Novo Nordisk CIS Emerging Markets: Cultivating a Thriving Workplace and Empowering Employees

  • Success story
  • 5m

Novo Nordisk CIS Emerging Markets: Cultivating a Thriving Workplace and Empowering Employees

Learn more how Novo Nordisk CIS Emerging Markets fosters a culture of engagement, development, and teamwork.

Novo Nordisk CEM
Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk CIS Emerging Markets (CEM) is a dynamic cluster affiliate comprising nine countries, with the offices in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan. Our central office is located in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and our workforce in the CEM cluster has reached 100 dedicated professionals.


  • Employee experience
  • Employee Wellbeing

As a global healthcare company with over 100 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care, Novo Nordisk also holds leading positions in haemophilia care, growth hormone therapy, and hormone replacement therapy.

How do you actively engage your employees?

At Novo Nordisk, we believe that our employees are our greatest asset. As P&O Partner, my role is to ensure that our team feels valued, engaged, and motivated. We actively engage our employees through a variety of initiatives that promote a healthy lifestyle, personal development, and a positive work environment. Some of our key engagement activities include:

Healthy Lifestyle Initiatives: Morning exercises, Friday breakfasts, and Novo Health Week, featuring activities like walk and talk, meditation, and healthy quizzes.

Personal Development Programs: Our IDP (Individual Development Plan) Campaign has been a tremendous success, with a remarkable 96% completion rate, up from 40%.

Team-Building Activities: Collaborative projects, communication exercises, and team-building exercises focused on developing leadership and trust.

Recognition Programs: The "My Way, Novo Nordisk Way" award celebrates employees who embody our core values, with monthly rewards and recognition.

What are the most significant HR challenges faced by your industry today?

The pharmaceutical industry is highly competitive, and retaining skilled employees is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. One of the challenges we encounter is managing our turnover rate, which, while below the market average, still requires proactive measures to ensure we maintain our talented workforce. We are committed to addressing this challenge through strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing employee engagement and satisfaction.

Could you share details about teamwork activities offered to your employees?

Fostering teamwork is integral to our company culture. We offer a variety of activities to encourage collaboration, communication, and camaraderie among our employees. Some of our notable teamwork activities include:

Hobby Clubs: Activities like archery, wine tasting, and cooking classes allow our team to explore new interests and bond with each other.

NovoKids Day: An event where employees' children can experience their parents' work environment, fostering a sense of community and family.

Informal Team Meetups: Regular gatherings where team members can share insights, dreams, and concerns, strengthening our bonds beyond the 9-to-6 grind.

Reflect on your experience with the Best Places to Work certification journey.

Our journey to achieving the Best Place to Work certification has been both inspiring and rewarding. This certification is a testament to our commitment to creating a healthy and engaging work environment. Here are some highlights from our journey:

Pre-Program Survey: Understanding our employees' needs and expectations.

IDP Workshops and the IDP Ball: Engaging and motivating our team to focus on personal development.

Recognition Programs: Celebrating employees who embody the Novo Nordisk Way principles.

Advice for Implementing the Certification Process

For organizations looking to implement the Best Places to Work certification process, my advice is to focus on creating a culture of engagement, recognition, and personal development. Here are some key steps:

Understand Your Employees: Conduct surveys to understand their needs and expectations.

Promote Personal Development: Implement programs like IDP campaigns to encourage growth and development.

Celebrate Achievements: Recognize and reward employees who embody your core values.

Foster Teamwork: Organize activities that promote collaboration and camaraderie.

Create a Positive Work Environment: Focus on initiatives that promote a healthy and engaging work environment.

At Novo Nordisk, we are proud of our achievements and the positive work environment we have created. Our success in achieving the Best Place to Work certification is a testament to our commitment to our employees' well-being and development. We invite you to join our team and be part of our mission to drive change and defeat serious chronic diseases. Together, we can achieve remarkable success and make a meaningful impact on the world.

BSH Egypt: Building a Thriving Workplace Through Innovation, Engagement, and Excellence

  • Success story
  • 5m

BSH Egypt: Building a Thriving Workplace Through Innovation, Engagement, and Excellence

Learn how BSH Egypt fosters innovation, employee engagement, and excellence to create a thriving workplace.

B/S/H
B/S/H

BSH Egypt is a leading company in the home appliance industry, committed to innovation, quality, and sustainability. As part of the global BSH network, we leverage cutting-edge technology and local expertise to deliver high-quality products that enhance the daily lives of our customers.


  • Benefits
  • Employee experience
  • Employee Wellbeing

Our operations in Egypt focus on fostering a strong company culture, prioritizing employee well-being, and contributing to the community through various CSR initiatives.

How do you actively engage your employees?

At BSH Egypt, employee engagement is a cornerstone of our HR strategy. We offer regular training programs, mentorship opportunities, and career development plans to ensure professional growth. Additionally, we organize employee recognition programs, well-being initiatives, and open forums to encourage collaboration and feedback. Our goal is to create an inclusive and dynamic work environment where employees feel valued and empowered.

What are the most significant HR challenges faced by your industry today?

