Swiss Employer Award 2020: The official rankings are here!
With feedback from over 25,000 employees from 120 companies, the Swiss Employer Award is the largest employee survey in Switzerland. The best employers 2020 in their respective size categories are: CONCORDIA, Klinik Adelheid AG, Lenzburg Vocational School and Breitenmoser Fleischspezialitäten AG.
The Swiss Employer Award celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. By its own account, it is the most valid award for assessing employer attractiveness. The only thing that counts in this award are the detailed assessments of the company's own employees. The scientifically developed questionnaire consists of around 60 questions and is completed on average by 78% of all employees in a company. This provides a differentiated picture of the work situation. This year, despite the Corona crisis, around 120 Swiss and Liechtenstein companies again applied, as in 2019. It certainly took a bit more courage this year to apply for this award despite the exceptional circumstances. The announcement of the winning companies was postponed from August to November 10 due to the Corona crisis and the associated postponement of many surveys until the fall.
Swiss Employer Award 2020 under special auspices
The employees assessed their employer with regard to all topics of the work situation that are relevant for commitment. Commitment describes the emotional bond between an individual and an organization. This bond is manifested in three forms: Identification with the employer, devotion to the employer, and feeling of responsibility toward the employer. In particular, organizational conditions such as corporate strategy, management, handling of change as well as cooperation, employee involvement, work content and employee development are key factors influencing commitment. Employees also provided information about their satisfaction and their basic attitude toward employer attractiveness and recommending the employer to others. The companies systematically use the findings from the Swiss Employer Award study to develop themselves further and create a modern working environment, which is particularly decisive in the competition for the best specialists.
Management teams are strong in dealing with the crisis
What is particularly interesting about this year's results: Despite a sharp increase in momentum and unexpectedly high pressure for change at many companies (including digitization, changes in business areas, home office, managing at a distance), management once again succeeded this year in informing their employees about important changes and developments and setting an example of their own corporate values. This is a particularly strong result because home offices have reduced the proximity to many employees and communication is much more challenging in times of crisis.
Workplace and work equipment as well as cooperation in the company could maintain level
Although employees are increasingly working from home, most companies have succeeded very well in providing employees with the necessary work equipment. The assessment of the workplace and the available work equipment is just as positive as in previous years. The level of collaboration within the company was also maintained despite the change in working conditions.
Challenges emerge in the areas of leadership and agility
Managers are currently being challenged more than ever. Employees express a stronger need for clear assignments and positive as well as critical feedback on their performance compared to previous years. This result is not surprising. After all, leading at a distance requires new skills from managers that first have to be developed.
However, the most significant loss in ratings was in relation to perceptions of cross-team agility. Employees say that in their work environment, less information is provided about mistakes and fewer new ideas are developed. Employees were less encouraged to contribute ideas and suggest improvements. This may be due to a variety of reasons. For example, it may be that many employees recognize that the company needs to become more agile in this ever faster changing world and realize that many employees are not acting agile enough. Or it may be that further developments have been stopped or postponed in the short term due to the crisis.
Swiss Employer Award 2020: These are the winners
Winners are awarded based on the highest rated fundamental attitudes toward the employer. These are: Overall satisfaction, commitment to the employer, willingness to recommend, attractiveness as an employer and low resignation. In total, 42 out of 120 companies were recognized as Top Employers with the Swiss Employer Award label.
Click here to see the winners:
