IBA editorial team The award honours companies with outstanding workplace design. In addition to the two categories of SMEs and large companies, a special award for employee empowerment was also presented in 2023. We talked to the award winners about their recipes for success.
Winner in the small and medium-sized enterprises category: W3 digital brands
The offices of the media agency W3 digital brands in Constance offer a mixture of ergonomic workstations, open-plan workspaces, collaborative areas and quiet zones. W3 emphasises a professional and performance-enhancing feel-good atmosphere in which creativity, teamwork and good ideas are encouraged. An open and appreciative environment that leaves space for individual self-realisation is of great importance. And the location on Lake Constance does the rest.
W3 digital brands considers its employees to be co-entrepreneurs. Even during the recruitment process, the company searches specifically for people who identify with the corporate culture and want to help shape the company. Self-motivation, the ability to work in a team and a proactive mindset are qualities that go beyond purely technical aptitude. When composing the team, Mario Motzkuhn, Managing Partner Strategy, attaches particular importance to cultural fit: “Does the person fit in well with the team? Does he or she already have the W3 culture? And does he or she get on well with his or her direct team members?”
W3 deliberately leaves space for autonomous decision-making and action. Individual development is just one of several success factors. W3 also involves its employees in the economic development of the company, discloses company figures and involves the team in the jointly generated company success. Together with a culture of communication that is both open and respectful and space for joint team events – from after-work beers, barbecues and team events to the annual workation week somewhere abroad – this leads to a good work-life balance.
Presentation of W3 digital brands, winner of the Best Workplace Award 2023 in the SME category
Winner in the category of large companies: Adecco Medical
The HR service provider based in Hamburg, which specialises in the placement of workers in the nursing and medical sector, attaches great importance to a good working atmosphere and workplaces that promote health: The offices are equipped with height-adjustable desks and the company physician regularly explains how colleagues use their workstations ergonomically correctly. The open-plan offices allow employees to organise their workspace as they wish. The open-plan areas offer space for dialogue as well as plenty of opportunities to retreat. Dogs are allowed in the office, as long as no one is afraid of dogs or has an allergy.
Adecco Medical therefore attaches great importance to recognising individual needs, valuing each individual as a person and colleague and encouraging creativity; managers set a good example: constructive criticism is given and received openly and with an approachable attitude. Transparency and mutual trust are important pillars for inspiring employees for the company. When forming the team, Adecco Medical focusses on complementary skills, team spirit, autonomous work, a high level of service and “a good heart”. “Making the future work for everyone” is therefore not the Adecco Group’s credo by chance.
Adecco Medical, winner of the Best Workplace Award 2023 in the category large companies
“We attach great importance to individual diversity in order to truly realise the full potential of the people around us. At Adecco Medical, we are guided by the idea that employees working in the care sector can preserve and realise their love for their profession.” Manuel Fink
Winner in the category employee empowerment: Baufinanzierungpool24
The offices of Baufinanzierungspool24 are also characterised by high-quality furniture. In its Karlsruhe headquarters, the winner of the special prize for the best employee empowerment favours light-flooded rooms. Modern cooling and heating technology ensures a pleasant indoor climate, while dynamic lighting adjusts the brightness and colour temperature of the interior lighting depending on the time of day. A high-quality kitchen with a bar and good acoustics creates a pleasant lounge area for employees. All offices are accessible by key tag. An under-ground car park can be rented on request.
Presenting Baufinanzierungspool24, Best Workplace Award 2023 winner. Representative of the award winners in the special category of employee empowerment present in Hamburg.
According to Managing Director Sven Dreier, the recipe for enthusiastic employees is to love what you do and to pass on this enthusiasm. Similar to W3 digital brands, Baufinanzierungspool24 takes care during the recruitment process to only hire people who share the values and work ethic of their (future) colleagues and who identify with the company’s value proposition. The teams also have a say in filling new positions.
The motto ” You are strong alone, together you are stronger” is practised both internally and externally, promoting close teamwork and enthusiasm for the offered services. To this end, employees are given digital support in their onboarding and coaching processes, customised to their individual needs. The company offers around 400 of its own online courses. In addition, the team regularly takes part in events organised by renowned coaches.
As different as the top three companies in this year’s Best Workplace Award are, they all have the following in common: a good working atmosphere, a proactive mindset, open communication and a corporate culture that enables personal responsibility and individual development.
