Hearing Healthcare Specialists, Hidden Hearing, named a Great Place to Work
“The investment in good communication and a healthy company culture has been a strong factor in Hidden Hearing addressing the new post-Covid norms around managing employee expectations, wellbeing, talent shortages, and economic challenges, that now loom large in practically every sector.
“We are genuinely delighted at the impact securing Great Place to Work certification has had on team spirit, loyalty and performance,” Stephen Leddy, Managing Director at Hidden Hearing, said at today’s announcement of the latest top businesses to be recognised as a ‘Best Workplace.’
The hearing healthcare specialist is Ireland’s longest-established hearing solutions provider. Opened in 1998, the company now has 25 employees at 13 local clinics throughout Northern Ireland.
The principle of the auditing and employee feedback scheme is that building a great culture is better for people and better for business, according to the Great Place to Work organisation.
Around 10,000 employees working in Ireland participate in the Great Place to Work survey, annually, and their insights across key elements of workplace culture and process, are used to inform better work practices, trust, and relationships.
Hidden Hearing very effectively used the Trust Index Survey to help shape the business for the better, for patients and employees, according to Patricia Garland-Moloney, HR, L&D and Compliance Director.
“Every day our people work with our patients, care for them, and listen to them, so it makes sense to ask our people about their experience of work and to capture their feedback through the Great Place to Work Trust Index Survey. From there we created responsive action plans that helped us improve the experience of work and to capitalise on what we do best, which, in turn, has helped us achieve our goals,” Patricia Garland-Moloney says.
€150m Market
The hearing healthcare market in Ireland is potentially worth about €150m. Hidden Hearing operates largely on reputation and trust, and existing patient referrals, for business growth.
Stephen Leddy says that employees’ level of patient care and professionalism essentially drives new business.
“Customer confidence and trust in our people is crucial. In the Irish population, around 17%, 850,000 people, will have some sort of hearing difficulty, and most are reluctant to do anything about it. Reassurance from our committed team makes all the difference.”
Congratulating Hidden Hearing on the company award, the Great Place to Work chief executive, Cathal Divilly, said that essential communication, good performance, and supporting managers to become high-trust leaders is key.
“Organisations need to build trust, and a compelling culture and employer brand, if they want that unique edge to attract the best talent. Great Place to Work organisations consistently outperform typical workplaces in productivity, retention, and recruitment measures.”
The Great Place to Work employee survey gives leaders the feedback, real-time reporting, and insights they need to make effective, data-driven people decisions, Divilly maintains.
According to Hidden Hearing’s Patricia Garland-Moloney, understanding that the key to success is people, means the company constantly looks for ways to improve employee engagement.
“We are fully committed to employee engagement, delivering the best standards in learning and development, and creating space for continuous collaboration. By doing these things, everyone knows the company’s purpose and vision, namely to provide life-changing hearing healthcare, and the importance of their role in achieving our purpose. We achieve our goals by living our Hidden Hearing core values.”