Great Place to Work Nigeria plans partnerships to introduce global best practices

Having recently taken over the reins in Nigeria, the new Country Director of US-based consultancy Great Place to Work, Gonzalo Shoobridge has revealed that the firm’s strategy going forth will be to partner with Nigerian firms to introduce international best practices for the workplace into the country.

Founded in 1991, Great Place to Work (GPTW) is a California-based research, consulting firm, conceptualised around the ethos that a company’s success is strongly linked to the environment in the workplace. Employee sentiment, in turn, is not only fostered through benefits – monetary or otherwise – but is improved through a collaborative and friendly environment where it is possible to build strong relationships.

Based on these principles, the firm conducts detailed studies of some of the world’s best workplaces, and leverages its findings to work with organisations across the world to design optimal environments in which to operate. GPW currently works with over 5,500 firms across the globe, and its models currently affect more than 10 million employees.

The firm operates all over the world, and its operations on the African continent are controlled from its office in Lagos, Nigeria. Recently, the firm saw a change of leadership for its Nigerian operations, with the former Country Director Michael Thomas vacating his position at the helm, which was filled by Gonzalo Shoobridge.

Shoobridge has a doctorate in management, and has extensive professional experience in the consulting domain, having worked for a decade at Willis Towers Watson. Speaking at an awards ceremony organised by GPTW in Nigeria, Shoobridge made clear his intentions for the future of the firm’s operations in Nigeria – Africa’s largest economy.

“We are bringing best practices here so we can share them with Nigerian organisations that want to become best work places,  because if we improve the workplace, we are going to improve the society as a whole,” said Shoobridge.

Speaking on building an effective work environment, he added “It doesn’t happen in one or two years; it is a continuous improvement process, because the bar is very high. That is why we are going to partner with Nigerian organisations in that journey to becoming best work place.”

He also commented on his future partners in the country, stating “These companies have the courage and confidence to build the kind of workplace where you achieve organisational objectives with employees who give their personal best and work together as a team or family – all in an environment of trust.”