The best workplaces in Switzerland: This is a good place to work

On May 10, 2022, Switzerland's Best Workplaces were honored for the 14th time - this year, for the first time since the COVID 19 pandemic began, at a live event at Kaufleuten Zurich. As part of the world's largest study, Great Place to Work worked with more than 200 organizations in Switzerland on the topic of workplace architecture, surveying more than 34,000 employees here. 51 organizations were named Best Workplaces by their employees in the categories Small, Medium and Large, making them among the best in Switzerland. To be named one of the Best Workplaces, organizations must achieve a Trust Index score of at least 70% and meet the criteria of the Culture Audit. Companies that do not receive the award will not be listed. Participation in the Best Workplaces - this is a registered trademark of Great Place to Work - is possible for any organization with 20 or more employees.

A "perennial winner" among the best workplaces

First place in the category "Large companies" with more than 250 employees goes to UMB AG. The IT company already topped the rankings in 2020, 2018, 2016 and 2014. In the "Medium-sized companies" category with 50-249 employees, Spitex Malters takes first place. This is the first time that a company operating in the healthcare sector has held this position. In view of the challenges it has faced in recent years, Great Place to Work sees this as a pleasing sign. In the "Small" category with 20-49 employees, the medical research company Alnylam Switzerland GmbH made it to first place. They thus make it to the top in their category for the second time in a row. Also recognized as Best Workplaces were well-known Swiss employers such as Hilti Switzerland, IWC Schaffhausen, AbbVie, Strassenverkehrsamt des Kantons Zürich, Globegarden, Decathlon and blue entertainment, among others. This shows that workplace culture is also a strategic focus, regardless of industry, in order to retain the best talent and attract new talent in the face of a shortage of skilled workers and demographic change, according to the statement.

The role of managers is gaining importance in Best Workplaces™

Overall, Great Place to Work concludes that organizations in Switzerland have solidly mastered the challenges surrounding the Corona pandemic and are slowly going "back to normal" or to a "new normal." In this context, the issue of the role of managers in particular has become more important, it said, and expectations of managers have also increased. For example, the credibility and role model function of managers is a key success factor for employee satisfaction, it said. "Managers are easy to reach and straightforward to talk to" received an approval rating of 87% in Best Workplaces this year. This is 4 percentage points higher than last year and 22 percentage points higher than we see for the average of all employees in Switzerland (Representative benchmark of randomly selected employees). Cornelia Schättle, consultant and co-owner of Great Place to Work Switzerland, says: "We see a development from a culture of rules to a culture of values. Shaping all the challenges of the modern working world with rules is no longer flexible enough. Instead of being the sole decision-makers and knowledge carriers, good managers are increasingly characterized by a coaching and mentoring attitude: They offer employees an opportunity to reflect on themselves, delegate responsibility, support the development of competencies, and at the same time take on an important role as role models for the values of an organization. And they can only do that with a trust-based workplace culture."

Holding on to old working environment as a risk

An increasing challenge for even Best Workplaces is maintaining employees' attachment to and pride in the organization. The statement "I would like to continue working here for a long time" was agreed to by 80% of employees at this year's Best Workplaces (down 4 percentage points on the previous year). The Swiss average is just 60%, and the sometimes high turnover further exacerbates the shortage of skilled workers for many organizations. Michael Hermann, consultant and co-owner of Great Place to Work Switzerland, sums up the challenges as follows: "Anyone who stubbornly wants to stick to the old way of working (e.g. with a presence in the office) will lose employees. Organizations that respond to different needs and also involve employees in the search for solutions to all issues will be able to adapt much better. Even for these, however, the following applies: attachment to the employer decreases and the meaningfulness of the task as well as the appreciation received make the difference here".

Best Workplaces 2022: The top 3 in the various categories

Large companies (250+ employees)

1. UMB AG (Information Technology), 400 employees
2. SAP (Switzerland) AG (Information Technology - Software), 898 employees
3. Vebego AG (Construction, Infrastructure & Real Estate - Property Management), 6000 employees

Medium-sized companies (50-249 employees)

1. Spitex Malters (Health Care), 52 employees
2. dbi services (Information Technology - IT Consulting), 78 employees
3. APP Unternehmensberatung (Professional Services - Consulting - Management), 84 employees

Small companies (20-49 employees)

1. Alnylam Switzerland GmbH (Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals), 37 employees
2. Hilton (Hospitality - Hotel/Resort), 41 employees
3. Digital Luxury Group, DLG SA (Professional Services - Advertising and Marketing), 32 employees

The complete ranking is available here.