IWC NAMED BY STAFF AS A "GREAT PLACE TO WORK®" FOR A SECOND TIME
Schaffhausen, 30th August 2021 – IWC has received certification from "Great Place to Work®" for a second time. The organisation, which operates in roughly 50 countries worldwide, carries out a structured anonymous online survey to find out how happy a company's employees are. IWC improved across all categories from the last survey, carried out two years ago, with notable improvements in the areas of ‘Flexibility as an employer’, ‘Communication’ and ‘Diversity and inclusion’. The result makes the Schaffhausen-based luxury watch manufacturer one of the best employers in Switzerland.
The evaluation to become a "Great Place to Work®" comprises two parts. First, the Trust Index is determined by surveying employees, and, the organisation also carries out a detailed audit of company culture. Many IWC employees once again chose to participate in the online survey, which was conducted in the summer of 2021. IWC was found to have improved across all five of the survey's categories, particularly in 'Credibility' and 'Fairness'. As was the case in 2019's survey, 86 per cent of participants believe that they have an excellent workplace on the whole at IWC. The manufacturer also achieved exceptional results on questions about welfare and workplace safety. Furthermore, staff valued the company's flexible working methods, the support provided while working from home and the communication and closeness between staff and management during the pandemic.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, we showed our flexibility as an employer and successfully switched to working from home in a matter of days. We also developed and implemented viable protection concepts for our employees in the Manufacturing Centre within a very short time frame. Maintaining communication with our global teams and motivating our employees in this difficult time proved to be another challenge we overcame. That is why I'm immensely pleased that IWC has passed this stress test and that IWC's qualities as an employer have once again been confirmed,"
EXCELLENT RESULTS FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
In addition to 'Flexibility as an employer' and 'Workplace safety', the results for 'Diversity and inclusion' are particularly noteworthy. Specifically, IWC scored very highly on equality of treatment regardless of sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity and physical or mental disability. The topic of 'Diversity and inclusion' is also a major focus of IWC's sustainability strategy, and in 2020 it founded a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council to serve as a sounding board for the entire company and provide input across all departments and regions in the future. It is one of the ways IWC hopes to achieve the ambitious diversity it has set itself in its 2020 sustainability report.
COMPANY CULTURE AS AN ESSENTIAL FACTOR
IWC first obtained certification from "Great Place to Work®" in September 2019. The fact that the company has now been recertified results from years of continuous investment in creating a progressive workplace culture. In addition to its diversity aims, recruiting, supporting and retaining qualified employees is another crucial focus of IWC's sustainability report. This emphasises just how important workplace culture is to the Schaffhausen-based luxury watch manufacturer, and certification as a "Great Place to Work®" marks the successful completion of another of the goals for 2022 set by the company in its 2020 sustainability report.
In 1868, the American watchmaker and entrepreneur Florentine Ariosto Jones travelled from Boston to Switzerland and founded the ‘International Watch Company’ in Schaffhausen. His visionary dream was to combine advanced American manufacturing methods with the craftsmanship of Swiss watchmakers to make the best pocket watches of his time. In doing so, he not only laid the foundation for IWC’s unique engineering approach but also established the centralised production of mechanical watches in Switzerland.
Over its 150 year history, IWC Schaffhausen has developed a reputation for creating functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust, and easy for customers to use. A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramics, IWC today specialises in highly engineered technical watch cases manufactured from advanced materials, such as titanium aluminide and Ceratanium®. Preferring the principle of “form follows function” over decoration, the Swiss watch manufacturer’s timeless creations embody their owners’ dreams and ambitions as they journey through life.
IWC sources materials responsibly and takes action to minimise its impact on the environment, creating intrinsically sustainable timepieces that are built to last for generations. The company prides itself in training its own future watchmakers and engineers, as well as offering an excellent working environment for all employees. IWC also partners with organisations that work globally to support children and young people.