The home appliance industry faces several HR challenges, including talent acquisition in a competitive market, adapting to rapid technological advancements, and maintaining high employee retention rates.

Additionally, ensuring continuous skill development and aligning with evolving workplace expectations are key areas we focus on to maintain a motivated and future-ready workforce.

Heba El Sherif
Heba El Sherif

Head of Human Resources

Could you share details about the teamwork activities offered to your employees?

We believe in fostering a strong team spirit through various initiatives. Our employees participate in team-building activities, interactive workshops, and cross-functional projects. We also encourage engagement through sports events. These activities enhance collaboration, communication, and overall job satisfaction.

Reflect on your experience with the Best Places to Work certification journey.

The Best Places to Work certification journey has been a transformative experience for BSH Egypt. It provided us with valuable insights into employee satisfaction, workplace culture, and areas for improvement. Achieving this certification reaffirms our commitment to maintaining an exceptional work environment and continuously enhancing our HR practices.

What advice would you give to someone looking to implement the certification process for their organization?

Organizations considering the Best Places to Work certification should start by fostering a culture of transparency and employee engagement. Regularly seeking feedback, addressing employee concerns, and implementing meaningful HR initiatives are crucial. Aligning leadership with HR strategies and ensuring continuous improvement will not only help in achieving the certification but also in building a thriving workplace.

Novo Nordisk Vietnam: A Four-Time Best Place to Work, Driven by Inclusion and Engagement

  • Success story
  • 5m

Novo Nordisk Vietnam: A Four-Time Best Place to Work, Driven by Inclusion and Engagement

Learn how Novo Nordisk Vietnam fosters a positive and inclusive work environment through a variety of engagement activities, well-being initiatives, and employee development opportunities.

Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk

At Novo Nordisk we recognize that it is no longer good enough to aspire to be the best company in the world. We need to aspire to be the best company for the world and we know that this is only possible with talented employees with diverse perspectives, backgrounds and cultures.


  • Benefits
  • Employee Wellbeing

We are therefore committed to creating an inclusive culture that celebrates the diversity of our employees, the patients we serve and communities we operate in. Together, we’re life changing.

How do you actively engage your employees?

We actively engage our employees through several initiatives designed to foster a positive and inclusive work environment. Additionally, we have frequent check-in that enhances engagement through data-driven methods based on feedback. This ensures continuous improvement and active participation from employees. We also emphasize the importance of speak-up culture, emotional safety, and joy at work. Our initiatives provide opportunities for employees to express themselves and participate actively in creating a great place to work. This includes team reflections, coaching, and mentoring programs that help develop communication and influencing skills. Moreover, we organize various activities and workshops that promote well-being and inclusion.

What are the most significant HR challenges faced by your industry today?

The pharmaceutical industry faces several significant HR challenges today. One of the primary challenges is attracting and retaining top talent. With the industry being highly specialized, finding individuals with the right skills and experience can be difficult. Additionally, the competition for these skilled professionals is intense, leading to high turnover rates and increased recruitment costs. Another major challenge is managing the regulatory and compliance requirements. 

The pharmaceutical industry is heavily regulated, and HR professionals must ensure that all employees are compliant with the various laws and regulations. This includes continuous training and development to keep up with the ever-changing regulatory landscape. Furthermore, the industry is experiencing rapid technological advancements, which require employees to continuously update their skills. This creates a need for ongoing training and development programs to ensure that the workforce remains competent and competitive.

Erik Wiebols
Erik Wiebols

General Manager

Could you share details about the collaboration activities offered to your employees?

Novo Nordisk Vietnam offers a variety of engagement activities designed to foster collaboration, strengthen teamwork, and promote a positive work environment, which has been a catalyst for our impressive growth of 48% in 2024. Here are some of the key activities:

Engagement events such as Team Building, Family Day, Quarterly Social Gatherings, D&I Week and Ideas for Acceleration…are aimed at embracing innovation, strengthening interpersonal relationships and fostering interaction between employees and the organization.

Physical & Mental Well-being initiatives include the "Iron Man" triathlon event, where employees can participate as solo competitors or as part of a relay team. This event encourages physical activities, enhances collaboration, and provides opportunities for team bonding and relaxation in a natural setting.

NovoHealth activities feature Power Breaks, which are 10-minute exercise breaks during work hours, and Healthy Lunch events where colleagues gather to enjoy a nutritious meal together. These activities promote healthy living and foster a sense of community and teamwork among employees.

Internal communication on the company's top values and interactions on our internal social media platform, “Yammer,” are also part of these initiatives.

Reflect on your experience with the Best Places to Work certification journey.

flecting on the Best Places to Work certification journey, it's been an incredibly rewarding experience for Novo Nordisk Vietnam. Achieving this prestigious certification for four consecutive years is a testament to our commitment to creating an exceptional workplace.

What advice would you give to someone looking to implement the certification process for their organization?

Implementing the Best Places to Work certification process can be a rewarding journey for any organization. Here are some key pieces of advice to help you get started: Understand the Certification Requirements à Engage Your Employees à Foster a Positive Work Environment à Commit to Continuous Improvement à Leverage Available Resources à Celebrate Achievements. By following these steps, you can successfully implement the Best Places to Work certification process and create a workplace where employees feel valued, engaged, and motivated.

