A conversation between Dietmar Knoess, CHRO at Puma, and David Plink, CEO at Top Employers Institute
Puma’s secret to their people-first culture and sustainable HR practices
Puma’s secret to their people-first culture and sustainable HR practices
Puma has achieved a remarkable milestone in 2025. They are Certified as a Top Employer on a Global and Enterprise level while also reaching the phenomenal achievement of being Certified in all 50 countries where they operate. This accomplishment underscores Puma’s unwavering commitment to fostering a people-first culture and sustainable HR practices. David Plink, CEO at Top Employers Institute, sat down with Dietmar Knoess, CHRO at Puma, to uncover Puma’s secret to their people-first culture and sustainable people practices.
How Puma respond to the challenges of the
The future is not something that HR teams can predict anymore. As Dietmar explained to David in their conversation, “We need to live with the new fact that we can’t predict the future anymore. We can hardly affect the next twelve months. That means that you need to be on your toes.” This sentiment shows how critical it is for Puma, an organisation that prioritises its people-first culture, to be proactive in facing the challenges of a changing business landscape. He continued, “You need to make quick decisions and communicate it to your organisation quickly.” That is the role that HR plays at Puma.
While Puma always felt that they had an exceptional HR team able to react to the challenges of the market, they wanted an unbiased assessment of their practices. That is where the Top Employers Certification helped Puma. It offers Puma validation of their people practices. It gives them access to benchmarking and analytics to improve their practices yearly, enabling them to stay competitive in the talent market.
This global recognition as a Top Employer celebrates Puma’s achievements and reinforces its commitment to continuous improvement and employee satisfaction. By fostering a culture that values and supports its employees, Puma sets a benchmark for excellence in the industry —allowing them to execute their goal of being Forever.Faster.
For more insights into Puma’s journey as a Top Employer, you can watch the entire conversation between Dietmar and David. You will be able to get a look into:
How Puma attracts, retains and engages top talent in a competitive talent market.
The biggest challenges shaping the future of work and how HR teams can respond to these challenges.
And what it means to lead the market with sustainable HR practices and policies.
How Postbank is accelerating its talent strategy with AI-powered innovation
Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into HR practices can be daunting for many organisations, especially those with advanced practices and policies. The promise of enhanced efficiency, personalisation, and innovation often clashes with practical hurdles like adapting legacy systems, ensuring user adoption, and maintaining a human touch in recruitment.
Certified Top Employer Postbank has embraced this challenge and turned it into an opportunity to lead by example. By leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies like the AI Story Builder, AI CV Assistant, and AI Interview Trainer, Postbank has redefined its approach to recruitment and talent development. These tools have transformed their gamified career website into a hub of personalised and dynamic candidate experiences, setting a new standard in the industry.
This is just a snapshot of Postbank’s innovative best practice; you can find the entire practice in our HR Best Practices database, which is exclusively available to Top Employers. Get inspiration and insight into the approach, challenges, and learnings from leading organisations. As a Top Employer, you can now access the complete best practice via thePortal. If you are not yet Certified,learn more about it here!
Reimagining Recruitment with Generative AI
Postbank’s AI Story Builder, AI CV Assistant, and AI Interview Trainer all use generative AI, like ChatGPT, to power these three AI features on its career site. These tools align seamlessly with the bank’s HR strategy, which prioritises gamification and personalisation. By openly embracing these priorities and using new technologies, Postbank is committed to candidate care and innovation in improving the workplace environment.
Why Postbank see AI as the future
Postbank’s strategic decision to implement AI began from a need to tackle the common challenges of recruiting younger talent. The banking industry has been known to struggle with recruiting young people because of its perception of being overly conservative. Postbank, one of Bulgaria’s leading banks, wanted to counteract this view proactively and for their organisation, AI tools provided a fresh perspective by:
Supporting candidates in highlighting their unique strengths, even when they lack traditional experience.
Shifting the focus from past roles to key skills essential for career success.
Encouraging flexible thinking and skills development in applicants.
Yordanka Kostova Postbank`s Director Talent Management & Employer Branding, further explained that some of the reasons they chose to implement AI in their recruitment were inspired by “[several previous] who, despite initially lacking the conventional education or experience for a given role, have demonstrated skills and qualities that have led to their success. These stories have inspired us to embrace innovation and align with the growing trend that skills are the new currency. As part of this, we are introducing AI-driven tools designed to assess and develop candidates’ specific skills, helping unlock their full potential.”
