Cathal Divilly
CEO, Great Place to Work Ireland
As hybrid work becomes the norm, one thing makes it truly effective: trust. When people feel trusted, both wellbeing and performance improve.
In many organisations, the shift to remote or hybrid working exposed cracks in workplace culture, particularly around trust. Some leaders struggled with the idea that productivity could happen outside the office, leading to increased oversight, micromanagement and monitoring software. These are signs of a low-trust environment, and they don’t support sustainable performance or employee wellbeing.
High-trust cultures driving performance
At Great Place to Work, our research has consistently shown that high-trust workplaces outperform others in business performance, engagement and retention, with Great Place to Work-Certified organisations seeing double the employee retention compared to national averages. In a hybrid context, trust is even more essential. When employees are trusted to manage their own time, work in ways that suit their lives and still meet expectations, employee performance naturally tends to improve, in turn paving the way for an organisation’s overall performance to thrive.
We’ve seen strong examples across Irish organisations where hybrid working works well because trust is built into the culture. Leaders prioritise open communication, set clear expectations and focus on outcomes rather than hours. Team members are given the autonomy to do their best work while staying connected through regular check-ins that are as much about wellbeing as they are about deliverables.
For organisations across Ireland, it’s key
to building a workplace where people
and performance flourish together.
Shifting from low to high trust levels
Building a high-trust environment doesn’t require massive resources; it requires consistent, intentional leadership. It begins with open communication, is sustained by fair and inclusive practices and grows when people feel genuinely respected and empowered to do their best work.
For organisations that may be operating in a low-trust environment, change is possible. With deliberate effort, it’s entirely achievable to move from a culture of control and oversight to one grounded in trust, autonomy and mutual respect.
When trust is embedded in how an organisation operates, it becomes a powerful driver of collaboration, innovation and wellbeing. It unlocks potential, strengthens culture and helps people thrive. For organisations across Ireland, it’s key to building a workplace where people and performance flourish together.
To learn more about building high-trust cultures, visit greatplacetowork.ie