CCD Health (A GeBBS Healthcare Company) Journey to Revolutionizing Employee Engagement and Achieving Best Places to Work Certification

  • Success story
  • 5m

CCD Health (A GeBBS Healthcare Company) Journey to Revolutionizing Employee Engagement and Achieving Best Places to Work Certification

Learn how CCD Health (A GeBBS Healthcare Company) has transformed employee engagement and achieved the Best Places to Work certification.

CCD Health (A GeBBS Healthcare Company)
CCD Health (A GeBBS Healthcare Company)

CCD Health (A GeBBS Healthcare Company) specializes in patient contact services and is a leading appointment scheduling services provider for healthcare centers in the United States.


  • Employee experience
  • Employee Wellbeing

For over a decade, they've focused on helping partners overcome three main challenges to improve patient experience and help their partners recover revenue: staffing level challenges, patient experience improvement, and operational cost optimization. By addressing these key areas, CCD Health has established itself as a crucial ally for healthcare centers seeking to enhance their service delivery while managing resources effectively.

How do you actively engage your employees?

At CCD Health, we take employee engagement very seriously. We've implemented a range of ongoing activities and themes designed to reduce stress and promote well-being. These include visits from therapy dogs, free psychology consultations, and yoga/meditation sessions. We also recognize top performers and organize health-related activities like wellness days and 5k races. One of our most popular initiatives is "CCD University," a free development program accessible to all employees who want to grow professionally. This program allows our team members to climb the career ladder within our organization.

What are the most significant HR challenges faced by your industry today?

In our industry, the most significant HR challenge we face is changing the misconception about working at a contact center. 

The reality is that our industry has evolved significantly, offering numerous growth opportunities. However, shifting this perception remains difficult. We're constantly working to showcase the professional development paths and diverse experiences available in our modern, dynamic work environment.

Kalil Diaz
Kalil Diaz

CEO

Could you share details about the teamwork activities offered to your employees?

We believe in fostering a strong sense of community and teamwork through various activities. One of our most impactful events is the CCD Reforestation Day. In 2024, we successfully planted 3,000 trees at Finca Remberto Estrella in the Dominican Republic, contributing to environmental sustainability. Our CCD Wellness Day and 3K/5K Sprint Race is another popular event, promoting employee and community health and well-being. These activities not only bring our team together but also allow us to give back to our community.

Reflect on your experience with the Best Places to Work certification journey.

Our journey with the Best Places to Work certification began in April 2024, just four months ago. Even in this short time, the experience has been incredibly valuable. The survey results have provided us with crucial insights, helping us evaluate our employee care practices and identify areas for improvement. This data-driven approach has allowed us to make informed decisions at both the organizational and team levels, continuously enhancing our workplace environment.

What advice would you give to someone looking to implement the certification process for their organization?

For organizations considering the certification process, my advice would be: don't hesitate. It's an excellent opportunity for growth and improvement. The certification process enables you to make data-driven decisions and gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of your organization as an employer. It significantly improves relationships with employees and makes hiring easier as candidates recognize you as a great place to work. Moreover, international recognition helps promote your organization on a global scale. Ultimately, this process keeps you at the forefront of employee relations and organizational development, driving continuous improvement and growth.

Inside Fortenova Grupa: Creating One of the Best Working Environments in the Region

  • Success story
  • 5m

Inside Fortenova Grupa: Creating One of the Best Working Environments in the Region

Learn how Fortenova Grupa cultivates an exceptional working environment through employee care, continuous development, and community engagement.

Fortenova Grupa
Fortenova Grupa

Fortenova Grupa, based in Croatia, is a leading regional company known for its exceptional working environment, innovative corporate culture, and commitment to employee development. 


  • Employee experience
  • Employee Wellbeing
  • HR Practices

The company promotes a collaborative and inclusive atmosphere, employing advanced tools and systems to nurture talent and ensure ongoing development. Fortenova Grupa also actively engages with local communities, investing in various social, cultural, and humanitarian projects to enhance the quality of life and drive regional economic growth. Our discussion with Gordana Fabris, the Executive Director for Group HR, provided us with valuable insights into the organization's culture.

What makes your company one of the best working environments?

One of the biggest advantages and strengths of Fortenova grupa is the synergy and size of the organization, in which care for employees, potentials and talents in all positions, as well as continuous employment, both inexperienced young and experienced professionals, experts and managers, throughout the region ensures horizontal or vertical advancement within companies, but also through different businesses and countries. We use state-of-the-art tools and systems to develop potential and successors, thus ensuring the Group’s further progress.

Fortenova grupa’s shared values, attitudes and behaviours are creating a company culture that makes our organization one of the best working environments. Management is trusted and transparent about the challenges and the mission in front of the organization, communication is open and encouraged between the management and employees, workplace rules and procedures are set and updated accordingly. In addition, competitive benefits are enabled to all employees of the organization.

How would you describe your corporate culture in five words?

Excellence, responsibility, integrity, collaboration, innovation.

What activities do you offer for employees?

Most of our companies have collective agreements in place, which provide numerous benefits for our employees, including rewards for special occasions, additional health insurance and organized medical checks for all employees, paid warm meals and various non-financial benefits. For example, the companies provide a day off for parents and gifts for children for their first day at school, subsidize sporting activities, support in using parental leaves for fathers etc.

Regarding other activities provided by the companies to their employees, worth being singled out are the possibility of volunteering in different initiatives organized by the companies, the ‘Let’s Meet’ project, where employees in retail can visit a Group company in another country, meet their colleagues and learn about the differences in other retail companies; once a year, all companies organize a Town Hall meeting to present key information, and the employees actively take part by asking questions to be answered by the management.

Employees are encouraged to participate in running events such as B2Run Zagreb, Ljubljana Marathon, Belgrade Marathon, etc. The Group also has a basketball team that competes in the Business Basketball League and all the employees are welcome to participate.

Group companies participate in various sporting events that are often a great bonding tool that ultimately leads to improved teamwork and cohesion within the company.

Gordana Fabris
Gordana Fabris

Executive Director for Group HR

Does the company give back to the community? In what ways?

There is a comprehensive range of activities whereby the Group gives back to the community on all five markets where it operates. Above all, the Group employs more than 46,000 people for whom the Group, in addition to regular salaries, provides numerous other benefits. Due to Fortenova Group’s regional significance, the improvement of relationships with the local communities, work on improving the quality of life and contributing to their economic growth are high on the list of priorities. By devising and implementing appropriate socially responsible programmes and policies and taking part in common partnership projects with the local communities, the Group exerts efforts to improve various aspects of life in the local communities. Investments in the local communities have continuously been growing. Thus in 2023 there were almost 50 projects directly related to the local community. The Group supported more than 20 humanitarian activities, over 50 projects focused on socially sensitive groups and more than 40 cultural projects. Viewed by the individual markets on which it operates, most of those investments took place in Croatia, followed by Slovenia.

What continuing learning opportunities do you have for your employees?

Training and education are important backbones of the company’s competitiveness, and at Fortenova Group all employees have the opportunity to receive additional professional training, depending on their own and the business’s needs. In 2023, there were almost 332 thousand hours of training provided across the Group, whereof 72 percent was internal training. The Group follows the career development of its employees with potential to assume more complex jobs or transfer to other positions within Fortenova Group. Employees recognized as talents can put their career development forward as one of the topics at their annual interview with the managers, and the employees’ interest and potential are documented in an individual development plan. Fortenova Group is particularly proud of its own, internal long-term DRIVE Beyond Excellence programme, intended to improve the knowledge and skills of its employees, which started in 2021 and consists of three different group education programmes – Discover, Accelerate i Navigate – with the ultimate goal of further strengthening Fortenova Group’s human potential and contributing to the creation of an encouraging working environment and a winning mentality, which strongly drives the entire Fortenova Group forward.

Doing it right, doing it twice: Dragon Edge Group gets Best Place to Work winning streak

  • Success story
  • 5m

Doing it right, doing it twice: Dragon Edge Group gets Best Place to Work winning streak

Learn how Dragon Edge Group continues to excel in employee culture and innovation.

Dragon Edge
Dragon Edge

Dragon Edge Group (DEG), the company behind the popular Beach Hut Sunscreen and Cycles Laundry Detergent, once again received the Best Place to Work award for the second year in a row, recognizing its excellence in the workplace, making it one of the top companies in the Philippines.


  • Employee experience
  • Employee Wellbeing
  • HR Practices

This recognition by the world-renowned Best Places to Work, in partnership with Best Companies Group, honors companies with the highest standards of excellence in human resource (HR) practices and employee experience. The organization assesses employee culture and treatment in companies around the world, factoring in employee conditions, compensation and benefits, motivation, relationship, training, well-being, career development, leadership, and culture.

“We are truly blessed to have the opportunity to serve our customers and work alongside amazing teams. This award belongs to the DEGsters, who are passionate, hardworking individuals committed to our mission in spreading joy, excellence, and positivity through our products,” says Dennis Balajadia, Dragon Edge Group Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer.

The back-to-back win is a testament of DEG’s commitment to excellence and sustaining a positive employee culture, which is beneficial to creating remarkable brands and products.

Excellence in leadership and employee culture

Since 2005, Dragon Edge Group has been creating remarkable brands that bring more joy to people’s lives. Behind the company’s success is a passionate team led by equally passionate leaders that ensures only the best-quality products reach stores and our homes.

Beyond its products for customers, DEG also fosters a positive work environment and unique company culture that encourages new ideas and innovative thinking among employees. This has become a cornerstone of success within the company as DEG employees and leadership, also known as “DEGsters,” As a result, “DEGsters” develop their creativity and grow their potential in line with their core values to work with integrity and excellence, practice tamang diskarte and making sure things are done on time, take care of customers, and to be humble.

