It's official: Siemens is a good place to work

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Mar 26, 2002

The Sunday Times "100 best companies to work for" annual award has ranked Siemens amongst the top employers in the UK.

The Sunday Times "100 best companies to work for" annual award has ranked Siemens amongst the top employers in the UK.

The nationwide award recognises a company's performance according to its employees and external benchmarks such as: employee demographics; pay and benefit schemes; work/life balance and employee relations.

Commenting on the award, Trevor Bromelow, Corporate Personnel Director said: "Siemens has recently been voted as one of the world's top ten most respected companies by business leaders, environmental groups and the media.

However, recognition by our employees as being one of the top companies to work for in the UK is especially pleasing.

This award comes as a result of a concerted effort to foster a culture in which employees feel they know what is going on in the business, and how they contribute to the company's growth.

As a result, we have been able to attract and retain first class people across the sector".

To become a great place to work, and to create a universal culture across such a diverse and entrepreneurial company requires a wide range of initiatives.

Amongst the shortlist criteria, Siemens was recognised for employee benefits that include: market-leading pension and car ownership plans; subsidised restaurants, sports facilities and healthcare; and discounted purchases of IT equipment and household appliances.

In addition, recognition was given to the range of employee-focused initiatives that bring to life the company values and highlight the role played by each individual.

These include: performance reviews and development based on dialogue, constructive feedback and shared responsibility; a management by co-operation philosophy that promotes individual and company success; as well as the provision of online training, and an in-house training consultancy that tailors specific courses to encourage cross-business and international working.

Furthermore, internal communications such as: team briefings; the in-house newspaper Siemens UK; new employee inductions; and the employee works council Europa Committee, were highlighted as ways in which the company shared information to ensure that employees are valued, and their contribution recognised.

Having been shortlisted amongst the UK's top performers, an independent survey was distributed to a random selection of Siemens' 17,000 employees to canvas them on HR policies, workplace practices and company culture.

The survey places the greatest emphasis on what employees themselves report.

Whilst a third of the score is derived from an evaluation of the company's workplace culture, benefits and practices, and the quality of internal communications, training opportunities, and schemes for recognising an individual's contribution, two-thirds of the scoring is based on employee responses to a questionnaire and hand-written comments.

Ranked second in the UK in the telecomms/electronic engineering sector, Siemens was placed 68th overall amongst the shortlist of 100 top companies.

The Sunday Times "100 best companies to work For" is a guide to the best employers in Britain.

Published in an exclusive 60-page supplement in The Sunday Times on 24th March 2002, it is the only survey that ranks British companies on the basis of what their employees have to say.