Great Place To Work began with an unexpected discovery. In 1981, a New York editor asked two business journalists Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz to write a book called ‘The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America’. Though the pair were sceptical they could find 100 companies that would qualify, they agreed, starting a journey that would lead to more than 25 years of researching, recognising, and building great workplaces. What was the core insight uncovered by the extensive research? The key to creating a great workplace was not a prescriptive set of employee benefits, programmes or practices, but the act of building high-quality relationships in the workplace. Relationships characterised by trust, pride, and camaraderie.

These insights led to the foundation of the Great Place To Work® Institute. Business leaders around the world adopted the Institute’s models and methodology as a valuable way to measure and create great workplaces. In 1997, FORTUNE (in the United States) and Exame (in Brazil) partnered with the Institute’s research arm to produce the world’s first ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ workplace rankings.

In 2002, the European Commission engaged Great Place To Work to initiate a government-sponsored Best Companies list competition in 15 European countries as part of their strategy to create successful businesses, desirable workplaces, and thriving economies and communities throughout Europe. Great Place To Work gradually opened doors in 45 countries around the world, including Belgium in 2003, with more growth slated in the years to come.