including family responsibilities, wellbeing, mental resilience, physical movement and social belonging.
By supporting people holistically and equipping them with the tools and technology they needed, we saw productivity improve, engagement scores rise and retention levels strengthen dramatically.”
Investing in Employee Experience
Over the previous decade, Version 1 introduced numerous initiatives designed to enhance employee experience and career development, including:
- Pathways Career Development Framework
- Version 1 Digital Academy
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes
- Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) initiatives
- Health and Wellbeing programmes
- Dedicated Employee Experience (EX) function
The Employee Experience team was established to create meaningful experiences throughout the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, recognition, development and celebration initiatives.
Balancing Customer Success and Employee Experience
Louise Lahiff, Director of Communications, Strategy and Planning, highlighted the importance of balancing employee experience with customer success.
“In reflecting on our journey as a brand, our growth over the past decade has been immense.
Creating a strategy that places our customers, organisation and people on an equal footing allows us to build long-term relationships with clients while maintaining a healthy work-life balance and rewarding culture for our employees.
It’s not an easy balance to achieve or maintain, but it remains one of our strongest priorities.”
Looking Ahead
Following ten consecutive years of recognition as a Great Place to Work®, strong employee engagement scores and continued business growth, Version 1 entered its 25th year of operation with ambitious plans for the future.
With a people-first culture, continued investment in employee development and a clear focus on customer success, the organisation remains committed to building an environment where employees can thrive and progress their careers.