Innovative AI-Powered Features
In the first quarter of 2024, Postbank unveiled its new AI tools as part of a broader strategy to attract interns and young professionals during its annual Internship Programme. Here’s more on each feature:
1. AI Story Builder:
Empowers candidates to share personal stories that highlight their strengths.
Offers personalised feedback and analysis, allowing candidates to create a skill-based profile beyond the traditional CV.
2. AI CV Assistant
Guides candidates in crafting more effective and tailored CVs.
Provides technical and personalised feedback to improve chances of success in job applications.
Enhances the overall candidate experience by helping applicants understand how to present their skills more effectively.
3. AI Interview Trainer
Simulates realistic interview scenarios to help candidates prepare.
Offers tailored suggestions for improvement and boosts confidence.
You can also discover more about Postbank’s AI tools on their careers page!
Gamification Meets Personalisation
Postbank has also harnessed AI, Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) to create engaging and interactive experiences for candidates and new employees. These include:
Career Quiz Game: An intergalactic journey on their career site to help users find the best roles for them.
VR Recruitment Experience: A hybrid quiz and tennis gameplay inspired by their brand ambassador, tennis star Grigor Dimitrov.
VR & AROnboarding – gamified experience with different modules of interactivelearning content
Viber Chatbot: Bulgaria’s first career chatbot on Viber for talent attraction, integrated into Postbank’s recruitment platform.
Results of Postbank’s AI strategy
Postbank’s efforts in their AI strategy have not gone unnoticed. They earned gold at the Employer Brand Stars Awards 2024 for “Use of Digital” and “Candidate Experience” and at the Employer of Choice Awards 2024 for “Innovation in Selection.
Martin Stanoev, an intern at Postbank, shared his opinion of the organisation’s decision to implement AI features on its website. He shared that “the AI assistants on Postbank’s website are highly effective tools for job applicants. They operate intuitively, assisting prospective employees in preparing their applications. My preferred tool is a story builder; I can possiblyuse it in other areas as well. The AI Interview Assistant is also invaluable, as it helps me anticipate various scenarios during an interview.”
Additionally, as part of Postbank’s Summer Internship Programme, they hosted a series of webinars on “AI Tools for Career Development”. They found that the data reflected a positive reception of their AI tools. Some of the feedback they received included:
85% of participants rated their experience with the AI assistants as “excellent” or “very good.”
90% indicated they would use the AI assistants again.
95% said they would recommend the AI tools to others.
Postbank’suse of AI is an excellent example of crafting a recruitment experience that is personalised, innovative, and aligned with the expectations of a tech-savvy workforce. Postbank is building a more inclusive and forward-thinking recruitment process by focusing on skills and potential rather than traditional criteria. Postbank’s AI initiatives showcase how technology can bridge the gap between employer needs and candidate aspirations, ensuring a brighter future for both.
It is exciting to know that they aren’t stopping there. Silviya S. Todorova, Postbank’s Employer Branding Project Manager shared, “We are definitely exploring new opportunities to enhance the project further, with a focus on integrating advanced technologies such as AI, AR, and VR. By combining these innovations, we aim to create even more immersive and impactful tools that will drive our AI efforts forward and strengthen our position as an attractive employer for young talent. These technologies offer exciting potential for transforming talent development and employee engagement in ways that resonate with the next generation of professionals.”
Postbank’s top recommendations
As we close our look at Postbank’s innovative best practice we want to leave you with some inspirational tips for organisations and HR teams looking to follow in their footsteps.
When we asked Postbank to reflect on their journey and anything they would’ve done differently,Silviya shared, “If we could go back in time, one thing we would focus on earlier is aligning our AI initiative more closely with user feedback from the start. While we did gather insights throughout the process, involving end-users – students, interns, and young professionals – right from the idea stage would have helped us tailor the tools more precisely to their needs. One of our biggest hurdles was ensuring that the AI assistants were intuitive and accessible for a diverse group of users with varying levels of tech-savviness. Another challenge was gaining buy-in from stakeholders, which required demonstrating the tangible benefits of AI in talent development and career progression.”
Yordanka Kostova, Director of Talent Management & Employer Branding at Postbank, shared, “Our advice is to create a successful synergy between people and technology. It’s essential to integrate the HR mission into every aspect of the organisation—this is the foundation for success. Every employee has the potential to be an ambassador for your company, and technology offers tremendous opportunities to support and amplify this. Embracing this approach can drive both innovation and engagement across the board.”
