11 Benefits of Earning Great Place To Work Certification?

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2024-08-29T16:54:22-04:00
11 Benefits of Earning Great Place To Work Certification?
Great Place To Work

Turn your Certification into a strategic advantage that 76% of job seekers can't resist, while deepening trust across your organization.

Achieving Great Place To Work? Certification? is more than just a recognition — it’s a powerful tool that shapes your company’s future. From attracting top talent to being the easy choice for customers, this certification sets your organization apart and drives long-term success.

What does Great Place To Work Certification represent?

Great Place To Work Certification is a company-wide priority that embodies your organization’s commitment to a high-trust, high-performance culture. It’s a powerful endorsement that signals to employees, customers, and the broader market that your company values its people and is dedicated to their well-being and growth.

The foundation of this certification is the Trust Index? Survey, a comprehensive tool that measures the level of trust between employees and leadership, the fairness of workplace practices, and the overall employee experience.

This certification isn’t a one-time event; it’s a strategic, ongoing campaign to maintain and elevate your workplace culture, reinforcing your reputation among potential employees, customers, and business partners.

1. Attract top talent with an enhanced employer brand

Our 2023 workforce study revealed that 76% of job seekers prefer companies that are Great Place To Work Certified over those that are not.

This study, which reached a wide array of workplaces and engaged over 4,400 respondents in both full-time and part-time roles, underscores the impact of company culture on recruitment. Job seekers are an astonishing 15 times more likely to choose a company when they know it has been certified by its own employees.

Certification enhances your employer brand, acting as a powerful endorsement of a company culture that values its employees. As a result, you attract a higher caliber of applicants who are motivated, skilled, and looking for long-term career growth.

As Nella Gonzalez, HR manager at IDOC, notes, “90% of our new hires said that Great Place To Work Certification was the key deciding factor in selecting IDOC.”

2. Measure and improve your company culture against specific metrics

At the heart of Great Place To Work Certification is the Trust Index Survey, which provides an in-depth analysis of your company’s culture. This survey not only measures trust between employees and leadership but also offers insights into areas like perceived fairness, feelings of belonging, and leadership effectiveness.

By conducting this survey annually (or as many of our customers do, pulse regularly throughout the year), you gain actionable data that helps you maintain a clear view of your strengths and areas for improvement, ensuring your culture evolves positively over time.

One customer highlights the value of this approach:
“The data’s great because it tells you where you need to focus. The comments tell you how you need to improve; there’s a ton of really rich data in the comments.” — Samantha Ros, director, team member engagement at Wellstar.

Another customer emphasizes the importance of the Trust Index Survey:
“The Trust Index Survey is a stable, reputable measurement for us, through all the swings of a business.” — Brandy Amidon, co-president and CFO at Brains.

3. Proudly display your badge of honor

Certification comes with a digital badge that serves as a constant reminder of your organization’s achievements. Companies often showcase this badge in hiring campaigns, on social media profiles, job listings, and even in physical office spaces. This badge is an essential starting point for telling your brand story and reflecting the values that shape your employer brand.

Customers have shared their experiences promoting their Certification distinction:
“I loved seeing the engagement on social media. It was a great opportunity for us to remind people about our Great Place To Work Certification.” — Brittany Emond, employer branding at Sephora.

“It was a good opportunity to remind our team that we are Certified and what we achieved to earn Great Place To Work Certification.” — Lynn Borne, Chief Executive Officer, Mad Design Group.

4. Become eligible for top company culture awards

Certification opens doors to greater visibility by making your company eligible for our prestigious Best Workplaces? lists, such as PEOPLE? Companies that Care List, Best Workplaces for Parents? List, and more. These awards not only enhance your employer brand but also provide additional recognition that can attract top talent and improve employee morale.

One customer shares their pride in being recognized:
“We have a lot of pride in being recognized by Great Place To Work. We really believe that it’s important to have a consistent investment across the most important areas of your business. For us, our most important competitive advantage is our talent, and that’s not sometimes. That’s all the time." — Monique Herena, chief colleague experience officer at AMEX.

5. Amplify your employer brand and drive traffic

When your company becomes Great Place To Work Certified, you’re gaining a powerful tool to amplify your employer brand. Every certified company receives a profile page on the Great Place To Work website, which is a key channel for potential new hires to discover your company.

