Our selection 2012

The journey towards Best Work Style 2012 began at last years’ Work Style Talking in Milan, where 150 professionals from a wide range of fields discussed working identity and changes in the workplace.

WS Talking helped us define a concept of “Best Work Style” based upon five carefully balanced criteria: identity, emotion, architecture, environment, and organization.

In particular, it encouraged us to stress that employees value highly an environment where their personal identity is respected, and can be expressed.

The Best Work Style Award was born out of our belief that excellence and commitment to positive values deserve recognition.

We are pleased to announce 2012’s ten Best Work Style companies (selected from a large number of international candidates), as well as the two winners for the categories Large and Medium/ Small.

Winner Large Company

Patagonia grew out of a small company that made tools for climbers. Alpinism remains at the heart of a worldwide business that still makes clothes for climbing – as well as for skiing, snowboarding, surfing, fly fishing, paddling and trail running. These are all silent sports. Their mission is “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”

“We consider our stockholders to be plan¬et earth” says Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia, “and that leads to a differ¬ent way of looking at business”. Patagonia’s mission is to build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis; for this purpose, it makes sure to hire collaborators that share the same values and beliefs. 

Out of “900 applications for every open position”, Chouinard says, the company looks for people who demonstrate commitment to its cause and that inspire confidence. “We hire very independent and self motivated people, and then leave them alone; as long as they get the job done, they can go surfing in the middle of the day.”

From an emotional point of view, the belief in a larger purpose than product quality is fundamental; employees are aware of their contribution in developing a sustainable business model. As a result, employees’ identity and company identity are brought closer together.

This awareness is also the glue linking people in a company that values per¬sonal identity highly: “all the people that are working here” says Chouinard “are extremely individualistic … we cannot have a top down management system, everything must be done with consensus.”

Thanks to its focus on people, Patagonia has grown in harmony with its core values. “If you are a big corporation” says Chouinard, “and you want to start having open offices and a ‘let my people go surfing policy’, you can’t do it overnight … it has to start with who you hire.”

Winner Medium/Small Company

The company was established in 1999 in Copenhagen. Since then, the company has expanded and Re-bag® now has agents in several countries selling bags and other accessories to leading brands. Re-bag combines environmental awareness, low cost and high marketing effect by providing re-usable shopping bags at very reasonable prices (often lower than a good quality paper bag).

Re-Bag supplies businesses with re-usable bags, packaging and accessories made from alternative materials.

The company’s model is being environmentally friendly, and through their products they hope to help their clients make a step in the same direction.“Our identity and brand image is the direct result of our concept” says Mette Vinding, Re-bag’s CSR and Marketing Manager. “Our employees feel a connection with both our products and the spirit behind them.”

Re-bag’s working environment fosters the familiar atmosphere that can be the strength of a small company with few employees: “We wanted a space that was comfortable, warm, and had a raw simplicity connecting it to our Scandinavian roots. Everybody feels encouraged to share their opinion and their good ideas.”

The theme of re-using is reflected in Re-bag’s workplace as well, where discarded wood found behind a sawmill was used to build the walls around a kitchen.

“The idea it communicates is that things can have an second life and that you can be proud of them and their history.”

As Re-bag’s business grows, so does its ambition to make a difference on an environmental level: “Re-bag has obtained certificates from Climate Care, FairTrade, PSV (Plastica Seconda Vitae), is negotiating for the EU Ecolabel, and is developing an “Environmental assess¬ment model” in collaboration with the Danish Science Council.”

Criteria

Identity. A BWS Company is sensible to its employees’ need to preserve their identity, and of the way it dialogues with the outer company/brand identity.

Emotion. The employees of a BWSC work in a positive environment, feel that they are important and that they have room for development, and are encouraged to build boundaries between work and private life.

Architecture. A BWSC structures its workplace focusing on the creation of an excellent atmosphere, and takes into account how space relates with hierarchy, emotion, and identity.

Environment. A BWSC takes environmental issues to heart and gives them the highest priority, both by creating and supporting initiatives and by adopting green policies at all levels of business.

Organization. A BWSC is not afraid to break new grounds in order to strike a balance between productivity and respecting the needs of the employees.

Companies Top Ten

in alphabetical order

ConTe.it

• Italy, Rome

• Insurance

• 500 employees

• Launched in 2008

Ecotraining

• South Africa, Nelspruit

• Sustainable tourism and training

• 33 employees

• Founded in 1993

Elica

• Italy, Fabriano

• Kitchen hoods designer and manufacturer

• 2.300 employees

• Founded in 1970

Ericsson AG

• Switzerland, Bern

• Supplier for network operators and service providers

• 150 employees

• Created in 1964

Frøs Herreds Sparekasse

• Denemark, Rødding

• Financial services

• 133 employees

• Founded in 1872

Management Centre Turkiye

• Turkey, Istanbul

• Consultancy

• 34 employees

• Founded in 1992

Patagonia

• United States, Ventura (California)

• Outdoor clothing and gear

• 1.300 employees

• Founded in 1973

Société Ricard

• France, Marseille

• Wines and spirits

• 300 employees

• Created in 1932 

Pini Associati

• Switzerland, Lugano

• Engeneering

• 95 employees

• Founded in 1950

Re-bag

• Denmark, Copenhagen

• Re-usable shopping bags and pack

• 20 Employees

• Founded in 1998

Road to Best Work Style 2013 

Next year, Work Style Magazine will organize the second edition of the Best Work Style Award. We wish to sincerely thank all past and future participants for helping us along our journey.