Remember that this article does not provide a complete look at Postbank’s inventive practice. You can find the entire best practice exclusively on the TopEmployers Portal. If you aren’t a Top Employer yet, learn more about how you can accessyour one-stop online source of practical and proven HR Best Practices as implemented by Certified Top Employers across the globe. Build a better world of work with us as the #1 global authority on HR strategies and deliver excellent people practices with proven business impact as you attract, engage and retain top talent.
The journey to become an employer of choice with the Zahid Group
“Employer branding is just the end result. It’s all about the culture and people being proud of working here. [Becoming a] Top Employer is a way to express this.” – Amr W. Zawawi, Zahid Group Director – HRD.
Zahid Group, a Certified Top Employer, wanted its employees to seamlessly connect their Top Employers Certification status to the company’s unique culture. While most organisations’ websites start by introducing their products, Zahid Group has a different approach. They introduce themselves first by talking about their employees. You will see on their website that the first sentence sets their people-first culture: “Zahid Group is a Certified Top Employer”.
The group’s long-standing commitment to employee wellbeing and development initially led it to obtain the Top Employers Certification in Saudi Arabia. It was an “easy decision” for them as it aligned with their shared values and strategies.
When they became Top Employers, they had three goals:
Measure their HR practices in a structured way to improve and progress.
Make sure practices are the same in all countries due to geographical expansion.
Benchmark against best in class, globally.
Download the value story for free and discover their complete story to learn how:
The Top Employers Certification process has contributed to Zahid Group’s internal efficiencies, and their KPIs for the average time to fill a position has decreased by 24%.
How the international standardisation of Zahid’s HR practices has contributed to their organisational structure and governance score of 92% and maximised their regional reach to 100%.
The overall business impact of the Top Employers Certification to Zahid Group’s employees.
Meet the 2025 Top Employers: See what excellence looks like in 2025
The world of work is ever-changing, but one constant remains, exceptional organisations lead with their people. We are thrilled to unveil the 2025 Top Employers and introduce you to the organisations setting the standard for excellent HR practices in 2025.
We are proud to announce that over 2,400 Top Employers have been Certified in 2025 across 125 countries and regions with over 13 million lives impacted. This recognition underscores these organisations’ commitment to fostering outstanding HR strategies and people practices globally.
As the global authority in recognising excellence in people practices, Top Employers Programme certifies organisations based on the results of their HR Best Practices Survey. This survey covers six HR domains and 20 topics, including People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Diversity and Inclusion, Wellbeing, and more.
The journey to become a Top Employer is no small feat. It requires a steadfast commitment to continuous improvement and a holistic approach to HR practices. The Certification Programme requires organisations to undergo a rigorous process that ensures that the most exceptional organisations’ commitment to excellence is reflected in their achievement of attaining their Top Employers Certification.
As we celebrate our 2025 Top Employers, David Plink our CEO has some words that expand on what this year’s Certified organisations embody: “Consistency in a not-so-consistent world? In a time of constant change—where technological, economic, and social shifts are ever-present—exceptional times bring out the best in people and organisations. This year’s Top Employers have showcased this strength, by demonstrating outstanding dedication to their employees. We are proud to celebrate these companies and their achievements in 2025.”
There are several approaches and recognition options available to potential Top Employers to ensure there’s a path to Certification for organisations of different structures, sizes, and geographic footprints. Those different paths are distinguished by different globally recognised Certification Seals that Top Employers can receive. The different Certification Seals include the Country/region Seal, Regional Seal, Global Seal and Enterprise Seal.
Global Top Employers are organisations that participate in a minimum number of countries (20 to 25 depending on several regional certifications) and regions (certified in three or four regions) including the global headquarters. Becoming a Global Top Employer signifies an organisation’s commitment to globally aligned excellent people practices.
These are the organisations that are globally Certified as leaders in HR for their outstanding HR strategies and people practices:
This is your chance to meet the organisations setting the new benchmark for 2025.
Discover the Top Employers Certification Programme and explore how we can enable your organisation with our data-led insights to stand out as an employer of choice.
Ready to start your Top Employers journey? Learn more about the benefits of becoming a Top Employer. Contact us now.
Best practice | Yettel Bulgaria’s second shift programme
One of the strategic priorities of Yettel Bulgaria’s People and Culture long-term strategy is to position the organisation as an attractive employer among young people in Bulgaria. To this end, the company has school and university partnerships, specialised internships, and other initiatives that bridge the gap between its organisation and younger generations. One programme that they are particularly proud of is their Second Shift Programme, which is one-of-a-kind in the Bulgarian market.
