The Journey to Become a Top Employer



Tell us about yourself and your role at Top Employers Institute

Greetings, I’m Sebastiaan ter Horst, stationed at the headquarters in Amsterdam, where I have been the face of the Certification team since 2021 for Top Employers Institute. Leading a dedicated team spread across the globe. I take pride in steering the Certification process and ensuring optimal service delivery for our Participants.

As the Certification Director, my primary commitment lies in upholding the quality of our Certification program. Collaborating with diverse teams worldwide, I continuously strive to enhance our services and support our teams and individual members in their journey towards success. It’s not just about maintaining standards but also about empowering every team and team member to achieve excellence.

Can you give us an overview of the Certification Process?

The Certification Process consists of four stages: Service kick-off, Survey, Validation and Certification. It is designed to help the Participant benefit from our programme.

The first stage is the Service kick-off, as the words suggest, the start of the programme. The purpose is to set the right conditions for our participants to complete the Survey and be prepared for the validation process. Participants are provided with an overview of the upcoming Certification Process and what is required, receive a high-level look at the HR Best Practices Survey and any updates, plus be introduced and updated to the Top Employers Portal and supporting tools and materials.

The following stage is the Survey. Here, the Participants will answer the HR Best Practices Survey questions. Participants who are new to the program have the opportunity to answer all questions. Participants who have completed a Survey in the previous year have the chance to update their answers from last year and answer all the new HR Best Practices questions. When ready, the Participant submits the HR Best Practices Survey answers for Validation.

The Validation stage is the third stage in the process. The Validation stage aims to ensure the answers submitted in the survey reflect the HR practices and conditions provided to the employees within the company. By checking the consistency of interpretation and proactively correcting potential errors or ambiguities, Top Employers Institute ensures that all submitted data provided for certification is correct and reliable.

The Participant is contacted to schedule a Validation session. An overview of questions within the survey to be discussed will be provided before the session so you can prepare for your session with the HR Auditor. Additional clarification and/or evidence to illustrate that a practice has been implemented according to our definitions and requirements may be requested before or based on the Validation outcome. Typical examples of such requests for further evidence are employee handbooks, technology screenshots, policy documents, etc.

The Certification stage is the fourth and final stage after the Validation stage is completed. Certified Participants are invited to attend a Certification Activation session where Top Employers Institute will take them through all the communication tools available to leverage your employer branding activities as a certified Top Employer. In this session, Top Employers will also be taken through the structure and navigation within the Results Dashboard, including Benchmark data from other Participants of the Certification Program.

What makes the Top Employers Certification Methodology unique?

The Certification Methodology applied is unique in many ways.

The Certification methodology is a holistic and fact-based validation approach to the people practices available for the employees of Certified Top Employers and is not based on opinions or perceptions. It is a single methodology applicable to all participants in the program, ensuring that all Top Employers are held to the same standard, thus providing a global benchmark.

The quality of the validation process is ensured by a team of highly qualified auditors who went through a rigorous qualification process and are subject to ongoing learning and calibration. In addition, our quality process, including system, quality checks and monitoring, ensures that the highest level of quality for our Certification Program is ensured.

Lastly, our Certification program, including our processes and Certification Results, is subject to an annual external audit.

How often are the HR Best Practices Survey questions updated, and what drives those updates?

The HR Best Practice survey is updated yearly to ensure it syncs with the ever-evolving HR landscape. On average, 10 percent of the questions will be updated every year. A survey update is informed by (external) research into HR trends and developments as well as reviewing client data (trends in practice adoption) and input and feedback received by our clients during the various stages of the certification process (survey, Validation, results, ad-hoc feedback). Changes to the survey can be incremental, e.g. small tweaks to the description of a practice, or more significant (e.g. adding a completely new practice or even a topic). We always aim to find a good balance between stability and staying up to date.

How does Top Employers Institute decide how to weigh the importance of the different questions in the survey?

The centre of gravity in our HR Best Practices survey is the employee experience.

60% of the overall scoring points are in the domains Attract, Develop and Engage, as these domains represent the end-to-end employee journey. In addition, you will see that individual practices that directly impact the employee experience have a higher weight than practices that are supporting or conditional.

About 20% of the survey consists of benchmark questions, which are included for contextual purposes and benchmarking and are not scored. The weighing of the different questions in the survey aims to be effective in setting a meaningful threshold for certification.

Several standard and fundamental practices have a relatively high weight. These practices are seen as essential for any Top Employer. In contrast, ‘advanced practices’, which refer to practices commonly seen in organisations with slightly more mature HR practices, could have varying relevance depending on the organisation’s size, industry, or region. Although these practices might be inspirational to most, their weight and impact on scoring are relatively limited.

As the year-over-year adoption of practices is changing, the weight of individual practices is reviewed on a yearly basis, too. When needed, the weights are adjusted to reflect changed importance. Commonly, a new practice, when just added to the survey, will be given a low weight (or even introduced as a benchmark question), and when we see the adoption levels of these practices rising, we increase the weight.

How does your team validate the answers given by organisations in the survey?

First of all, with a lot of passion and motivation! For the validation moment itself, established criteria and standards apply to each practice and assess the level of maturity of a participant’s processes and procedures against these requirements, including looking at the supporting documentation. After initial review through the Top Employers Institute portal, the HR Auditor has a validation session with the Participant to discuss a selection of practices in more detail and clarification.

What upcoming topics and questions are Top Employers Institute looking at for future surveys?

Allow me to mention the latest World of Work Trends report based on the responses from our Participants in the 2024 program. The trends mentioned in the World of Work Trends report illustrate the expected future changes in our HR Best Practices Survey. I want to mention some other perspectives as well:

1. Human Centricity (already captured in the WoW trends report, but also as a more general theme)
2. Continuous focus on (Digital) Employee Experience, including leveraging AI in a human/responsible way,
3. Employability
4. GenZ
5. Contingent / Flexible Workforce

What one piece of advice would you give an organisation taking part in the Top Employers Certification Programme for the first time?

Reach out to us when you have a question or if something needs to be clarified. Our team is committed to enabling our participants to have a successful Certification experience and will support them when appropriate. They will provide tips and guidance for efficient completion of the Survey that is appropriate to the needs of each Participant. For instance, how to organise the internal team to answer the HR Best Practices Survey in a timely manner, clarify Survey questions and what sort of supporting evidence is needed, how to use the tools provided in the Portal, etc.

Key Takeaways | 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. The report, which came out recently, is available to download now. The report showed the five most significant global workplace trends in 2024. Those trends are:

1. Empower through AI  
2. The Future Defined with Purpose  
3. Dialogue for Transformation  
4. Evolution of Wellbeing Effectiveness  
5. Broaden the Horizon of DEI  

The release of our annual World of Work Trends 2024 was followed by an online live briefing on the 7th of December 2023, with Quinten van Es and Emily Cook delving deeper into the trends. In their discussion, they touched on real-life examples of the trends and broke down the tactics organisations will need to take in 2024 to succeed.