DEG provides leadership programs and initiatives for employees, where they can support the growth of employees to become strong leaders in the company. DEGsters are also given the chance to get their Master’s degrees from prestigious universities, like Ateneo Graduate School of Business and Wharton School.

Opening communication with employees is also key to DEG’s success. By talking to employees and receiving constructive feedback, the company was able to improve certain fields in their company culture, such as adding a retirement package to its benefits for DEGsters who are nearing this stage in life.

“We listen to our employees and we take note of feedback that would help us improve as a company, as long as it’s aligned with our values,” says Emily Balajadia, Dragon Edge Group Co-founder and Mother of Marketing.

Producing remarkable brands and innovations

Dragon Edge’s first product was a bottle of Beach Hut Sunblock in 2006, which was the first and only local spray-on sunblock at the time. This innovation pushed them to create other brands that challenged the status quo, and became the pioneers of many products, such as the first baby detergent Cycles and the first natural baby bottle and nipple cleanser, Cradle.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, DEG quickly responded by creating and distributing COV-X alcohol in just 11 days to help communities to stay safe and healthy.

The top priority is letting DEGsters’ express their creativity. Founders Dennis and Emily Balajadia believe that the best ideas come from “relaxed, informal settings.” This encourages the team to think outside the box to come up with attention-grabbing campaigns for their brands. This has led to some of the wildest ideas, like Beach Hut becoming the first sunblock to fly to space in 2017, which was crafted during a company drinking session.

The company has also expanded nationwide, and is already selling products in Indonesia since 2006. Not only did this allow DEG to branch out further, the expansion also created many opportunities for employees to help grow the company, while also growing within it themselves.

Doing good work for the community

DEG’s fearless approach allows the company to tackle challenges head-on through innovative solutions that elevate customer experience. As part of Beach Hut’s brand initiatives, the brand opened Beach Hut Bar in Boracay in 2012. It gave vacationers a spot to enjoy the beach vibe with good music and signature cocktails, while protecting them from the sun’s harmful rays. Beach Hut also introduced the first sunscreen vending machine in Caticlan Airport and Boracay to keep tourists protected from the sun.

The company also takes a creative approach in implementing CSR initiatives for communities. Running for five years, Beach Hut Sunscreen is on a mission to support and develop grassroots women’s football, empowering young girls to follow their dreams both on and off the field.  

This year, the brand hosted the first-ever Women's Beach Football Festival, showcasing the brand's dedication to empowering Filipina athletes.

DEG is also leading the way in sustainability with the thrust of saving the earth for the younger generation with the launch of eco-friendly packaging, recycling bins, and Cycles and Cradle refilling stations.

Dragon Edge Group goes beyond creating game-changing products. Being recognized as a two-time Best Place to Work awardee emphasizes how they prioritize a culture of joy and celebration, translating into a passionate team that thrives on achieving and spreading positivity. This ultimately creates a ripple effect into DEG's employee benefits, CSR initiatives, and how they push to improve the quality of life of their customers and communities. As Dennis declares, “This is just the beginning. We have set the standard with our Best Place to Work awards, and it is now up to us to uphold and surpass it.”

Creating an Inclusive and Engaging Workplace: The Novo Nordisk GBS Journey to Excellence

  • Success story
  • 4m

Creating an Inclusive and Engaging Workplace: The Novo Nordisk GBS Journey to Excellence

Learn how Novo Nordisk GBS Prioritizes Employee Engagement and Well-being.

Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk Global Business Services (GBS) is an integral part of Novo Nordisk, a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Along with 60,000 colleagues worldwide, we strive to support the medical needs of people living with serious chronic diseases, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular, and other rare diseases, that affect hundreds of millions of people and are among the most urgent global health challenges.


  • Employee experience
  • Employee Wellbeing
  • Leadership

Novo Nordisk GBS plays an important role in driving our purpose. With almost 4,000 employees in Bangalore, we partner with our Denmark-based colleagues to deliver innovative, high-quality end-to-end business solutions across the entire value chain. Our Bangalore team operates as an integrated part of the project-centric development organisation across 14 functions including data management, biostatistics, medical affairs, clinical reporting, safety surveillance, marketing, commercial strategy, finance & IT for both pipeline and marketed products.


Strongly aligned to our values – the Novo Nordisk Way, at GBS we strive to provide a collaborative, safe, diverse, inclusive, high-performance workplace that values our people for the unique skills, backgrounds, and perspectives they bring to the table. We encourage our colleagues to be comfortable to bring their real selves to work.
 
Life-changing opportunities in an open and engaging work culture enable our colleagues to take on global roles from Bangalore and to travel to all corners of the globe to pursue their careers.

How do you actively engage your employees?

Employee engagement is essential for business longevity and success. The key to keeping employees actively engaged is to listen carefully, encourage anyone to speak up, and work tirelessly to deliver what our employees need from a good workplace. I begin this journey by personally welcoming every new employee to Novo Nordisk GBS and kicking off the onboarding every Monday morning. We currently grow our presence in Bangalore by approximately 600 new roles each year.
 