This is just a snapshot of Yettel Bulgaria’s innovative best practice; you can find the entire practice in our HR Best Practices database, which is exclusively available to Top Employers. Get inspiration and insight into the approach, challenges and learnings experienced by certified Top Employers. Access it now via the Top Employers Programme if you are Certified or learn more about it here!
Why the practice was needed
Yettel’s ambition was to design a programme that remains relevant to the children of Yettel employees. It aimed to support their career orientation, give them a competitive advantage in the labour market, and build “Yettel Brand Ambassadors” among young talent.
Yettel Teen Academy and Second Shift programmes are designated for the children and close relatives of Yettel Bulgaria employees aged 12 to 18. The end goal is to help participants gain practical experience in a real work environment and teach them more about the place where their parents work. In participating, they also gain some basic knowledge of diverse business fields, including project management, efficient communication, and ESG work.
Yettel Bulgaria’s unique programme is situated well in the local market, addressing the gap between education and real business.
An additional benefit of the Second Shift programme is the support it provides to the business during vacation periods, such as summer months, with assistance in entry-level administrative tasks.
How the practice was implemented
The Second Shift Programme is an initiative for the children of Yettel Bulgaria’s employees. It aims to support their career orientation and position Yettel as an attractive employer among Bulgarian young people.In 2023, the organisation held its third edition of the programme, and it welcomed 64 participants between 12 and 18 years of age—all of them children or close relatives of Yettel employees who gained real-world work experience in a chosen field.During their four-week paid assignment, the youngsters had the opportunity to work with professionals from different units on real small-scale projects. Each participant had a mentor who supported the students during the programme. In 2023, Yettel expanded the Second Shift Programme by introducing Yettel Teen Academy, which covers a wider age group: 11 to 14-year-olds who, in the span of one week, have the opportunity to learn more about the different units in the company and the needed skills for their future careers.Participants are split into two groups, depending on their age. During the first week, the children between fifth and sixth grade had the opportunity to spend half a day with colleagues from different units, gaining knowledge about the company and the needed skills for their future careers, such as presentation skills, communication skills, Project Management skills, etc.The same content was adjusted slightly for the older age group – seventh to twelfth grade – and presented during the programme’s second week.All the sessions are part of the different modules of the programme and were delivered by company volunteers and fellow Yettel employees. In this programme and other initiatives, Yettel Bulgaria strives to put employees in the centre when designing and implementing HR projects; their needs are prioritised in both professional and personal life.
Results of the practice
During the programme’s first year, 15 participants were registered between fifth and sixth grade and 49 young people between seventh and twelfth grade. Since then, the programme has expanded further.Based on the positive feedback and the increased engagement that this initiative provides, the programme acts as a statement that is part of their HR projects portfolio and has been a proud winner in various national employer branding awards.
Insights from the People Summit 2024
Today, 84% of the organisations are defining a vision for how technology contributes to the overall employee experience. That was the focus of the People Summit 2024, hosted by SAP and the Top Employers Institute, which took place on June 12, 2024, at the SAP Labs Campus in Bengaluru, Whitfield in India.
And we’re delighted to share some of the resources shared during the People Summit:
World of Work Trends 2024
Top Employers Institute’s World of Work Trends 2024 analyses the latest trends in people strategies and practices from leading organisations globally. In the report, our analysis showed five significant trends affecting workplaces in 2024. Those trends are:
Empower through AI
The Future Defined with Purpose
Dialogue for Transformation
Evolution of Wellbeing Effectiveness
Broaden the Horizon of DEI
These trends were unpacked by Adrian Seligman, Executive Board Member at the Top Employers Institue. You can download the report here, and watch Adrian’s Keynote here:
Throughout the People Summit, insights were shared by SAP which also featured many insights from the research they’re doing into the future of work. SAP have identified future of work trends three strategic dimensions. You can access an array of resources shared by SAP during the conference here:
Future-Proofing HR: Trends and Transformations in India
The People Summit also featured a wonderful panel discussion on future-proofing HR and discussing trends and transformations in the Indian Landscape. On the panel was Kavita Kurup, Global Head HR and Corporate Communications at UST, Shilpy Sharma, Regional HR Head at Empower, Kiran Sn, Vice President – HR, HCLTech, Shweta Mohanty, Head of Human Resources: India at SAP and Billy Elliott, Regional Director Asia-Pacific, Top Employers Institute.