If you missed out on the session, you can watch it now by filling in the form on the side of the page.

Make sure to unlock the core HR trends affecting organisations across the globe. Watch the session now.

Amgen FlexSpace: Taking Flexible Work to the Next Level

Amgen’s cutting-edge flexible work model offers innovative ways organisations can modernise their approach to remote work. 

During the pandemic, many organisations learned out of necessity that remote work can be highly effective. Even after offices were able to re-open, remote work widely remained an option because it was so popular with employees. Amgen Spain & Portugal, a Certified Top Employer, had already learned this lesson well, having adopted a remote work approach in 2004, long before it was mainstream. During the pandemic, they began to offer employees even more flexibility. Sandra Vicente, HR Director for the organisation, spoke with me about their best practices during the 2023 Top Employers Inspire event. Their ideas and fresh perspectives will inspire companies looking to meet the needs of a remote workforce better.  

Making the Transition 

Amgen Spain & Portugal was able to swiftly adapt to a 100% remote workforce when the pandemic struck because of three factors.  

• Because the organisation had offered flexible work arrangements for fifteen years, managers and teams had already honed their remote work skills and were well-prepared to continue working from home. The transition from a partial to completely remote dynamic was not difficult for the company.  
• Amgen had recently provided employees with a stipend to create a functional home workspace, including screens and ergonomic chairs. As a result, virtually everyone was already equipped with a suitable home office setup by the time the pandemic hit.  
• The organisation had a robust culture of trust because of their long history with remote work. This trust was critical in facilitating a smooth transition to fully remote work and the company’s confidence in everyone’s ability to thrive in that model.  

Download Now: World of Work Trends 2024  

What Makes Amgen’s Approach Unique?  

In 2021, Amgen refined its approach to flexible work by establishing FlexSpace – a novel way of working that combines the traditional practice of face-to-face office meetings with remote work. Unlike a more conventional approach to hybrid work, where companies allocate specific days for remote work and office attendance, FlexSpace empowers employees to make that choice for themselves. “The main driver of that decision is the purpose of their activity,” Sandra explained.  

Practically, this means that employees have the ability to select which work environment best aligns with their daily responsibilities. For instance, employees might opt for remote work when tackling tasks requiring intense focus, such as preparing presentations, budgets, or brand plans. Conversely, activities like strategic meetings, brainstorming sessions, or welcoming a new team member thrive on face-to-face interactions. This modern flex work model offers employees even more flexibility and autonomy in their work life.  

Read Now: The Era of Personalisation: Customising the Employee Experience at SAP India 

Rethinking Office Space 

As part of the FlexSpace initiative, the organisation thoughtfully designed a new open-concept office space to cater to a diverse work styles and objectives. Workstations were not assigned to specific employees. Instead, the variety of stations remained available to anyone in the office. This way, employees have an adaptable environment for whatever needs might arise.  

Transitioning to an open-concept office space necessitated a mindset shift. The first step was for employees to understand the dynamic nature of this type of open space. Throughout the day, people have the freedom to reconfigure their surroundings. If someone needs a whiteboard for a brainstorming session or if working alone at a desk for a couple of hours is required, dedicated spaces that cater to those needs are available. Regardless of the task, adapting to the constant background noise of conversation in an open-concept office is essential, and employees always work from home if they need a reprieve from the frequent office activity.  

Read More: Personalisation in 2023: How the Employee Experience Will Be Impacted by Increasing Personalisation at Work across Asia-Pacific   

Strategies for Success 

Over the years, Sandra shared that they have identified three key factors for a successful flexible work environment: 

1. Asynchronous work, 
2. Intentional socialisation, and 
3. Maintaining a strong company culture. 

Asynchronous work is a natural extension of a remote work model. Just as employees do not need to be in the same place to get work done, they often also do not have to work at the same time to get things done effectively. Using collaborative tools like Microsoft Teams helps make this asynchronous approach function.  

Working at different times, however, means that colleagues will likely have fewer direct interactions with each other. This dynamic means employees need to be intentional about socialising with each other. Sandra elaborated, “When you are in the office every day, socialising happens organically. You chat with people when you get a cup of coffee or when you see each other in the hallway. So, now when people come into the office for some reason, we encourage them to take into account the importance of socialising and set aside time for that.”  

The importance placed on socialising is part of the company’s culture. “Company culture needs to be a lived experience,” Sandra explained, “Our turnover is very low, only 3% in ten years, so most employees know the culture very well and embrace it.” In performance management discussions, employees frequently cite the positive culture and flexible work approach as pivotal factors influencing their choice to remain with the company. The extremely high retention and employee satisfaction rate Amgen Spain & Portugal has achieved undoubtedly has numerous positive ripple effects across their operations.  

World of Work Trends 2024

How Generative AI is Impacting Personalised Learning and Development

How HR Teams are Embracing Technology to Change their Approach to Career Development and Learning Programmes

Over the past few years, Human Resources professionals have begun to embrace several technological tools to assist in both short and long-term objectives at work. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) has yet to be integrated into many HR plans, this has been the year for HR professionals to learn more about generative AI’s capabilities and the effects it could have in the near future.

As seen already at the end of 2023, the integration of generative artificial intelligence could begin to reshape HR learning programmes by offering a dynamic and personalised approach to employee development.

In this article, we will be looking at what effects AI may have on HR, with a particular focus on how it may affect learning and development programmes.

Additionally, we will explore the potential benefits and challenges for HR professionals seeking to create a future-ready workforce.

What is Generative AI?

Generative AI is a subset of artificial intelligence that, unlike other AI systems, can autonomously create content, including texts, audio, code, images, text, simulations, and video.

In Human Resources, generative AI revolutionises processes by offering personalised solutions, streamlining tasks, and enhancing the overall employee experience. We explored some ways that AI is changing HR in a previous article that you can read now for more general context on the new relationship between AI and HR.

Personalised Learning and Development in 2024

In the annual World of Work Trends Report 2024, one of the significant trends we identified was that there would be a shift in how HR professionals understood learning and career development programmes. That change would be a move towards a more personalised approach that would give employees more of an active and empowered role in advancing their careers, often through the use of digital and personal resources so that they can develop the competencies and skills needed for the future.

To make the employee experience of attaining new skills more individualised, many organisations are developing easily accessible and on-demand micro-learning tools to allow employees the opportunity to learn ‘just in time’ when needed while it can also be integrated into their other everyday tasks.

Generative AI could empower HR learning programs to move closer to the personalised learning approaches we noted in the World of Work Trends Report.

This tailored approach ensures that employees receive the most relevant and effective training, enhancing their skill development and overall job performance.