Our employee resource groups play an important role in mobilising NNWay by driving initiatives and engagements that help us sustain our company culture. Unique employee listening opportunities in the form of open houses and employee connects, create platforms for people to connect with the leadership and ask any questions that are top of mind for employees. It is also an opportunity to share high-level vision in terms of people, products, technology, business, or strategy. There are no taboo subjects or silenced questions, what is important to employees is heard, and answered.
 
Knowing that we have 80% of our employees who are millennials, but also employees in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s, we commit to offering a sustainable, equitable, and transparent rewards and benefits proposition that ensures everyone feels respected, valued, and proud to work for Novo Nordisk. Be it pay equity or inclusive benefits; our policies are also designed keeping our values and the needs of our employees in mind. Our recently launched flexible benefits program WECare embraces the essence of wellness, and ergonomics, along with child and elderly care. An employee can utilise a fixed sum per year in a flexible way towards the needs geared for personal or family wellbeing, children, or eldercare.
 
Our organization is committed to providing a harassment-free work environment with equitable opportunities for all without any discrimination. Our policies reinforce the same messaging whether it’s the Equal Opportunity Policy (we provide equitable grounds and opportunities for overall employment) or the HIV & AIDS policy (this policy ensures non–discrimination, confidentiality related to a person’s HIV status and appropriate grievance redressal mechanism for all). We ensure that our workplace infrastructure also supports this endeavor by having gender-neutral washrooms in our offices. Employee benefits programs similarly reflect our diversity & inclusion ambitions with 8 weeks of paid leave for non-birthing parents and a group medical insurance policy that meets the diverse needs of our employee base. For example, the inclusion of gender reassignment surgery, surrogacy & infertility treatments, HIV/AIDS treatment, prosthetic device coverage for differently abled employees, dependent coverage for same-sex partners, specially-abled children without age limit, etc. 
 
Our recently launched Flamingo program for women caters to our women colleagues who are embracing motherhood. This unique and industry-leading policy is crafted to take care of the special needs of expecting mothers and new moms and engage volunteer buddies to support them.
 
Finally, having a comprehensive on-site health education, prevention, and treatment service with on-site medical doctors, Nurses, and visiting specialists, helps our employees feel supported in their daily well-being.
 
All these initiatives are focused on delivering the message that in Novo Nordisk GBS, Everybody Matters. Not only do we want our employees to be proud that they work for Novo Nordisk, but we also want their families to be equally proud too.
 
Our efforts on employee engagement have reduced our rolling average annual attrition down from around 16% in October 2022 to 7.5% in February 2024.

What are the most significant HR challenges faced by your industry today?

The ever-evolving workplace landscape calls for more than just reactive measures, there is a need for an even more proactive and people-centric approach. In Novo Nordisk GBS, ‘Everybody Matters’.
 
HR leaders have the challenging task of building and nurturing a workplace culture that is aligned with the organisation's values and vision. This task becomes more complex as we welcome people from various organisations, and from all corners of India. It’s essential to create an environment that allows employees to align with the purpose & values, whilst also being their true selves. While many companies take initiatives to promote inclusivity, it is crucial to implement these initiatives in the right way. Getting the gender ratio right is not the only definition of diversity & inclusion, at Novo Nordisk GBS we welcome and celebrate everyone.
 
We may not be able to go back to the pre-COVID era and return to the old ways of working: the pandemic has changed many psychological aspects of people’s lives: the way they look at work-life balance, well-being, and purpose in life has undergone complete change. The new generation is voicing requests for some bold workplace arrangements that are transformational for the organisation and employees. It’s important to listen, and act. Flexibility is one of the key factors in choosing a workplace or staying there. However, to encourage meaningful collaboration, we see that it’s important to support the employees with the right choices setting appropriate guardrails to ensure team and organizational dynamics, and then providing flexibility and empowerment to enable the right professional and personal balance.

Establishing and facilitating transparent and open communication channels is crucial for creating an environment where employees feel comfortable and safe speaking up.  We as an organisation foster a culture of feedback, and we listen carefully to understand the needs of our employees. This needs to be buttressed with a psychologically safe environment that should be nourished with walking the talk from the leaders.

John Dawber
John Dawber

Corporate Vice President & Managing Director

Reflect on your experience with the Best Places to Work certification journey.

Having led this organisation since September 2022, it’s very clear that I am standing on the shoulders of some giants who came before me, and I work with a leadership team who have decades of experience. Therefore, achieving this recognition was not an overnight success for Novo Nordisk GBS.

I remember my early days in the role and feeling that there was a “Maslow Hierarchy” of employee engagement, and my immediate focus on listening and fixing the basics seemed intuitively very important. As a GBS, our people are everything. If we have engaged people, who feel appreciated and not used, listened to, and not told, respected, and not belittled, developed, and not burned out, we have a sustainable workplace that can deliver world-class performance for Novo Nordisk. Hence it was important to focus on employee experience and ensure that continue to raise our bar beyond the easy, cheap, and simple, by understanding what our employees need and how can we facilitate this.     
 
When we signed up for the certification, it required us to collaborate across departments and teams to gather inputs for the assessment and survey. It was a rigorous process covering aspects that are critical to having a high-performance workplace culture.  The data gave us important insights into what the industry standards are and how we can continuously implement improvements.
 