They addressed the integration of technology, the distinction and enhancement of employee experience vs. engagement, the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DE&I), and strategies for skills development and talent management.
Key points included:
Technological Integration: Shilpy Sharma highlighted the evolving role of technology in HR, emphasizing advancements that boost organizational efficiency while considering potential drawbacks like job displacement and privacy concerns.
Employee Experience vs. Engagement: Kavita Kurup differentiated between the two concepts, sharing successful UST initiatives to enhance both through personalized approaches and flexible work arrangements.
Skills Development and Talent Management: Kiran SN discussed HCLTech’s approach to upskilling and reskilling, aligning talent initiatives with strategic goals, and addressing challenges like budget and time constraints.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity: Shweta Mohanty shared effective strategies and impactful programs at SAP to promote DE&I, acknowledging challenges like unconscious bias and tokenism.
Earlier this year, Top Employers Institute proudly announced that over 2 300 Top Employers had received the Top Employers Certification in 2024. Those Top Employers were recognised across 121 countries and regions.
In June, we are excited to share that 58 new Regional Top Employers and one European Top Employer joined our global community of organisations committed to excellence in people practices. This recognition underscores these organisations’ commitment to fostering outstanding HR strategies and people practices globally.
As the global authority in recognising excellence in people practices, the Top Employers Institute Certification Programme is an extensive process involving an independently audited and fact-based HR Best Practices Survey and validation to ensure truthful answers.
In 2023 and 2024, organisations and leaders had much to consider, with many things in flux. David Plink, CEO of Top Employers Institute, observed: “In a world where geopolitical, societal, and macro-economic developments follow each other in rapid succession, the Top Employers 2024 are showing once again that they are a beacon of stability and reliability. Top Employers have shown that despite turbulent times, their focus remains on creating the best workplace possible for their people to thrive.”
When asked what makes a Top Employer, David Plink shared: “In my 16 years with the company, there are two characteristics that I have observed consistently within the members of the Top Employers community. First, certified Top Employers go above and beyond for their people. They are the embodiment of people focus. Secondly, not a single Top Employer got certified without always striving for more. To learn, to become better and to stay curious at all times. People-focused and a growth mindset. It sounds so simple in summary, but it takes a lot to consistently live up to these principles.”
See the full list of the newly Certified Top Employers, below:
We caught up with Gabi Sanchez, Managing Director at certified Top Employer Verisure UK who reveals how they retain talent in a competitive market, the fantastic wellbeing initiatives in place, and how the organisation utilises AI to enhance DEI within its recruitment processes and to boost efficiency and productivity across the board.
Introduce yourself and tell us about your organisation
My name is Gabi Sanchez, I am the Managing Director of Verisure UK. We are the leading European provider of professionally monitored security systems. We are proud to protect over 5 million customers in 17 countries in Europe and Latin America. Our mission is to bring peace of mind to families and small business owners by providing them with the best security solutions and services.
What makes Verisure UK a Top Employer?
We recognise the importance of continuous career development and wellbeing. Our initiatives are constantly evolving to allow our colleagues to grow both professionally and personally. We are delighted to offer a range of training and development courses, weekly check-ins, and annual career discussions to empower colleagues to reach their full potential.
We believe that personal wellbeing is critical to the overall growth of our colleagues, we offer a comprehensive employee benefits package to improve our colleague’s well-being, including private medical insurance, pension, flexible working, health and wellbeing programmes, away days, financial advisors, a day off for birthdays and many more.
Additionally, we have created spaces that foster a collaborative and innovative work environment. Our offices are designed to enhance productivity and satisfaction, with amenities such as subsidised canteen, games room and break out spaces in our Newcastle Centre of Excellence.
What is the biggest people challenge your business faces in 2024? And what will you do to meet this challenge?
One of our challenges revolves around talent retention and development in a competitive market. As one of the UK’s leading monitored alarm companies, we recognise the critical role our employees play in delivering exceptional service and driving innovation. As a result, we are continuously investing in tailored training, competitive benefits packages, providing clear career paths, and addressing feedback to retain top talent and remain competitive.
Tell us about a recent HR initiative you have instigated within your organisation that you are most proud of?
We are immensely proud of the initiatives we have implemented. One standout initiative is our Mental Health First Aiders program, a vital support system for colleagues navigating mental health challenges. This program cultivates an environment where individuals feel supported and empowered to seek assistance, resulting in improved mental health and overall wellbeing throughout our workplace. Furthermore, we extend a 24-hour counselling service through Aviva, ensuring that our team members have access to professional support whenever they need it.