How Generative AI Tools Could Impact Learning and Development Programmes

• Improving Personalised Learning Paths: AI in talent acquisition can be impressively useful,Generative AI algorithms can analyse individual employee insights, including learning preferences, strengths, and areas for improvement, to generate personalised learning paths. That work empowers HR learning programmes to move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches and move closer to the more individual training programmes that HR leaders hope to get.

• AI-Powered Virtual Mentors and Coaches: Generative AI is already giving rise to virtual mentors and coaches that could provide real-time guidance and support to employees. These AI-driven mentors can answer questions, offer insights, and provide personalised feedback, creating a virtual learning environment that complements traditional mentoring programs. This approach ensures that employees have access to guidance whenever needed, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

• Improving Adaptive Learning Modules: Traditional training modules often follow a fixed structure, regardless of an individual employee’s learning speed and style. Generative AI can introduce adaptive learning modules that evolve based on an employee’s progress. By continuously assessing a learner’s comprehension and adjusting the difficulty level accordingly, HR professionals can optimise the learning experience and improve knowledge retention.

• Gamification for Enhanced Engagement: Gamification has proven an effective strategy for boosting employees’ engagement in learning programs. Generative AI can take gamification to the next level by creating personalised game scenarios based on individual employee profiles. By integrating elements of competition, rewards, and social interaction, AI-driven gamification makes learning more enjoyable and motivates employees to participate actively in their development.

Challenges with Implementing Generative AI in Learning and Development Programmes

Generative AI in HR learning programs holds immense promise, but HR professionals must navigate potential challenges and ethical considerations. These include:

• Ensuring data privacy.
• Addressing algorithmic biases in learning recommendations.
• Employee trust and adoption.
• And maintaining a balance between automation and the human touch in the learning experience.

Ensuring Data Privacy

One of the most challenging aspects of implementing generative AI tools into an organisation’s strategy is the aspect of data privacy, especially as organisations are still relatively early in their adoption of AI tools.

As AI programmes rely heavily on collecting and analysing vast amounts of employee data to personalise learning experiences, HR professionals must establish robust data protection measures. HR leaders should ensure that they comply with data protection regulations by obtaining informed consent and adopting encryption protocols. These are essential steps to mitigate the risk of unauthorised access or misuse of sensitive employee and organisation information.

Mitigating Algorithmic Biases

It should be common knowledge that generative AI systems are not entirely unbiased. In fact, they are only as unbiased as the data they are trained on. HR professionals need to be vigilant about potential algorithmic biases in learning recommendations.

If the training data used to develop AI models contains biases, the algorithms may perpetuate or even exacerbate existing inequalities. Regular audits of algorithms, diverse and representative training datasets, and continuous monitoring for bias are crucial to ensure fair and equitable learning opportunities for all employees.

Employee Trust and Adoption

Introducing generative AI into HR learning programs may raise employee concerns about job security, privacy, or the perceived objectivity of AI-driven decisions. HR professionals must proactively address these concerns through transparent communication and educational initiatives.

Building trust in AI technologies requires demonstrating their value, emphasising their role as tools for empowerment rather than surveillance, and involving employees in the process to alleviate apprehensions and foster a positive reception.

Balancing Automation and Human Interaction

While the automation capabilities of generative AI can significantly enhance the efficiency of HR learning programs, it is imperative to strike a balance with human interaction. Employees still value the human touch in learning experiences, and specific aspects of development, such as mentorship and interpersonal skills, may be better served through direct human engagement.

HR teams should carefully design AI-driven learning initiatives to complement, rather than replace, the essential human element in the learning journey.

Final Thoughts: Became an employer of choice to embrace HR AI trends before your competition

Generative AI in HR represents a significant leap forward in redefining the employee experience. Organisations can harness AI’s power to streamline processes, enhance employee engagement, and contribute to their overall success.

They must do this by being aware of the ethical practices and staying attuned to the evolving landscape.

Organisations can begin to navigate this transformative journey in the hopes of creating and maintaining workplaces that thrive in the digital age. By joining Top Employers Instite you will access a library of HR AI best practise and anticipate all its trends. Get in touch for free today, become an employer of choice!

Best Practice | Addressing Staff Issues through Employee Experience Managers with Kaufland



Starting in 2018, certified Top Employer Kaufland began operating a network of employee experience managers across sites in Europe. These are trained HR liaison officers who work to address employee welfare issues and solve challenges that might be putting a drag on business or individual performance. In our latest best practice focus, we are focusing on what brought in these managers and how they’re changing the employee experience for Kaufland workers. 

This is just a snapshot of Kaufland’s innovative best practice; you can find the entire practice on 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: 

It is challenging to keep an eye on employee engagement when an organisation like Kaufland has many employees scattered across many locations. For this reason, Kaufland introduced ‘employee experience managers’ (a Vertrauensperson, in German): a neutral, trustworthy, and independent liaison for all employees. 

How the practice was implemented: 

The primary objectives behind Kaufland’s practice of employee experience managers are: 

• Anchoring of the corporate principles and leadership approach. 
• Early detection of (potential) disputes. 
• To better understand the atmosphere/mood among frontline employees. 
• To provide support to employees in difficult situations. 

In the European locations where Kaufland’s employee experience managers are active, every employee can freely contact a dedicated employee experience manager and access contact details for other employee experience managers via a page on the company intranet, should they prefer to speak to someone specific. Each employee experience manager acts as a confidante for receiving confidential feedback. Employees may remain anonymous if they wish to report a sensitive issue. 

Employee experience manager responsibilities: 

 The main tasks of each employee experience manager at Kaufland are to: 

• Attend stores daily: talk with employees about their jobs, work-related problems, the store environment, etc. 
• Use employee feedback to identify work environment issues or business issues that could be improved. 

• Assist employees in handling issues with co-workers or to tackle personal problems having an impact on their work. 
• Improve employees’ perception of the company.  

The typical employee experience manager:  

• has an HR background, 
• is skilled in psychology, mentoring and communication. 

Kaufland offers special training, for instance, a mediation training course to support the work of the employee experience managers. 

Results 

Each employee experience manager has a target number of conversations to be held each month (approx. 300). The rationale behind this (as opposed to a target number of employees to speak with) is that sometimes, one employee may require several conversations to be had until their issue is resolved. 

As a result of the work of the employee experience managers, Kaufland has improved many of its operational and work-related issues based on employee feedback. 

How Employee Networks Have Become a Growing Practice for Progress in Diversity and Inclusion Efforts



By Miquel Calvert, Communications Manager Spain, Top Employers Institute 

In 2023, Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) networks, formed by employees who advise in areas such as equality, disability, generational coexistence, or LGTBIQ+, are on the rise in top organisations. The use of these employee networks in Spanish organisations is becoming more common, especially among Top Employers. In this article, we are looking deeper at four Spanish Top Employers, including Zurich, ACCIONA, Michelin, and ILUNION, who are excellent examples of organisations successfully implementing such networks. 