Our customers often see a big boost in web traffic when they promote their Certification — especially at events, conferences, and on their careers page. As job seekers often search “[company name] Great Place to Work Certification,” ensuring they find something positive can make a crucial difference in their decision to apply.

6. Build employee pride and retention

Being Certified by Great Place To Work fosters a sense of pride among employees, which is crucial for engagement and retention. Pride is an essential piece of the employee engagement puzzle. Our research has found that when employees feel proud to work at a company, they are:

six times more likely to endorse their workplace to others.

two times more likely to want to stay with the company for a long time.

Certification shows that your organization is doing something different and that employees are proud to be part of it.

7. Reinforce your company values and culture

Certification runs deeper than external recognition — it’s a strong internal tool for reinforcing your company values and culture. As Heidi Burns, VP of marketing at Flagship Credit Acceptance, explains, “If you continue to tell your team members you are a great place to work, they will continue to make your company a great place to work.”

By celebrating your Certification, you remind employees that they are part of something special and that their contributions are recognized and valued.

One customer shares how celebrating fosters internal dialogue:
“Our favorite part of celebrating Great Place To Work Certification is the internal dialogue we have about why we love where we work!” — Renelle Bedell, VP of operations at Texas Public Charter Schools Association

8. Join a community of other great workplaces

Certification puts your company in good company alongside some of the world’s best workplaces. You’ll also join a vibrant community of like-minded organizations, sharing best practices and celebrating together during events like Certification Nation Day.

On top of that, customers gain special access to our annual For All Summit?, where HR leaders come together to share ideas, learn from top workplaces, and leave inspired with new strategies to enhance their workplace cultures.

One customer highlights the sense of community:
“I just loved the connection to other Certified companies. It’s a community.” — Anessa Russo, manager, employee experience at RB Global.

9. Woo shareholders, customers and other business stakeholders

A high-trust culture, as measured by the Trust Index Survey, is key to earning Certification — and it’s also a driver of better business performance.

More and more, customers choose to support companies that treat their employees well. Shareholders? They’re paying attention too.

Take a look at the numbers: Great Place To Work Certified companies outperform the market average by 19 percentage points (74% vs. 55%). Translation? Building a high-trust culture doesn’t just make employees happy — it also delivers real, measurable ROI. For smaller businesses — especially those with fewer than 500 employees — this kind of growth can be transformational.

And for companies that make the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For? List (which requires Certification), the benefits are even bigger: they outperform the market by nearly four times. Certification is a signal to your customers and shareholders that your company is committed to ethical, sustainable business practices. And in a world that values ESG initiatives more than ever, that’s no small thing.

One customer underscores the impact of Certification on their company’s success:
“Without Great Place To Work, we would not be where we are.” — John Burke, CEO at Trek Bicycle.

Another customer echoes the organization-wide value of partnering with Great Place To Work:
“We take a lot of pride in partnering with Great Place To Work. Our company loves it. It’s our way to continue getting better and thriving together as a business.” — Annette Alexander, chief people officer, WP Engine.

10. Celebrate as a team

Celebrating Certification is more than just a party — it’s a key leadership behavior that fosters connection and reinforces your company’s values. According to Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work, “The most important things to celebrate are the values of the organization and how people help the organization achieve its purpose.”

When you celebrate as a team — whether it’s work anniversaries, personal milestones, or organizational wins — it sends a powerful message to your employees about what truly matters.

Great workplaces reinforce their values when honoring employees for their contributions, which can transform the workplace into a more cohesive, engaged, and fun environment — an experience that drives well-being across all generations.

11. Create goodwill and employee trust

Inviting employees to participate in the Trust Index Survey not only helps you earn Certification but also builds goodwill and trust within your organization. Employees appreciate the opportunity to voice their opinions, and ongoing listening. Consistent and strategic employee listening signals that their happiness and well-being are top priorities.

One customer found that partnering with Great Place To Work confirmed their culture’s strength:
“We always had a hunch that we were on to something special, but it wasn’t until our partnership with Great Place To Work that we had the data to back it up.” — Moe Rice, director of people and culture at Brains.