How is AI affecting your business?
AI has become a transformative force in our business, impacting our people practices in different ways. One notable aspect is our utilisation of AI tools to enhance diversity and inclusion within our recruitment processes. We employ an AI tool to ensure gender-neutral language in our job ads, mitigating unconscious biases and promoting equal opportunities for all candidates. In addition, we’ve implemented an AI tool called Co-Pilot, which streamlines our work processes and workflows, allowing our teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than repetitive administrative tasks. By automating routine processes, we’ve been able to boost efficiency and productivity across the board.
Which wellbeing offerings in your business are proving the most popular with employees? And which are proving the most effective in terms of their impact?
Our flexible working opportunities and private healthcare are two of the most popular and impactful wellbeing offerings among our employees.
Our colleagues are given the flexibility to work remotely from home or abroad or simply adjust their hours to suit their schedule depending on their role. This plays a huge role improving work-life balance and maintaining high satisfaction levels. Additionally, our private healthcare offering has been incredibly popular. It has had a significant positive effect on our employees’ well-being. Our private healthcare option contributes to better overall health and morale within the team, and we continue to receive positive feedback on both fronts.
Have you any new DEI initiatives you can tell us about that help you tap into fresh sources of talent?
We have several DEI initiatives that help us tap into fresh sources of talent both internally and externally. This year, one of the exciting outcomes from our DEI roundtable is the launch of an internal job fair. This allows us to tap into fresh sources of talent within our existing workforce and promote internal mobility. It also provides an opportunity for our colleagues to meet colleagues from different departments and discover different opportunities that they didn’t know is available to them.
What’s next? Tell us about a new initiative/project for 2024 that you’re most excited about?
This year brings a wave of exciting new initiatives and roles. We are on the lookout for talented individuals, who would like to grow with our company. The roles currently available include customer service representatives, sales executives to Alarm Receiving Centre Ambassadors and many more. We offer extensive on the job training and a supportive work environment that empowers individuals to thrive and advance their careers. We’re also launching thrilling new initiatives, such as new television campaigns, so people can expect to see a lot more of our branding throughout the year!
Best Practice | Conscious Leadership Builds an Inclusive and Effective Culture at Boehringer Ingelheim
At Boehringer Ingelheim Mexico, leaders are crucial for shaping a culture where all employees can feel a sense of belonging within the organisation. As role models, they help to set the scene and show that diversity and inclusion are priorities. For the organisation, the meaning of diversity refers to diversity of thought, while inclusion is how they bring different perspectives and ideas together for innovation.
This best practice focuses on developing a new generation of inclusive leaders through a series of targeted training modules to enable them to foster psychological safety at all organisational levels and identify issues arising from micro-aggressions, harassment, discrimination, and unconscious biases. The basis for this transformation was a “Conscious Business Leadership Programme,” an Unconscious Bias e-learning course, and Psychological Safety & Speak Up workshops.
This is just a snapshot of Boehringer Ingelheim’s innovative best practice. You can find the entire practice in our HR Best Practices database, which is exclusively available to Top Employers. Get inspiration and insight into the approach, challenges and learnings experienced by certified Top Employers. Access it now via the Top Employers Programme if you are certified or learn more about it here!
Why the practice was needed
Culture and leadership are inextricably linked: consciously or unconsciously, leaders foster the values and beliefs that underpin an organisation’s culture and imprint values and assumptions that persist for decades. An organisation’s leaders can also shape culture over time through their conscious and unconscious behaviours.
Boehringer Ingelheim Mexico recognises that being able to promote their organisation as one where different genders, identities, races, ages, and backgrounds are celebrated is directly linked to increased employee engagement, innovation, and productivity. Prioritising diversity and inclusion training at all levels, but especially for the role models who lead organisational culture, is key to facilitating true inclusivity. Without engaged leadership, such activities can become nothing more than corporate speak.
How the practice was implemented
Boehringer Ingelheim Mexico has implemented a Leadership Journey that includes comprehensive D&I training. Traditionally, in business, leaders are often selected based on their individual success. At Boehringer Ingelheim Mexico, developing leadership skills goes beyond technical skills; the ethical aspect of leadership has become imperative. Leaders are asked to grow in their roles in a human sense.
These programmes aim to evoke the internal commitment of the team members to accomplish the organisation’s mission with effectiveness and integrity. It means doing so with the understanding that their team members are human beings who will only do their best if they are inspired, feel safe, and believe they are truly included and have a sense of belonging in the organisation.