80% of Top Employers in Spain have consistently implemented these networks, 11% more than the average of certified organisations at the European level. Employee networks aim to identify the needs of all groups within the organisation and contribute to considering relevant perspectives and trends in Diversity and Inclusion in all Human Resources processes. 

D&I networks can be internal (e.g., women’s networks or employee resource groups) or external (forums on various D&I topics organised by specialised entities). 

“These diversity networks, in addition to contributing to a sense of belonging, help prevent situations of discrimination, incorporate inclusive perspectives, and improve people processes such as talent acquisition, leadership, work model, or organisational culture,” emphasises Massimo Begelle, Regional Manager at Top Employers Institute in Spain and Italy. 

These networks are integrated into the overall diversity and inclusion strategy, coordinated with other best practices such as diversity champions, who are volunteer employees acting as promoters of various diversities (46% of certified organisations already have them), or leadership training to serve as models for D&I (85% of companies). 

Zurich, ACCIONA, Michelin, and ILUNION are excellent examples of organisations that have successfully implemented such networks.

Read More: The Benefits of Crafting an Employee-Led Employer Branding Strategy 

Zurich: A Team of Volunteers for All Diversities 

At Zurich Insurance, they are clear: under the motto Brave, proud of their colours and because of this pride, they have developed a strategy based on the belief that a diverse team makes a difference. Following this premise, they are building an open company where all people are welcome, and the well-being of each individual is essential. 

As part of this ambition, the people at Zurich have created the Allies Programme, consisting of a team of volunteers from different collectives, ages, and backgrounds. They have created initiatives for many diversities in their organisation, focusing on four pillars of their inclusive attitude: Gender and Functional Diversity, Pride, and Intergenerational Dialogue. 

#IamYourAlly is the battle cry with which they want to be very close to those who need the support of the programme, openly highlighting situations of discrimination. In addition to being part of the decision-making on the D&I agenda, they regularly meet with the Management Committee to monitor initiatives. They also actively participate in various events, such as Pride Day, March 8th, or the awareness campaign on unconscious biases. Read More: Unleashing The Power of Employee Networks: Insights from Tata Consultancy Services UK & Ireland 

ACCIONA: Diversity Committees Representing All Collectives 

Placing people at the centre and contributing to real transformation is part of ACCIONA’s purpose. Therefore, PEOPLE is the global strategy they have outlined, integrating Diversity and Inclusion as a fundamental pillar and having internal networks to scale this commitment throughout the organisation. 13 Diversity and Inclusion Committees comprise the internal networks that drive best practices and connect people in business and countries. They are formed by groups of professionals representing all collectives and sharing the mission of collecting information from their environment and generating proposals and initiatives on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. While creating a sense of community and belonging, the committees promote an inclusive workplace aligned with the company’s purpose, values, and objectives.

Read More: Becoming LGBTQ+ Allies: Going Beyond DEI Initiatives for Pride Month 

ILUNION: Networks to Address the Needs of Different Collectives 

ILUNION is committed to diversity, demonstrating that it can be profitable and competitive while promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 

At ILUNION, they work to promote the employment inclusion of people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups with specific needs related to their sexual orientation, gender, age, origin, etc. They are proud of their diversity, reflected in all company and business areas. 

Companies within ILUNION have Equality Plans that guarantee equal treatment and opportunities between women and men. Also, coinciding with the European Diversity Month in May, ILUNION joins the European initiative with various actions such as training, dissemination, and in-person events on different topics. 

They also coordinate with critical networks involved in diversity management, especially in the workplace. Among other actions, these networks identify the needs of collectives and assess how to address them within ILUNION with its policies and activities that directly impact the workforce and other external actions that contribute knowledge and help the diversity management network become increasingly knowledgeable and professional.  

Read More: How to Manage and Succeed with a Multigenerational Workforce 

Michelin’s Women Forward Network 

In Michelin Spain and Portugal, since 2007, they have been committed to diversity and inclusion as a vital element of the People policy, confirmed in 2010 with the signing of their first Equality Plan. 

In 2014, the Michelin Group launched the Women Forward network, in which women from all areas of the company participate, sharing experiences and leading initiatives, allowing the visibility of new ways to progress in the field of diversity and inclusion within Michelin: they have significantly increased the presence of women in industrial environments, female presence in management positions has advanced similarly, and they have simultaneously improved the culture and perception of diversity at all levels of the company. 

Similarly, as a leading company in the country’s industrial sector, they participate in external networks such as “Women and Engineering” and the “STEM Alliance for Female Talent,” where, together with other companies, they seek to attract young women to STEM studies to highlight the need for female talent in industrial environments. 

Read More: Recruit, Retain and Return – ‘3Rs’ for International Women’s Day 

The Era of Personalisation: Customising the Employee Experience at SAP India

By Billy Elliot, Regional Director for APAC, Top Employers Institute 

Today’s workplace culture is in the midst of an unparalleled era of personalised experiences. Employees, similar to customers, desire treatment that caters to their individual needs and preferences. This change has propelled employers to shift from a people-centric approach towards a more person-centric one. Undoubtedly, the pandemic profoundly impacted reshaping expectations, with many people reevaluating their priorities.  

Data from the 2023 Top Employers Institute Certification Programme shows a striking trend among the over 2 000 certified companies across 121 countries. Remarkably, 74% have updated their employee journeys to accommodate remote work dynamics—a 6% increase from the previous year. The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is the most advanced in this regard, with 66% of Certified Top Employers having successfully implemented formal remote work options. 

As part of the 2023 Top Employers Inspire event, I had the pleasure of hosting a presentation about this topic by Rashmi Raghuraja, Senior HRBP Consultant/PMO to the Head of HR at SAP Labs India. SAP India stands out as a leader in creating tailored employee experiences. Rashmi shared how the company addresses its workforce’s personal needs to enhance the end-to-end employee experience.  

Read More: David Plink on Innovation & Leadership in a Rapidly Evolving World of Work  

The People Experience  

SAP India’s People Experience Programme was created “so we have an inclusive environment where people can be who they are. They don’t have to pretend or leave parts of themselves at home,” Rashmi explained. The programme has five foundational pillars to support that mission:   

1. Pride: Fostering a sense of pride among employees, both in their association with the company and in their contributions to its success.  
2. Purpose: Employees are encouraged to make connections between their daily tasks and the overarching company mission.  
3. Innovation: Sustaining innovation through providing resources and platform tools employees can use to create and collaborate. 
4. Appreciation: Each individual’s contributions are recognised as valuable to the company’s success.  
5. Care: Genuine care and respect for employees is consistently demonstrated, bolstering a sense of belonging and support.  

 Read More: Case Study | JTI’s Candidate Survey 

Pledge to Flex 

Providing autonomy over individual work schedules and habits was a priority as the company assessed its employee journey. “We have a real commitment to offering a flexible and trust-based work schedule,” said Rashmi. Feedback indicates they have successfully done so. The 2023 SAP Future of Work Trend report revealed a whopping 77% of SAP employees feel empowered to determine when and where they perform their tasks.  

