Boot's plans to use intuition to pull ahead in the market place, according to Debbie Smith, MD of Boots, Ireland. One of four candidates shortlisted by Great Place to Work as 'Irelands Most Trusted Leader' 2012, Smith said the company is now focussed on hiring and rewarding employees who will truly care for, and act in, the interests of their customers.

The British consumer pharmacy chain is a big operation with 115,500 employees in 25 countries and revenues of €26 billion. In Ireland, Smith oversees an operation of 71 stores and 1,900 employees. A long time employee of the company, she described her current role as “the job I’ve loved the most in 26 years.”

Trust is an increasingly scarce commodity in the business world, and now more than ever, leaders who develop high-trust relationships within their organisations outshine the competition, according to GPTW co-founder Amy Lyman in her new book, 'The Trustworthy Leader'.

Amy was interviewed on Newstalk 106's Breakfast Show on 22nd March 2012 before delivering the closing keynote at our recent Great Workplace conference. 

I recently came across an article in the Motley Fool that reiterated what we here at Great Place to Work® have been saying all along- a great workplace makes for a successful business.

The article, Do Happy Employees Make Happy Shareholders written by John Maxfield, begins with a brief history of labor in the United States.