Employee feedback helped us identify areas for further enhancements and transparency and at the same time allowed us to celebrate the successes. Finally, we felt immense pride being placed 1st in India, across all industry sectors and company sizes. The achievement is an acknowledgment of our strong purpose, strong culture, and laser-sharp focus on fostering a high-performance, inclusive workplace culture for our employees.

Driving Innovation and Care: Novo Nordisk Thailand's Commitment to Health and Excellence

  • Success story
  • 5m

Driving Innovation and Care: Novo Nordisk Thailand's Commitment to Health and Excellence

Learn how Novo Nordisk Thailand, a global pharmaceutical leader, prioritizes innovation, patient care, and employee engagement.

Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk, founded in 1923, is a global pharmaceutical leader headquartered in Denmark. Our mission is to defeat diabetes, obesity, and serious chronic diseases by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding medicine access, and working towards prevention and cure. Guided by integrity, respect, and responsibility, we prioritize positive patient impact and sustainability.


  • Employee experience
  • Employee Wellbeing

Fulfilling our role as a responsible corporate entity, we focus on sustainability, healthcare accessibility, and community involvement. In Thailand, with 40 years of presence with 300 employees, we collaborate with healthcare professionals to strengthen diabetes care, raise awareness, and enhance treatment affordability. Our broad product portfolio includes diabetes (insulin, GLP-1 analogues), obesity, and rare disease therapies, all aimed at improving patient outcomes. We strive to be at the forefront of severe chronic disease treatments.

How do you actively engage your employees?

Our company prioritizes career path development and offers job opportunities both in Thailand and abroad, fostering growth for short-term and long-term goals. We're committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for everyone. Through monthly activities, employees can connect and enjoy time with their families and friends. We accommodate both online and onsite festivities, ensuring all can participate. Additionally, we provide attractive employee benefits like flexible benefits, health and wellness programs, and a remote work policy, fostering a healthy work-life balance.

What are the most significant HR challenges faced by your industry today?

In our industry, the most significant HR challenges revolve around attracting and retaining top talent amidst a fiercely competitive job market. Additionally, addressing the digital and technology gaps through effective training and development programs is crucial to ensure our employees remain current and equipped with the necessary skills.

These challenges demand strategic approaches to talent acquisition, retention, and upskilling to maintain competitiveness and drive growth in our organization.

Enrico Cañal Bruland
Enrico Cañal Bruland

General Manager & VP

Could you share details about the teamwork activities offered to your employees?

Our company offers a variety of teamwork activities aimed at fostering collaboration and camaraderie among employees. This includes regular team-building exercises conducted monthly through our Health's Club initiative. We also have The Culture Transporter group dedicated to sustaining the Novo Nordisk culture, promoting a sense of belonging and unity among team members. Additionally, we facilitate cross-functional projects and job rotations, providing opportunities for employees to collaborate with colleagues from different departments, enhancing their skillsets and promoting a culture of teamwork throughout the organization.

Reflect on your experience with the Best Places to Work certification journey.

The Best Places to Work certification is a highly sought-after recognition that can greatly enhance a company's reputation, draw in top talent, and foster a positive workplace culture. It can demonstrate the company's dedication to employee well-being and inspire employees to uphold high standards, fostering a sense of pride and motivation. Overall, the certification is very valuable for companies looking to stand out, attract top talent, and cultivate a positive work environment.

What advice would you give to someone looking to implement the certification process for their organization?

In preparation for obtaining certification, it's crucial to be ready to collect and assess extensive data concerning HR processes, workplace culture, and employee satisfaction. This involves actively involving employees in the process, soliciting their feedback and insights to ensure alignment with organizational goals and values. The certification is just one aspect of creating a positive work environment - it's important to continue to prioritize employee well-being and engagement even after you receive the certification.

How Alten Delivery Center is attracting the most qualified candidates

  • Success story
  • 6m

How Alten Delivery Center is attracting the most qualified candidates

ADC Eastern Europe obtained the certification at the end of 2022, ranking among the top five best employers in Romania for 2023. Learn how Alten Delivery Center is attracting the most qualified candidates in the market

Alten
Alten

ALTEN Delivery Center Eastern Europe is part of ALTEN’s offshore delivery centers network, together with centers from other countries such as Morocco, India, Mexico or Spain. At the moment, ALTEN Delivery Center Eastern Europe has 400 employees, three sites (Iasi, Bucharest and Gliwice) and offers engineering and IT consulting services for international clients from the automotive, aero, energetic, finance or life sciences sectors.


  • Employee Wellbeing

Engineering and IT professionals continue to be among the most sought-after employees on the Romanian job market. If in the past, they used to go to job fairs or send CVs to recruitment teams, for several years now it is the companies that come to them with increasingly tempting offers.

In this new context, companies such as ADC Eastern Europe - part of the French ALTEN Group - are making efforts to differentiate themselves from other employers and attract the best engineering and IT professionals. What makes them stand out is, of course, the benefits package, but also the reputation of the company and the working climate. Regarding this aspect, an effective means of attracting the most qualified candidates proves to be the Best Places to Work certification.