They achieved such a high level of success by forming a group of employees to facilitate the transition, the Change Ambassadors Community. This group functioned as a guiding force, coaching managers and teams as they navigated the shift towards flexible work arrangements. Rashmi described the HR team’s thought process, “We realised early on that this is going to be a journey of not just a few weeks or months. It’s going to take years. We wanted to bring our employees along on the journey and have a bottom-up approach.” Pilot programmes and continuous feedback loops kept stakeholders engaged and enabled adjustments.  

Read More: Personalisation in 2023: How the Employee Experience Will Be Impacted by Increasing Personalisation at Work across Asia-Pacific 

People Unplugged 

Establishing a foundation of transparency and understanding within the company’s workforce was the motivation behind the People Unplugged Programme. Rashmi elaborated on this mission, “We wanted to have authentic conversations with leaders and offer a platform to debate, ideate, and collect feedback.” The first initiative was a six-part conversation series that engaged employees with company leaders.  

All employees were invited to participate in these conversations featuring sensitive topics like performance management. Strikingly, 4,000 employees across India participated. These sessions were an opportunity to engage in genuine discourse to shed light on why the organisation did certain things and potentially pave the way towards something new. Ultimately, this series underscored SAP India’s commitment to creating a workplace culture that values open dialogue, mutual respect, and collective growth.  

Download Now: Inspiring HR Practices from Asia-Pacific’s Top Employers 

Career Canvas 

In the wake of transitioning back to business as usual after the pandemic, the need to assist employees with the adjustment became evident. “One of the things we heard often was that people were feeling lost as they came back. They knew about different programmes, platforms, and tools but not how to find them,” Rashmi explained.  

To address this concern, a series of brainstorming sessions were organised. These sessions included employees representing a variety of roles and career stages. The primary objective was to understand any gaps in support and identify what resources might be helpful.  

Through this process, recurring themes were identified and served as focal points for taking action. As a result, two programmes were created: 

1. The Inspire Talk Series is a forum for insightful discussions,  
2. The Career Mentoring Programme supports individuals feeling indecisive about their career path.  

To conclude the presentation, Rashmi emphasised that SAP India focuses on providing their employees with the best possible workplace. She quoted author Jacob Morgan’s book The Employee Experience Advantage to emphasise her point, “In a world where money is no longer the primary motivating factor for employees, focusing on the employee experience is the most promising competitive advantage that organisations can create.”  

Check out Rashmi’s full presentation to hear more about SAP India’s innovative programmes and the organisation’s plans for new initiatives in the near future.  

Best Practice | Stay Interviews at BAT

In this blog post, we will discussing how BAT improve their workplace culture and retention strategy by gaining employee insights through stay interviews.

What are Stay Interviews

While it is traditional for organisations to have exit interviews, many companies realise there is a need to conduct stay interviews. Stay interviews are a proactive and structured approach to engage with current employees and gain insight into their job satisfaction, career aspirations, and overall experience within the company. Where exit interviews are reactive, stay interviews are a proactive approach to assessing the needs of employees while they are still within the organisation.

How BAT established stay interviews:

In the APMEA West region (Middle East, North Africa, Caucasus, Central Asia and Pakistan), BAT recently established stay interviews with their employees to help with retention and focus on customised, individualised, and purposeful interventions for employees instead of a ‘one size fits all’ strategy.

The primary objectives of stay interviews include:

• Identifying factors that contribute to employee retention.
• Understanding individual motivations and needs.
• Addressing potential concerns or dissatisfaction before they lead to turnover.
• Aligning employees’ goals with the company’s objectives.
• Tailoring retention strategies to foster a more positive and fulfilling work environment.

This is just a snapshot of BAT’s innovative best practices; you can find the entire practice on 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 our HR best practice library.

Why the stay interview practice was needed

BAT sees stay interviews as necessary for their organisation’s talent management strategy. The interviews provide a proactive and insightful approach to employee retention, allowing the organisation to understand their existing workforce’s unique needs, motivations, and concerns.

By engaging in open and candid conversations with employees about their experiences, career aspirations, and overall job satisfaction, BAT can identify potential issues and opportunities for improvement before those issues escalate into reasons for departure. Stay interviews not only demonstrate their commitment to employee wellbeing and growth but also enable the customisation of retention strategies that resonate with each employee.

BAT’s main focus was a targeted approach, mainly focusing on their key talents, employees sitting in critical roles, and women; this was in line with the turnover trends and likely personas to leave the organisation, as the organisation had observed in the last few years.

Their strategy and subsequent practice were born out of numerous brainstorming sessions in the HR team aimed at curbing attrition rates within BAT’s APMEA West region. Over the past three years, this region has witnessed an upward trend in attrition, mirroring prevailing patterns across diverse industries and markets.

To effectively tackle this challenge, BAT developed and deployed a proactive measure to understand employee sentiments – what it would take to leave the organisation and what they appreciate in the organisation so that BAT could focus on elevating and building on those initiatives.

How stay inteviews were implemented:

BAT conducted external research to see what cutting-edge practices were available externally in the era of “great attrition” to foster employee retention and engagement and found that stay interviews were highlighted by many other researchers and top-tier businesses globally. They broke down the process into four steps.

Step 1: For BAT, building complete awareness of the stay interviews concept for their HR teams across the region was critical, including upskilling sessions to explain the practice and how to conduct meaningful and targeted stay interview sessions for different personas.

Step 2: The second step was a region-wide upskilling session for all their line managers run by the Area Talent Team to ensure the same messaging and level of understanding was provided for all line managers conducting the stay interviews with their direct reports.

Step 3: The third step was to share the standardised stay interview templates, questions with all line managers, and online self-learning tools for additional content.

Step 4: The fourth step was to gather all the stay interview information and to begin a complete analysis to ensure consistency of findings. This analysis was done by the to commence by the Area Talent Team.

Stay interviews results:

Stay interviews allowed BAT to take a deep dive into what drives employee corporate purpose and contributes to fostering the best workplace to develop and build their careers. Overwhelmingly, the organisation saw that there were three main reasons employees chose to stay with BAT:

1. Challenging work that allows them to grow both personally and professionally.
2. A feeling of camaraderie and support, providing employees with a like-minded circle to work within.
3. Learning opportunities provided by BAT to finesse functional mastery and leadership skills to deal with constant change and speed.

Final Thoughts: BAT’s stay interviews, a new way to listen to their employees.

Understanding employee experiences is critical to helping an organisation thrive and keeping valuable talent. If you want to read more about BAT’s practice and get a complete insight into the approach, challenges and learnings.

Access it now via the Top Employers Programme if you are certified, or learn how to became an employer of choice.

David Plink on Innovation & Leadership in a Rapidly Evolving World of Work



In September, David Plink, CEO at Top Employers Institute, participated in CNBC Africa’s 2023 Future of Work Virtual Conference in a live panel discussion on leadership. He met with other C-suite leaders to discuss how work is changing and how leadership is innovating to meet the needs of their employees.