All leaders in the company are required to participate in training programmes to ensure that they all operate from the same basis for managing talent within the organisation. For D&I, their Leadership Journey includes four programmes:
Unconscious Bias e-Learning accessible through an online D&I channel
Psychological Safety & Speak Up leadership workshops
People Growth + Diversity & Inclusion + Belonging: D&I topics as part of management are addressed during the mandatory training for Boehringer Ingelheim leaders. The training includes skills and tools for communication, feedback, and feedforward.
Conscious Business Leadership Programme: developed and presented in conjunction with Fred Kofman, a renowned Executive Coach and Advisor on leadership and culture and Founder of the Conscious Business Center. Over the course of 32 weeks, leaders engage in learning about the following topics: leadership, culture, communication, responsibility, humility, collaboration, resolution (honesty), coordination (commitments), essentialism, co-evaluation (feedback), emotions, meditation, perspectives (empathy), stoicism (flourishing), teamwork, coaching, capitalism (ethics), anti-capitalism (justice), and the West (economy and citizenship).
The web platform, for leaders and direct reports, was created on the company’s intranet. This space is available to ensure that employees are able to find all the information they need and more to reinforce an open, just and equitable culture. In this way, leaders have access to information from anywhere, at any time, to be able to effectively address issues such as micro-aggressions, bullying, discrimination, etc.
The Conscious Business Leadership Programme was designed and aligned with the company’s corporate competencies, behaviours and code of ethics, allowing Boehringer Ingelheim Mexico’s leaders (Directors, Senior Management and Middle Management) to put the organisation’s philosophy and values into practice on a daily basis within their teams. Their leaders learn to manage by improving effectiveness, caring for collaborative relationships with their team and peers, as well as promoting the welfare of all involved.
Leadership is divided into three cohorts, and the programme is tailored accordingly. Thereafter, the training is cascaded throughout the organisation. Those three cohorts are:
Cohort 1: Senior Leadership
Cohort 2 and 3: Leaders across the business functions
The results of the practice:
To measure the effectiveness of this best practice, a global survey is undertaken annually across Boehringer Ingelheim countries, totalling 54 000 employees. Each country has its own results and a comparison with the global results. Below are a selection of the results Boehringer Ingelheim Mexico has obtained that are directly related to the leadership development trainings and coaching discussed in this best practice:
86% agree that leaders work effectively with people who are different from themselves.
93% agree that people are treated with respect in Boehringer Ingelheim, regardless of their job, level, etc.
98% agree that the values of Boehringer Ingelheim and the principles of the Code of Conduct support employees in their work on a day-to-day basis.
Notable Quotes:
“No matter what position you hold in the company, you can make a huge impact with what you say and how you say it.” Luis Carlos Pérez, Director of Communication
“Regardless of position or rank, lets demand that we work with the principles of Conscious Business. It is the most efficient and fastest way to establish a conscious business culture.” Augusto Muench, CEO
How to Build a Strong Company Culture in a Global Organisation with NTT Data
Every organisation has a culture, whether it was intentionally or passively created. A healthy workplace culture is one of the fundamental elements of a successful company. In today’s global landscape, businesses extend their operations across borders and cultivate diverse workforces. Developing and maintaining a strong culture in this context presents some unique challenges. A positive work environment benefits a company in numerous ways, which is why it is essential to build that culture rather than leave it to chance.
During our insightful conversation filled with personal anecdotes at the 2023 Top Employers Inspire event, Kim Curley, VP of People & Organisation at NTT DATA, shared valuable perspectives and actionable strategies on the art of crafting and nurturing a strong corporate culture. Kim’s role is unique in that she’s responsible for NTT DATA’s internal change management process and for the organisation’s consultancy services in that space, which she called “the personal side of business where all the wonderful messy, human things happen.” Experiencing change from the inside and managing it as a third party for other organisations has given her great insight into how to successfully build a strong culture.
Crafting a Culture
Like many companies, NTT DATA re-evaluated its priorities and values during the massive societal and workplace changes brought on by the pandemic. Kim explained, “We had been through a tremendous amount of change in the past three years and we wanted to assess what aspects of our culture had weakened that we needed to strengthen.” Trust, community, and success were the three values identified through their discussions.
The next step was deciding how to strengthen those values in their workplace culture. Kim shared that the discussion began with a guiding question: “How do we define these values that make us special and make us a place where people want to come work and a place that clients want to hire?” Three strategies emerged as important aspects of crafting their culture.