The process of obtaining this certification consists of an employee survey, a human resource assessment survey, and a review and validation phase, all spanning approximately one month.

ADC Eastern Europe obtained the certification at the end of 2022, ranking among the top five best employers in Romania for 2023. Delia Orhei, Operational Director at ADC Eastern Europe, shares below some insights about the certification process and what differentiates the company from other employers on the market.

How do you keep your employees motivated, both those working from the office and those working from home ?

Motivating employees is a continuous process. The measures we take are correlated with the results of the internal surveys we conduct on a regular basis. We can decide, for example, to add new benefits such as Floating Days or an annual bonus, but also to introduce a variety of social activities – quarterly team meet-ups, in-person meetings at the office or internal events. 

For those employees working remotely, we have digital activities such as webinars or online contests.

Delia Orhei
Delia Orhei

Operational Director at ADC Eastern Europe

What kind of development and learning opportunities does the company offer to its employees ?

The learning opportunities have also been adapted to hybrid and remote work, so that, starting in 2022, we implemented several e-learning solutions, complementary to the in-person training sessions provided by internal or external trainers. This is how we succeeded to answer the development needs of our employees – introducing technical trainings, specific to the field in which they operate, as well as soft skills and languages trainings.

What are the biggest challenges that the human resources sector faces at the moment in Romania ?

It depends on the industry we are referring to. For engineering and IT Services, the main challenges are the limited number of professionals compared to the existing demand and the short employment duration. In other words, fewer candidates, and higher attrition rates.

How was the process of obtaining the Best Places to Work certification for the company?

The certification process went quickly and was smoothly. For us, it was also a process of discovery and analysis, that brought us closer to the needs of our employees. We gained

A better understanding of those aspects that we need to work on, as well as of our strengths.

What advice would you give to those Romanian companies willing to obtain the certification ?

To see in this certification, not just a formal process, but a valuable opportunity to learn and obtain information on the company and its employees. Obtaining the Best Places to Work certification should be part of the evolution of any Romanian company.

How UTEC is building an inclusive corporate culture

  • Success story
  • 5m

How UTEC is building an inclusive corporate culture

UTEC has recently been recognized as one of the best places to work in Saudi for 2022. Learn how UTEC is building an inclusive corporate culture

UTEC
Utec

United Transformers Electric Company (Utec), a subsidiary of Bawan, was founded in 2001 as a limited liability company. Over the past few years, Utec has built a strong presence in the local, regional and international markets as a leading company in the field of manufacturing distribution transformers


  • Culture
  • Employee Wellbeing

During the assessment, the company received high scores across several aspects of their workplace such as leadership, working environment and personal growth of the employees resulting in its recognition among the employer of choice in Saudi.

About the company

UTEC is one of the leading electrical manufacturers in the Middle East & Africa with 4 factories based in Riyadh and products sold in more than 20 countries reaching from the USA up to Australia. They are well known for our quality products with large market share in Saudi and several of the markets that they sell to. At UTEC, they have more than 1000 competent family members with a strong leadership team who are well known and respected as industry experts. At UTEC, they Power Cities through innovative quality products and services and they Empower Life through sustainable smart solutions, and people are at the center of all this. They develop and empower our people, embrace creativity, and promote collaboration so they could deliver on our values and brand promise every single day. It’s also worth mentioning, UTEC is a part of a large publicly listed conglomerate, “Bawan Group”, this also makes us have high levels governance and integrity backed up with solid financial capabilities.

I am proud that we have been recognized as a “Best Place to Work” for 2022. At UTEC, we Empower Life and that starts from within the company by empowering and growing our people and achieving continuous excellence in our work environment and culture.

Wael Gad
Wael Gad

CEO

The corporate culture

At UTEC, the corporate culture is inclusive that embrace diversity, creativity, and teamwork. they have 6 values that shapes and governs the culture which are, “Customer First, Quality Always”, “Greater Together”, “Continuous Improvement”, “Compassion for People”, “Passion for Results” & “Frugality”. Living by the core values every day shapes the culture and helps all the employees always deliver on the brand promises.

Activities offered to the employees

The company has several activities that they offer to the UTEC family members, including different sports competitions : Football, Basketball & Cricket, they have innovation competitions such as Quarterly Kaizens and they also have several celebrations and fun events, such as “The Ice-cream Day” , “ The National Day” celebration and “Predict and Win” competitions.

How the company is giving back to the community

They do give back to the community and their focus is always around people and empowerment. Accordingly, they have constant programs with universities and technical institutions where they provide sponsored trainings inside their facilities both soft skills and technical and manufacturing skills. They believe that knowledge is power, they also believe that providing the right skills and job opportunities is vital to growing the community and empowering young graduates.

Continuing learning opportunities offering to the employees

They have different training programs for all the employees. Those include in-class soft training and on factory technical trainings. They also sponsor technical certifications for the workers and have periodic on premise and off premise workshops for the people with their partners.

Subscribe to Employee Wellbeing