Join us as we break down the Great Place To Work Effect – and why high‑trust cultures consistently outperform the rest.
In the latest episode of Great Talks, host James Bufton, List and Organisational Trends Manager at Great Place To Work UK, is joined by Luciana Barchet, Principal Consultant, and Abi Animwa, Senior Insights Manager.
Together, they explore a simple but powerful idea: that when organisations intentionally build a high trust workplace, they don’t just create better experiences for people – they unlock stronger business results. This is what we call The Great Place To Work Effect.
Drawing on data from millions of employees worldwide, the conversation unpacks how trust shapes employee experience, how experience scales into culture, and how culture ultimately drives measurable business performance.
Whether you’re a leader, a people professional or simply curious about what really makes organisations thrive, this episode breaks down why trust is a strategic imperative. Listen below:
When trust is high, friction falls away.
Employees collaborate more effectively, feel a stronger sense of belonging, share ideas more freely and are far more able to adapt to change – all of which directly strengthens organisational resilience and performance.
"When people trust their leaders and the organisation, work gets done more efficiently and at a higher level of quality," explains Luciana.
Building trust doesn’t require grand strategies. Consistent behaviours – especially listening without judgement or defensiveness – are what create psychological safety, strengthen culture and unlock discretionary effort.
Repeated over time, those small moments drive big shifts. "The quietest conversations, when truly heard by leaders, can reshape an organisation's culture and performance," Abi notes.
A culture isn’t truly high‑trust if it only works for some people. The Great Place to Work Effect depends on consistent experiences across teams, roles and demographics – because gaps in trust between groups are often what hold back collaboration, innovation and performance at scale.
As Luciana explains, "in simple terms, if a company is great, it needs to be great for everyone, not just on average. And that's ultimately how great places to work for all maximise human potential."