Involve employees in developing initiatives around the three core values. If culture is not built from the ground up, it will be very difficult to enforce it from the top down.
Create a social accountability contract. Foster a sense of responsibility among employees to embody and uphold the core values.
Anchor to a career coach model. Resources extend beyond hierarchical, mentor-like relationships to help employees develop across the different roles they hold as consultants and over the arc of their careers.
Changing people’s mindsets is one of organisations’ most significant challenges when implementing new initiatives. “It takes a tremendous amount of energy not only from the people trying to encourage the change but also from the brave souls trying to make the change. That’s always the hardest part, to be a supporter and to step into that new space,” said Kim. This process was an excellent opportunity to lean on the social accountability contract and encourage employees to support one another as they adapted.
Silos
Silos are another familiar challenge companies face, and this challenge becomes even more pronounced when a company operates on a global scale. One of the significant problems posed by silos is their potential to impede the growth of a company-wide culture. To confront this issue head-on, Kim’s team developed a proactive strategy. She described their process, “We look at what our company values mean for each team. What can be done to make these values come to life in our individual geographies, business units, and ways of working?” For example, the community looks very different for a team co-located in the same geographic area with an office space than for a remote team working from different countries. Community is equally essential in both scenarios, though initiatives to cultivate a sense of community will look very different.
Organisational Hurdles
Aligning policies and procedures with company culture is essential to NTT DATA’s success. “When you’re trying to change culture, one of the things that will trip you up the fastest is if the organisational elements of your business do not support the cultural change,” Kim said to elaborate on this point. Changes to a company’s infrastructure have far-reaching effects and can either support or hinder how the culture evolves. Therefore, it is critical to be intentional about company policies and structure them in a way that supports the culture.
Kim compared their approach to caring for a garden to summarise how her team fosters a strong company culture. “You have to constantly nurture it to help it grow and be very aware of what you add to it,” she explained. Ultimately, a positive company culture is a constant work in progress. Although building it requires time and effort, the long-lasting benefits are immense. Low turnover rates, boosted productivity, and high morale are all results that help a company achieve success.
One of the things I enjoyed most about our discussion was hearing about Kim’s personal experience with NTT DATA’s cultural changes and how those changes impacted her daily workflow and her relationships with colleagues. I encourage readers to check out our full conversation for even more insights and a personal perspective on what a strong culture can mean to employees.
Haier Europe: Elevating its People Practices with the Top Employers Programme
About Haier Europe
Haier Europe is a global leader in home appliances and consumer electronics, recognised for 15 consecutive years as the world’s No.1 brand globally in major appliances, selling under the Candy, Hoover and Haier brands. The organisation comprises of 750 colleagues in the UK&I and 100,000 globally.
Haier Europe’s Top Employers Journey
Haier Europe had been on an improvement journey, investing heavily in people systems, processes and benefits and whilst colleagues inside the business would have seen the transformation, they wanted to receive external recognition in order to attract great talent, and give candidates the confidence to know that they had been certified by an external, independent validation process. They therefore joined the Top Employers Certification Programme, and following completion of the HR Best Practices Survey and Validation Process, were certified as a UK Top Employer 2023.
Elevating its People Practices
“We have definitely seen the profile of our employer brand increase, we see our candidate numbers are very strong and our retention figures are improving in key areas, but the most important outcome from joining the Top Employers Programme is that it has really made Haier Europe a better workplace for our colleagues because it has given us the impetus and direction to keep improving.” Matthew Given, Group HR Director UK & Ireland, Haier Europe
Having achieved Top Employer Certification in year one, the Haier Europe team immediately started work on its action plan to further improve its HR, using the Top Employers Results Dashboard. They did this by:
Having a dedicated team of specialists within the HR team working on the Top Employers Certification project.
Aligning the Top Employers HR Best Practices Survey topics and results with the action plans and choosing focus areas which would add most value to the business.
Regularly reviewing with the team each quarter to ensure that improvements were being made within these focus areas.
Impressive results
In year two, following on from the action planning, Haier Europe increased their score on the Top Employers Best Practices Survey by 20% points.
They had prioritised Employee Listening, wellbeing and DEI, with the new colleague listening strategy bringing great insights and making sure that they really understood how colleagues felt about the business and its programmes. They also mapped, explored and improved many more colleague and candidate journeys.
The leadership team has also taken notice of the tremendous progress and are now championing many new initiatives across engagement, wellbeing and DEI.
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