The other speakers in the panel included Dr Nejri Mwagiru, Senior Futurist at Africa: Institute for Futures Research (IFR) at the University of Stellenbosch, Amadou Diallo, CEO at DHL Global Forwarding Middle East & Africa, and Stephen van Coller, CEO at EOH.

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In the session, their discussion answered questions including:

• How will the future of work impact income inequality, social mobility, and job security?
• What policies and regulatory frameworks should be implemented to safeguard workers’ rights and ensure a just transition?
• How can governments, businesses, and civil society collaborate to mitigate the potential negative consequences of automation and ensure a fair distribution of opportunities?
• And more.

The future of work is evolving as it is driven by technological advancements, changing demographics, and shifting economic landscapes. Watch the session in full below to hear more from this insightful session.

Read More: Virtual Fireside Chat: The Future of Work

Putting People First: Top Employers Institute Shares Insights About Building a Human-Centric Organisation

By Wouter van Ewijk, Global Head of Brand & Content, Top Employers Institute 

Human Resource departments frequently consider how to attract and retain top talent. Top Employers Institute is no different. Paola Bottaro, People Director at Top Employers Institute, has found the most success by putting people first. Notably, the organisation is not alone in this endeavour. Taking a human-centric approach to the workplace is a practice steadily gaining traction.  

So, what does this move to a human-centric model entail? During the 2023 Top Employers Inspire event, Paola and I discussed exactly that. I’ll share highlights of our discussion for companies interested in joining Top Employers Institute as a human-centric organisation.  

The Basics: What is a Human-Centric Approach?  

Essentially, this approach to the workplace recognises and accepts that people are people. Organisations acknowledge that their employees are multifaceted individuals with lives beyond the office.

It’s about enabling employees to work in the best way that suits their needs and preferences, rather than requiring them to adhere to standard hours or procedures. Employees at different phases of life, a new parent versus a recently hired university graduate, for example, will likely have very different preferences for the rhythm of their workday. Allowing employees to determine their workday and workflow does not impact organisational results overall, yet it has a profound impact on each individual’s work experience.  

For Paola’s team, realising that there was no one-size-fits-all solution for creating a great workplace was a turning point. Reflecting on this moment, she shared, “We had a lot of conversations about what way of working would be best and we came to the conclusion that everyone is different, and we all need different things. Who are we to decide what each individual needs?” They concluded that in an ideal workplace, everyone gets to define the best way to work for themselves.  

Another turning point was adapting to a primarily remote workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. This transition was smoother than anticipated, and productivity remained very high. Paola elaborated on their observations, “Everyone was very responsible and wanted to perform well.

Actually, I had to make sure people took care of themselves much more than making sure that they were doing their jobs.” Seeing how well the company ran while employees worked remotely was a valuable lesson that built trust. Going forward, the company had complete confidence in allowing employees to decide how they want to work.  

Read More: World Mental Health Day 2023 Q&A with Marie-Soleil Ferland and the Health and Wellbeing Team at CGI Canada 

The Practicalities: How Does a Human-Centric Approach Work?  

Trust is a critical component of making a human-centric approach successful. Granting employees the ability to set their work dynamics, whether that involves unconventional hours or regular breaks, requires a high level of trust that employees will continue fulfilling their responsibilities to the best of their ability, even without constant supervision. The focus is on outcomes, prioritising results above all else.  

Top Employers Institue’s company culture fully embraces a human-centric approach with its three core values:  

• We are all professionals. 
• All professionals want to be successful. 
• We succeed when we achieve great things while taking care of our own wellbeing and each other. 

That teams communicate about everyone’s needs and preferences is critical. As our conversation progressed, Paola gave a simple example that Top Employers Institute does not want employees to pretend to be available during traditional working hours if they are not. She explained that this freedom also benefits managers, “They don’t have to think about motivating their teams anymore. The core belief is that all professionals are intrinsically motivated to be successful.” Transparency about who is doing what and trust in employees to fulfil their responsibilities improves operations.  

Although trust and open communication are generally recognised as positive values, translating them into practical action can be a challenge because doing so requires a shift in mindset. Top Employers Institute, like many organisations, was forced to try a new way of working during the pandemic.

The success of this experiment gave management the confidence to use a human-centric approach even after pandemic-related safety restrictions were lifted. Organisations that have not had the opportunity to test drive a new working model may struggle with transitioning from employees coming into the office every day during the same hours to people working from home at hours of their choosing. Embracing the values of trust and open communication in new ways needs to happen at all levels of the organisation for a human-centric approach to truly succeed.  

If an employee is not performing well, the first step is to have a conversation. “Success is defined not only by great results but also by people’s wellbeing, which is a responsibility and not something that can be left to chance,” said Paola. Considering the complete picture of an employee’s life while navigating challenges is a central tenet of a human-centric approach.  

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The Impact: What are the Benefits of a Human- Centric Approach?  

This approach gives employees the best possible work life, which fosters loyalty and productivity. It also creates great returns. Through this approach, organisations can: 

• Attract talent, 
• Improve retention, and 
• Foster a culture of growth and internal mobility. 

These benefits contribute to a positive atmosphere and help a company’s bottom line by attracting and keeping top-tier talent.  

Top Employers Institute is in the process of hosting workshops with employees to discuss both the company’s and individual employee’s values. “The most important thing is that we left one open space in our company values for employees to fill. There are three company-wide values and the fourth is for each employee to fill with their personal value. It’s an opportunity for them to connect their personal values and sense of purpose to the company,” Paola said of the process.  

Ultimately, a human-centric approach forges meaningful connections between a company and its workforce. By giving people the autonomy to work in a way that suits their needs best, organisations reap great returns. This approach truly benefits both the company and its employees.  

To hear more about Top Employers Institute’s journey to becoming a human-centric organisation and the lessons learned along the way, watch my full conversation with Paola below.  

World Mental Health Day 2023 Q&A with Marie-Soleil Ferland and the Health and Wellbeing Team at CGI Canada



World Mental Health Day 2023 Q&A with Marie-Soleil Ferland and the Health and Wellbeing Team at CGI Canada  Earlier this week, on the 10th of October, we acknowledged World Mental Health Day. The day is a moment to give extra attention to issues around mental health. This year the WHO theme for the day is ‘Mental health is a universal right’ and we are hoping to raise awareness and knowledge about mental health by highlighting how organisations can support their employee’s mental health throughout October.  

To recognise the efforts of Top Employers were lucky to have a Q&A interview with Marie-Soleil Ferland and the Health and Wellbeing Team at CGI Canada. We were honoured to get an insight into their efforts around wellbeing and mental health in their organisation. 

CGI Health & Wellbeing Team Introduction 

CGI wholeheartedly acknowledges that the wellbeing of its workforce stands as the bedrock of its success. We hold in the highest esteem a culture deeply rooted in mental health awareness, a commitment that transcends mere obligation, forming an integral facet of an ecosystem that fosters personal and professional flourishing. 

These recent years have brought upon us an array of unprecedented challenges, compelling us to adapt, evolve, and unearth new ways to connect and thrive. At this juncture, never before has CGI placed such a high priority on mental health as we proudly do today. 

On World Mental Health Day, we, at CGI, once again stand with unwavering pride as we pay homage to the mental wellbeing of our invaluable workforce. We celebrate the resilience of our esteemed members and the nurturing spirit of the compassionate community that we have ardently cultivated for over two decades now. Together, we break barriers, dismantle stigma, and forge a brighter, healthier future. 

As part of this year World Mental Health Day, celebrated on October 10, it’s important to remember that everybody has mental health, regardless of race, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, etc. For some, it can be challenging to know or realize when to reach out for help. 

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Read More: Mental Health Q&A: Bentley 

We celebrated World Mental Health Day on 10 October. The theme for 2023, set by the World Foundation of Mental Health, is ‘Mental health is a universal human right’, so we were honoured to ask CGI Canada the following questions: 

Which organisational values that you hold help you to embed mental health as a right for all employees? And how do these values show up in day-to-day actions?  

Workplace Health & Wellbeing  

• A dedicated Oxygen Centre of Expertise with 50 professionals globally willing and able to support partners and employees as needed. 
• Promote a culture of compassion through skill building, empathy, and empowerment to reach out to those showing signs of difficulty. 
• From prevention to return to work following a disability, support our employees, managers, and the organization on global health topics (physical, mental, social, financial) to optimize individual and collective wellbeing and organizational performance. 
• Use Mental Health Minute Program cards to raise awareness and open conversations (see more information at question 5) 
• Comprehensive Health Platform for all employees: Oxygen Portal 
• Free Telemedicine Service for all members and their family 
• Free 27/7 EAP support for all members and their family 
• In-house wellbeing consultations that focus on prevention, identification, and mitigation of psychosocial risks 
• In-house wellbeing interventions that promote staying healthy and thriving at work. 

Our values 

• Respect:  

• Consistent with CGI dream of creating an environment in which we enjoy working together, our Core Value of Respect and our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, CGI is committed to fostering and maintaining professional workplaces that respect the dignity of all members. 
• Offer mental health support through the Mental Health First Aiders network and leadership by promoting a stigma-free environment to discuss mental health. 
• Hold public authentic conversations using panel discussions around various psycho-educational topics that breakdown barriers and drive respectful conversations around sensitive issues. 
• Develop culturally sensitive and equity deserving group sensible health and wellbeing material. 

• Safety:  

• CGI is committed to the prevention of workplace incidents, injuries, and illnesses, and is ultimately responsible for ensuring a physically and psychologically safe and healthy work environment for all members. CGI will guide the development of individual performance and learning plans to achieve organizational goals while promoting members’ physical and psychological wellbeing in an active effort to reduce harm to their health and safety. 
• Health and safety committees 
• Health and wellbeing committees 
• +120 employees-volunteers – Mental Health First Aiders willing and able to support employees in the workforce. 
• Health and Safety Policy and processes including a working alone management rule. 
• Health Crisis Protocol for psychological and/or physical emergency situations. 

Inclusion: 

• Creating a welcoming and diverse workplace environment free of discrimination and harassment underpins everything we do. We aim to foster a culture of belonging where everyone is inspired to grow and empowered to succeed with a shared sense of purpose. We believe this starts with creating an environment where every voice is heard, and respected and different ways of thinking are welcomed. Diversity of thought, backgrounds, experiences, and skills empowers us to share ideas and drive innovation. At the same time, ensuring everyone feels included raises morale, creativity, and productivity among our members, helping them reach their full potential. Through stakeholder communications, we continuously reinforce that diversity, equity, and inclusion are clear, prominent, and inherent parts of the CGI culture. 
• Cultivating inclusive language (i.e., inclusive pronoun and gender language in employee representative surveys, providing gender transitioning support, and accommodations for physical, mental or cognitive support needs). 
• Upskill leaders and HR around neurodiversity. 
• Upskill leaders and HR around supporting members who are transitioning. 
• Provide inclusive benefits 
• Flexible work policies 
• Affinity groups and allyship 
• Mental health support that is sensitive to cultural differences and experiences 
• Accessible technology for those who require accommodations. 
• Inclusive hiring practices 
• Conflict resolution and support interventions 

Diversity:  

• Creating a culture of belonging requires conscious and intentional effort. Our DE&I strategy is foundational to the growth and success of our company. It provides a framework for cooperation that empowers our members to show up as their complete, authentic selves at work. We are committed to driving positive cultural change by increasing diversity in our workforce and embracing the differences in race and ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, language, culture, national origin, religious commitments, age, and disability status, and the intersectionality of one or more of these characteristics. Moreover, we recognize that it is every individual’s right to work in an environment free of sexual, psychological, and racial harassment. 
• DE&I is endorsed at the highest level in the company by the CEO and the Executive Committee of CGI. Oversight and accountability for DE&I is a shared responsibility with global and local steering committees to set direction, report on progress and approve programs and initiatives. DE&I is embedded in the annual business plans for each Strategic Business Unit. The Code of Ethics and global and local policies create the framework to protect our members, clients, communities and CGI and ensure compliance with all applicable requirements. Beyond our formal governance, we have an engaged group of global DE&I experts, champions and advocates who support our DE&I vision every day. This broader community is essential to amplify the reach of our DE&I activities and increase the engagement of our members. 
• Diverse representation 

Read More: How Organisations are Reshaping their Work Environments to Promote Mental Health 

World Mental Health Day 2023 

At CGI, there are a variety of free resources to help our members prioritize their mental health and offer additional support when they may be struggling. They can access free mental health resources in the Mental Wellbeing Toolbox on our internal health & wellbeing portal, contact a Mental Health Champion, or consult with our Member Assistance Program for professional support. As part of this campaign, a publication will be made on the CGI LinkedIn account to celebrate and highlight the CGI community that is involved in mental health support and the overall holistic health of our members. CGI’s health experts gathered testimonials from members within the Mental Health Champion network and the Health & Wellbeing Committee by asking the question, “Why is supporting mental health in the workplace important to you and your colleagues?”. You will find the testimonials shared on October 10 and will be able to use the hashtag #CGIMentalHealthMatters to find other mental health stories shared by CGI members, and to share your own. 

