What makes a company a great place to work? 

Being certified as a Great Place to Work is considered a badge of honour for organizations, as the ranking is based on a research-backed employee survey indicating that people experience a great workplace. Companies are ranked based on: Trust in the people they work for (assessed through employee perceptions of Credibility, Respect, and Fairness); Pride in what they do; and Experience Camaraderie within the company (figure 1). To build and sustain a great place to work, all three sets of relationships must be aligned with each other and the strategic vision and values of the company.

Figure 1: Great Place to Work Trust Model - Source: Research Gate

Credibility - Listen, empathise and provide constructive feedback

All C-level leaders must embrace the commitment to a great workplace. Starting from the top, managers should initiate the practice where every voice is heard and appreciated. Sometimes employees may not cope with all the changes and expectations. Thus, listening and empathising is good ways to start and address the issues. Regular two-way communication and constructive feedback will make employees feel valued and trusted.

Ms. Thanh Le - Director, Ho Chi Minh office, Adecco Vietnam shares her experience: ‘’Happy employees will create happy customers. A people-oriented organisation will lead to long-term customer satisfaction and referrals. Emphasising people over profits leads to success, and that goes for employees as well as customers. That’s why Credibility is highly valued at Adecco Vietnam and we encourage our people to ask any reasonable questions and get a straight answer from any level of management. When bridging this distance, we can make everyone more engaged with the company and lower turnover rate. This practice earns Adecco Vietnam the number one Great Place to Work in Adecco Group APAC.’’

Respect – Care for employees as individuals

High salary is no longer a significant drive for employee performance as today’s workforce values flexibility. According to Adecco Vietnam 2019 Productivity Survey, 83% of employees say that flexible working time and clear expectation from managers will boost their productivity.

Ms. Ha Nguyen - Director, Hanoi Office, Adecco Vietnam recommends: ‘’Managers should encourage staff to write to-do lists weekly, and at the same time provide specific objectives, timeline and KPIs to help employees concentrate on what they need to do. Managers need to trust, respect and empower the employees to make them work together as a tightly integrated team. It has been proven that Adecco’s success comes from Respect factor. In the annual survey of Great Place to work organisation, we score up to 92/100 for ‘Employees can take time off from work when they think it’s necessary. We witnessed that flexibility leads to better business results’’.

Respect is also demonstrated through embracing new ideas and investing in personal learning & development. In Adecco Vietnam Career choice & Motivation Survey, three-fourths of workers admit that lack of motivation affects negatively to their engagement at work. Factors such as no opportunity for growth, not enough good benefits or not comfortable working environment leads to disappointment and reduce work output.  Managers can create plan and road map for every position, as well as develop training programs and activities that boost innovation among employees.

Fairness – Treat people all the same

It is incredibly vital for employees to understand that they have an equal opportunity to be recognised. They should have a sense that everyone is treated the same. In terms of promotion and bonus, companies should construct an entire compensation document which is available for all employees and add transparency and a commitment to equity to the paycheck.

Fairness also implies diversity, which is demonstrated through more opportunities for inclusion in the workplace.  People are highly valued regardless of nationality, gender, race or physical capability. If they can make a positive impact in their role, then it’s only thing that matter. Embracing diversity is a win across the board. It helps drive innovation since people will try and solve problems based on their background and previous experiences. The more diverse the team, the higher the likelihood that a problem is going to be addressed innovatively.

Pride – Make your employees proud of your company for a meaningful purpose

The more employees understand and believe in the “why” behind their work, the more they’ll be driven to go above and beyond. Hence, companies that implement CSR practices successfully are known to have positive employee relations including recruitments, employee morale, engagement and productivity.



The Adecco Win4Youth programme is an initiative involving Adecco’s employees, associates and clients in more than 60 countries worldwide. We partner with Plan International, an independent development and humanitarian organisation. Every hour of sports activity that Adecco participants logging to Win4Youth app are converted into funding for Plan International, supporting and empowering disadvantaged young people to develop the skills and confidence to enter the world of work. 

In 2019, Plan International sponsored the “Fit for the Future” project in Vietnam by giving opportunities to young disadvantaged people to start their careers in IT sector. This program helped 800 underserved young people in Vietnam gain relevant skills in the field of technology, as well as provide opportunities for meaningful lifetime employment. By changing young people’s lives, Adecco employees are genuinely inspired and motivated to contribute to this program. It results in the increment of our Pride score in the Great Place to Work survey from year to year

Camaraderie – Teamwork in a ‘human workplace’ will make the dream work

The sense of camaraderie starts with cultivating the right team. Collaborative teamwork will make people feel they are an integral piece of the organisation. They will find their job more enjoyable and engaging. Corporates should nurture a company culture that is open to relationship building to keep people connected.