Giving employers a recruiting advantage is just one benefit of the certification process.
For HR leaders, there are few milestones that hold as much pride as becoming Great Place To Work-Certified™. It signals to the world that they have created a company culture that employees love.
And when you become Certified, you earn more than just a shiny badge.
1. Recruit top talent and increase your offer acceptance rate
Half the respondents (51%) report to be more inclined to apply for a job in an organisation that is recognised with an employer branding label. 33% is neutral and 16% report that having an employer recognition label would not influence their decision whether to apply to a company.
The same question was posed to graduates belonging to the so-called “Gen Z” who did not have any fulltime working experience before answering our survey. Among this group, most graduates (79%) indicate that they would be more likely to apply at a company that is recognised as a good employer by its employees. 16% is neutral and 5% of students report that having an employer recognition label does not influence their decision whether or not to apply to a company. It is noteworthy that recent graduates have a different perspective on labels compared to individuals with prior work experience.
More than half (56%) say they would stay longer when the organisation has a label. 27% is neutral and 17% disagree with the statement.
Our findings are in line with what other research suggests with regards to workplace certifications and associated lower employee turnover. The higher in the ranking of good employers, the lower their employee turnover. Certifications serve to present companies as attractive workplaces, encouraging people to join or stay with the company. These signals provide a sense of unanimity about the company's excellence, which improves the organisation's effectiveness in managing its workforce. Moreover, they reinforce employees' identification with the company, creating a deeper sense of belonging.
“Our certification had the biggest impact on our vacancies, which we saw decreasing with 50% while -at the same time- our employee turnover dropped significantly,” Charlotte Delfosse, Product Manager at Bel&Bo.
This highlights the significance of certification in both attracting and retaining top talent, as job seekers increasingly view company culture as a prerequisite.
Certification signals that current employees endorse their organisation’s culture and leadership. It tells candidates that employees feel supported and would recommend their workplace to others.
2. Measure and improve your company culture against specific metrics
Certification depends mostly on the results of your Trust Index™ survey – the industry standard for measuring employee experience.
After you collect your employee survey responses, you will receive an in-depth analysis of your company culture. You’ll get insight into areas such as perceived fairness, feelings of belonging and perception of leadership.
The survey analysis gets you inside the heads of your people and will give you a clear view of your culture strengths and areas of opportunity.
3. Proudly display your badge of honour
"We proudly showcase our Great Place To Work and Best Workplaces labels anytime we can and in every conceivable location from our office facade, yard canvases, cars, laptops to fair booths and of course digitally. Our achieved labels are not only a statement, but also often the starting point of a conversation." - Annelies Van de Steene, Marketing and Communications at Van Tornhaut.
Every Great Place To Work-Certified company earns a digital Certification badge. You can use it throughout the year to remind employees, partners and the public about your achievement.
Many companies include the badge on social profiles and email signatures, print it on swag and proudly display it on their job postings.
4. Become eligible for Best Workplace awards
Once your company is Great Place To Work-Certified, you’ll automatically be considered for our Best Workplaces lists.
5. Be featured on our website
Every Certified company earns a profile page (link toevoegen) on the Great Place To Work website. You can share company details and any other recognition earned on Best Workplaces lists.
Certified companies often link to their profile from their careers page to provide third-party validation of their exceptional company culture.
6. Build employee pride
“Our Certified company culture is the beating heart of our organisation,” Salesforce tells us. “This is what helps us not only attract great talent but also build pride and loyalty among our employees.”
All employees want to be part of something special. Getting Great Place To Work-Certified builds pride among your workforce.
7. Reinforce your company values and culture
“Our journey towards becoming a Best Workplace in Belgium is a testament to our commitment to foster a culture of excellence, connection, respect and empowerment. The essence of our Best Workplace -story lies in the unwavering commitment of our employees and management team to create a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone's voice is heard and valued. We have a “Culture of we" along with measurement, analysis and improvement, which is and will always be of paramount importance. This not only defines us but also flourishes among our employees, resonating with passion and enthusiasm in every corner of our organisation, both visually and verbally.”, explains Jeroen Benats – Managing partner at Bewire.
Raising awareness of your Certification among current employees is akin to promoting your company values, mission and culture. Certification reinforces that you are a company that cares. A company that puts people first.
Because employee opinions dictate the results – it’s a reminder that, yes, your company is a great place to work.
8. Join a community of other great workplaces
When you earn certification, you put your name alongside other Great Places To Work, both on a national and international level. Throughout your journey, you will be able to attend several events such as inspiration and network sessions. Celebrate your people, connect with like-minded companies and share your culture pride with the world!
9. Celebrate as a team
Employee recognition is proven to increase employee retention, employee engagement and perceptions of fairness in the workplace.
Earning Certification is cause to celebrate – a reason to thank your employees. So, rally your team around this win and celebrate!
10. Create goodwill and employee trust
Many companies find that asking employees to participate in a survey about their workplace experience creates goodwill. Employees appreciate being given the opportunity to voice their opinions.
And ongoing listening is a recurring theme among the 100 Best Companies to Work For®. When the executive team is clearly focused on creating a great workplace culture and continue to gather employee feedback, employees know that their happiness is a top priority.
“What a Michelin star is for restaurants, is what Great Place To Work certification is for companies. There is a direct link between the wellbeing of your people and the performance of your company.” – Ormit talent
Great starts here
As you can see, recognition is just the cherry on the sundae with Certification. Make your employees proud, recruit top talent and find gaps in your HR policies. Learn how to get Certified on our website or join an upcoming info session.