IT service provider Macaw is Great Place to Work Certified for the first time in Germany and for the third time in the Netherlands. The results of an independent survey among employees and an analysis of the company culture and policy far exceeded the standard, meaning that Macaw can bear the title of Great Place to Work in both countries.
In December 2019, Macaw took over the German company B+D Interactive. The German full-service agency for digital communication and e-business was brought into Macaw’s people-focused company culture and working methods. The fact that the German office was immediately successful with its first attempt made us feel very proud.
Ronald van Es, CFO of Macaw, explains: ‘It’s great to see that our culture – which is geared towards trust, cooperation, well-being, respect, vitality and development – is also actually appreciated in this way by the team. The survey is mainly aimed at employees’ perceptions. It can be seen as a reflection of your entire organization. People come first with us and you can see that in our employer vision; we want to create a confidential environment in which people are inspired, feel safe and can conclude their working day feeling satisfied.’
88 per cent of employees say that Macaw is a great place to work
The survey reveals that employees feel they are treated fairly, with scores well above ninety per cent. 91 per cent say that you can count on your colleagues, and 89 per cent indicate that they can be themselves within the organization. No less than 88 per cent describe Macaw as a great place to work, and 84 per cent feel that they are encouraged to achieve a good work-life balance. The overall Trust Index score is 80 per cent and this is a good 10 per cent above the standard.
Van Es continues: ‘In a year with new challenges, much less personal contact and fewer informal discussions and updates around the coffee machine, it’s great to see how we put our shoulders to the wheel together and the high level of trust. Each colleague makes our company who we are and everyone’s efforts, passion, creativity, solidarity, and helpfulness are a great source of inspiration to me. I’m also extremely proud of what we’ve achieved together and I look forward to what the future will bring us.’
Great Place to Work works from the belief that a high level of trust is the most important competitive advantage for organizations. For over 35 years, the organization has measured trust in companies by asking employees to fill in a survey and showing the organization what they’re doing in order to grow. Great Place to Work now operates in 60 countries. The companies that take part vary in size, age, and industry, but they all have one objective in mind: being a good employer.
Goda Šniokaitė, head of Macaw’s Lithuanian division, says that this result is not accidental.
“Since the opening of the Macaw branch in Vilnius,” he said. “We have been trying to create an employee and teamwork-oriented environment. I am very happy to see the results of this, and I hope that everyone who works at Macaw will continue to feel happy.”
According to Mr. Šniokaitė, until recently, a slightly different work culture prevailed in Lithuania, centered on the employer and not the employee. “Macaw and Western companies fundamentally changed Lithuanians’ understanding of work and its culture. I have had to work not only in Lithuania, so I have seen both very good and worse examples, but what we do at Macaw is a great example for everyone that caring for employees and investing in them pays off, because only with a strong team can we innovate and contribute to major projects.”
Asked what benefits Macaw employees receive, Mr. Šniokaitė revealed that in Lithuania, efforts are made to ensure that employees receive the same benefits as their colleagues in the Netherlands and Germany. “We certainly cannot repeat everything, because Lithuanian and Dutch legislation differ. In Lithuania, every employee receives insurance, we had the opportunity to work from home from the very beginning, and we invest a lot in ergonomic workplaces. We also have beautiful traditions – once a year, all colleagues from different countries travel to a country to spend the weekend together. We want to be a company that people don’t want to leave.”
Mr. Šniokaitė says that in 2020, mutual trust and openness of employees and company managers was especially important. “In the face of COVID-19, mutual trust of company employees and managers was more important than ever, as it must be acknowledged that there was a lot of uncertainty in April. I am glad that we have overcome this challenge in this difficult time for the whole world – employees have always known the company’s financial situation and, most importantly, we have always said that employees are the greatest asset we have. The company may waive certain things, but employees are inviolable. It has probably also made a significant contribution to making us one of the best employers in Europe.”
About Macaw
IT service provider Macaw helps large companies with solutions and services in the areas of digital marketing and e-commerce, data, and AI, working in the cloud and integrated business applications. Macaw specializes in the software solutions of Microsoft and Sitecore. This enables customers to benefit from the first-class technology and wide-ranging knowledge and experience of its more than 350 employees working from its head office in the Netherlands, as well as offices in Germany and Lithuania. Helping customers such as Heineken, Henkel, Levi’s and ONVZ to be successful.
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