Interview with Cornelia Schättle, Co-Owner & Consultant
Hi Conny, what are you doing at Great Place to Work?
Phew, quite a lot! I develop new products, carry out surveys on workplace culture and evaluate them - but mainly I'm a consultant directly on site at our customers' premises, accompanying change processes and bringing them up to speed with the help of workshops. I am also a co-owner of Great Place to Work Switzerland.
Were you also active in the area of workplace culture before that?
Before that I worked at Allianz Suisse in Talent Management and Career Development. As a psychologist, I have always been very interested in workplace culture. I see workplace culture as the foundation for all HR activities. In 2016, I took the step to Great Place to Work®, where I have since been able to advise a wide range of organizations on their workplace culture.
And if you had yourself as a customer: is Great Place to Work a Great Place to Work®?
Of course - we are constantly working on our own workplace culture and we always question how we do things. It's the only way we can develop in the long term. At the same time, the added value for our customers is also important to us - but we can only offer this if we are self-reflective and critical of our own workplace culture.
"Only when the workplace culture is based on trust, the value construct is actively managed and established in a targeted manner via mission, vision and employer value propositions, do employees know where they stand".
What makes an employer a Great Place to Work® for you?
A trust-based workplace culture that is characterized by self-reflection. Our Great Place to Work® organizations don't rest on their laurels, but continually work on themselves. At the same time, employees know their contribution to the company's success and show a great passion for their organization, its product or the organization's services. And this passion is built on the pillars that create trust: credibility, respect, pride, fairness and team spirit. And last but not least, transparent communication and the involvement of employees in decisions is part of a Great Place to Work®.
What do you think is part of a workplace culture?
For me, workplace culture is the expression of the collected and lived values of all employees in an organization. Only when the workplace culture is based on trust, when the value construct is actively managed and specifically established through mission, vision and employer value propositions, do employees know where they stand. In this way they also understand what they can expect from their employer and how they identify with it.
Why should companies concern themselves with their workplace culture?
Because it is worth it! Motivated employees who can identify with the goals and values of the organisation not only remain with the organisation for longer, but also take on more responsibility, are more creative and innovative and make a significant contribution to its success as part of the organization.
What is your contribution to a better workplace culture?
I regularly question my behaviour, my communication and how we do things. I want the same from my colleagues and clients, so I ask them for regular feedback. I myself also address things openly and honestly. I also try to have fun and am happy when I can work together with colleagues on new topics. Especially if we have the courage to try something new.
What makes you an expert on workplace culture?
I bring the theory with me through my studies of psychology, and have experience in coaching teams and managers, project experience in an international consulting context and have held various internal HR functions. All these experiences have had a great impact on me and have shown me how important it is to take a holistic view of an organization. From this perspective, I am able to work with our clients to derive key areas of action in order to develop the workplace culture in a targeted manner - and to do so individually for each organization.