How have your mental health programmes evolved in the past year? Are there aspects that have moved up the priority list and/or taken on greater urgency?  In response to the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic and its impact on chronic stress, isolation and domestic violence, our mental health programs have evolved significantly in the past year. We have placed additional emphasis on addressing the reactive aspect of the mental health continuum. This means that we have augmented our efforts to provide immediate and responsive support to individuals who are experiencing acute mental health challenges, such as stress, anxiety, trauma, or burnout.  Recognizing the heightened need for timely interventions, we have developed and implemented targeted initiatives designed to assist members in managing and coping with punctual stressors. These measures have allowed us to better address the immediate mental health needs of our workforce, ensuring that they receive the support and resources necessary to navigate these challenging times effectively avoiding potential deterioration or illness. 

Aspects that have moved up in priority and taken on greater urgency: 

• Substantial increase in mental health coverage for our members and their families. 
• Expanding our internal Mental Health First Aid network by offering and covering the cost of certification to all interested volunteer members. 
• Hiring of an Organizational Mental Health Specialist to further expand internal services and interventions. 
• Health crisis protocol to upskill HR professionals and leaders in assessing an imminent and critical health risk in an employee, predominantly in a virtual setting, and responding to the risk as deemed appropriate using external resources.   
• Domestic and family violence program to develop organizational awareness, respond by providing support and accompanying employee victims to adequate and necessary resources. 
• Neurodiversity Affinity group and program to cultivate an inclusive, collaborative and supportive CGI community by fostering awareness around neurodiversity, building internal knowledge, advocating for supportive practices, and building internal and external partnerships that promote best inclusive practices. 
• In-house Interventions (stress management, sensitivity coaching, conflict resolution, climate assessment, etc.) facilitated via our internal Workplace Mental Health Specialist. 
• Revision of CGI’s Presence at Work Program 
• Always ensuring the presence and visibility of a group of more than 120 volunteer Mental Health First Aiders ready to support any member in need during our trainings or psychoeducational sessions or initiatives. 
• Additional Family Support: Upgrades in our Telemedicine program, EAP services and benefits coverage to improve all services related to mental health support & access for employees and their family.  

Read More: Embracing Diversity and Improving Inclusion: Making LGBTQ+ Inclusivity a Part of Company Culture 

How have mental health programmes and initiatives been impacted by more flexible, hybrid and remote forms of working? What have you had to do differently?   The shift to a more flexible workplace and openness to virtual work has acted as a catalyst for fostering greater inclusion and accessibility in our organization, creating a more accommodating and supportive environment for neurodivergent and equity deserving groups within our workforce.  The transition to virtual work has created a more inclusive environment by levelling the playing field for employees who may have previously faced challenges in traditional office settings. Neurodivergent individuals, for instance, have found the virtual work environment to be more accommodating, reducing sensory overload and anxiety that can be associated with physical office spaces. Additionally, remote work has enabled employees to tailor their workspaces to their specific needs, allowing for greater comfort and reduced distractions. This flexibility has not only benefited neurodivergent individuals but also other equity-deserving groups who may have faced barriers in the traditional office setting due to various factors, including commuting challenges, accessibility issues, or caregiving responsibilities.  One significant shift we’ve made is toward virtual facilitation of trainings and interventions. This transition has proven highly beneficial as it enables us to intervene more rapidly and on a broader scale across the organization. In fact, by leveraging virtual platforms, we can extend our reach to cover a much larger population than would have been feasible with in-person programs alone. This approach not only aligns with the evolving work landscape but also allows us to be more agile and responsive in addressing mental health needs throughout the organization. 

Read More: How Saint-Gobain Prioritises New Ways of Working into their Company Culture  

How have you ensured that your managers are reinforcing mental health as a right for all employees? And are they trained to recognise and address mental health issues in their teams?  

Yes, we have implemented an internal training program known as “Leading Healthy Teams,” which is specifically designed to equip our managers with the skills necessary to identify signs of mental health challenges and appropriately respond to them. Additionally, we have developed a quick-reference tool in the form of a cheat-sheet, readily accessible through our online Health platform, the “Oxygen Portal” within the “Leaders Toolbox” section. 

In conjunction with these mandatory training initiatives, we have consistently offered various additional learning opportunities to our leaders over the past years. These include specialized training modules covering topics such as Resilience at Work, Burnout Prevention, Stress Management, Work-life Balance, and Self-Care for Leaders. These programs collectively enable our managers to reinforce mental health as a fundamental right for all employees while equipping them with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively address mental health issues within their teams. Our leaders are also encouraged to take part in Mental Health First Aid certification. We are proud to share that over 46% of our mental health ambassadors hold management positions at CGI. Thus, it’s fair to say that mental health at CGI is an integral part of our operating culture. 

How do you create psychological safety for employees to feel they have a right to speak up about their mental health concerns, without worrying about how it will affect their careers? 

1. Destigmatize mental health: 

• Leadership upskilling and training around courageous conversations and authenticity 
• Discussion Panels such as Mental Health For All 

• Leaders speaking openly and publicly about their challenges with mental health including burnout, suicidality, domestic violence, neurodiversity, etc. 

• The Mental Health Minute Program  

• Equips all our leaders and members with Mental Health Minute “cards” that they can use to kick-off every team meeting  
• Encourages leaders, and members, to take advantage of a moment of openness with their team to discuss common challenges and normalize topics surrounding health and wellbeing 
• Provides authenticity and empathy building opportunities through sharing real-life experiences and examples. 
• Upskills leaders and members on day-to-day actions that can be put in place to support their health. 

• Psychoeducational awareness through interactive learning sessions, newsletters, CGI’s health & wellbeing portal, wellbeing consultations and various communication channels 
• Mental Health Champion Network 

• Network composed of more than 120 CGI members who have volunteered and received a Mental Health First Aider certification training offered by the Mental Health Commission of Canada 
• Aiders are available to respond to requests or calls from members in need by initiating a caring conversation through dialogue, accompanying them to help defuse a situation, and guiding them to the right resources and support. 

• Neurodiversity Affinity Group 

• Sharing how to open to a leader about a neurodivergent trait. 
• How to respond as a leader to show support 

1. Ensure promotional practices that foster and support diversity and inclusion. 
2. Socialize accommodation program for any member regardless of job role.  
3. Assess and mitigate psychological risk factors within teams who are struggling. 
4. Team wellbeing assessments 

• Mediation 
• Trauma debriefs. 

About Marie-Soleil Ferland 

HR Director 

Health & Well-being, CGI Canada 

Passionate leader of CGI Canada Occupational Health and Well-being HR Center of expertise. She is responsible for the development of innovative organizational health offering, their implementation, and their measure of success. She sits on human resources committees to effectively integrate workplace health into business strategies. Her mission is to optimize not only the overall well-being of employees but also to encourage meaning at work, inclusion, and organizational performance. She provides ongoing consulting services to HR teams and leaders. She holds a bachelor’s degree in health sciences and a graduate certificate in nutrition. In addition to numerous specific training sessions on occupational health, psychosocial risks, and protective factors, she is certified in Mental Health First Aid, Workplace First Aid and Behaviour Change Interventionist. Her caring and inclusive leadership is recognized by her peers. 

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