'Our people are our number one asset': Sunday Times honour for award-winning Northern Ireland construction contractor
Gilbert-Ash was named in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work – a UK-wide workplace survey which honours and celebrates top employers across several different sectors
Award-winning Belfast construction and fit out contractor, Gilbert-Ash has been recognised as one of the UK’s leading places to work.
On Friday, Gilbert-Ash was named in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work – a UK-wide workplace survey which honours and celebrates top employers across several different sectors.
The awards use 26 questions developed by behavioural scientists, data analysts, psychologists, business leaders and academics to most accurately monitor employee engagement, wellbeing and discretionary effort in the workplace.
Achieving a high overall engagement score Gilbert-Ash scored strongly across a six-step framework which included reward and recognition, instilling pride, information sharing, empowerment, wellbeing and job satisfaction.
Gilbert-Ash managing director, Ray Hutchinson said he is thrilled that the company has been recognised by such a prestigious publication.
He said: “At Gilbert-Ash our people are our number one asset. They are the reason clients trust us to deliver landmark buildings with many going on to forge long-term relationships across multiple projects.
“We have an ‘as one’ ethos at Gilbert-Ash whereby everyone’s opinion is valued and we all work together with the same goal of delivering outstanding buildings for our clients.
“Being recognised in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work is testament to the culture we have created at Gilbert-Ash making it a welcoming environment to work in and one that also challenges and rewards our brilliant people.”
Gilbert-Ash’s projects have been shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize five times including for the National Portrait Gallery in 2024, the Lyric Theatre in 2012, the Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre in 2013 and in 2021 for Cambridge Central Mosque, with the Everyman Theatre winning the coveted award in 2014.
The company is currently working across several landmark projects including major refurbishments of Tate Liverpool and Theatr Clwyd in Wales and the construction of a new sports facility at Eton College in Windsor.
Zoe Thomas, editor of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, explained: "The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list is the UK’s biggest survey of employee engagement, compiled in partnership with workplace expert WorkL.
“Spanning a raft of sectors and located throughout the UK, the organisations in this year’s list range from innovative start-ups with a handful of employees to big multinational corporations staffed by thousands.
“These organisations know that happy employees are the superpower helping them thrive.”
Gilbert-Ash is currently rolling out its Make Your Mark campaign which seeks to attract the best people in the industry to work there. The campaign shines a light on the calibre of projects Gilbert-Ash works on across several different sectors and celebrates the outstanding achievements of its people.