Yay! We’re officially a great place to work

Digitec Galaxus is now officially one of just under 40 «Great Places to Work» or best employers in Switzerland. This is what I’m told in a company-internal e-mail. As I’m reading, my foot gets tangled in a clown costume and a stack of magazines slides off my desk. Great space to work, indeed. The editorial department is reminiscent of a battery farm. It’s a desk-to-desk layout with a whole lot of clutter in between – leftovers from reviews and video shoots. On the upside, I’m really close to my lovely workmates and don’t have to communicate with them by e-mail.

But it’s not like that for everyone. I throw a glance out of the window and enviously watch the free-range chickens in the office on the other side of the courtyard. It’s home to our accounting department and has so much space, you could quite literally waltz through it. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s fresh fruit and an aquarium with a wee fish called Paul. Meanwhile, on this side of the building, my desk is lurking in the shadows of a plywood meeting cube that’s blocking out the last bit of natural light. At least I never have to deal with reflections in my monitors. You’ve got to look on the bright side, right?

My colleagues in logistics have fewer dealings with monitors but struggle with the infrastructure and work processes in general. There’s a bare minimum of parking spaces, toilets and breaks. Product Development also lacks toilets. Men’s toilets, to be precise. Despite all efforts, Software Engineering is primarily a male domain. On the plus side, their new greenery concept and air quality is good. In Marketing, however, the last point regularly leads to heated discussions – quite literally. During the summer months, temperatures soar to the boiling point. Air conditioning? Negative. These are problems the team in Business Intelligence are oblivious to. Their open-plan office is located three floors below me and shared with other departments. Thanks to a mini redesign, each team now has their designated work partition with lots of light and plenty of space. I want that too!

Corporate diversity and the survey results

These points are clearly reflected in the results of the «Great Place to Work» survey all employees were asked to fill in some weeks ago. The questions roughly revolved around credibility, respect, fairness, pride and team spirit. Every department took part – from the stores and Logistics to Marketing and Management. So it’s not surprising this resulted in a multitude of answers. It goes without saying that Logistics and Marketing have different needs than Engineering and Retail. Nevertheless, 71 per cent of answers were positive. To be certified as a «Great Place to Work», a company needs to hit the 70 per cent mark. Work smart, not hard. That’s what my dad always told me in my schooldays.

And what dragged the results down? Money and a lack of communication – difficult topics in any relationship. More pay and transparency are what employees want from management. But I think it’s safe to say that those are pain points in any company. At least we now have official wage brackets that are in line with the industry. Nonetheless, these topics do have a negative impact on employees’ loyalty towards the employer, as the survey shows. When it comes to pride, there’s some catching up to do.

Fight for your right to party!

So what was it that pushed the results over the 70 per cent threshold? The trust that is placed in the skills of each individual employee, our team spirit, the flexibility and improved social benefits. I’ve now learned that we’ve introduced paternity leave after an adoption. But what factor really stood out? We know how to party! Twice a year, the entire company gets together to raise glasses. Several smaller events on a department or team level bridge the gaps between the big parties. As if this weren’t enough, everyone’s invited to our monthly «Friday Beer» meetup. The name says it all: drinking beers and other beverages, including non-alcoholic ones, courtesy of the company.

After one of those drunken nights, the coffee machine is even more important than usual. Coffee is free and so is milk. It terms of flavour, the beans still have room for improvement. Be as it may, they keep our motivation and productivity up. If all else fails, some departments even offer high-end espresso machines or the option to work from home. For obvious reasons, the stores do not fall into this category. And the home office option doesn’t seem to be missed, as most employees enjoy working with their colleagues. The work atmosphere received positive ratings throughout all departments. This is mainly because the vibe is good and everybody feels accepted the way they are. In other words, you can show up at work in a saggy jumper and Birkenstock sandals or make an entrance in a little black dress and bright-red lips. It’s all the same. Not even the employees in our stores or logistics have to follow a dress code.

First-world problems

The great work atmosphere is what makes up for my gloomy bunker-like desk area. The air is filled with laughter, banter and creativity. At times, the tone is gruff, but that’s the way I like it. We’re free to experiment, make mistakes and learn from them – without being told off. My employer isn’t perfect, but all the important factors are in order. And for all the other things, solutions are (slowly) being looked for. In this spirit: I look forward to the new «lighting concept» that’s been work in progress for months. 😉