For the second year in a row, the DOUGLAS Group has conducted the Great Place to Work® employee survey. This comprehensive survey is designed to measure employee satisfaction and identify areas for improvement within the organization. We take pride in our predominantly positive results, officially recognizing us as a Great Place To Work® and demonstrate how well our purpose “Make Life More Beautiful” is embraced by every employee within the company. In this interview, Mareike Mende-Ratnam, Group CHRO, discusses the importance of employee satisfaction and the key takeaways the HR team has derived from the survey to further enhance our positive work environment.
What does the Great Place to Work® certification mean for the DOUGLAS Group, and why is employee feedback so important to us?
Our people’s voices play a pivotal role in this process, offering a direct line to understanding what motivates, challenges, and fulfills each one of us working at #TeamDOUGLAS. Achieving the Great Place to Work® certification reflects DOUGLAS Group's commitment to creating a meaningful and supportive work environment. It signals that we actively listen to our employees, value their perspectives, and take genuine steps to foster an environment where they feel respected and inspired.
Having conducted the survey for the second consecutive year, what changes have emerged in the results?
This year, we’ve seen significant strides in how employees connect with the new purpose MAKE LIFE MORE BEAUTIFUL and values of the DOUGLAS Group. The clarity and resonance of our purpose have grown, making it more accessible and inspirational. When we revised the purpose and values, our aim was to find and express the WHY of DOUGLAS in a way that was simple, clear and understandable for every single employee.
Additionally, there’s been a notable improvement in employees’ sense of community, pride in their work, and overall corporate image. These positive changes can be attributed to our dedicated focus on creating an inclusive culture where team members feel part of something larger than themselves.
In what ways does the DOUGLAS Group utilize the insights gained from the Great Place to Work® survey?
The insights are fundamental to shape our ongoing initiatives – for instance, working on bridging the understanding between different employee groups or identifying differences and similarities between our retail and office environments. By tailoring detailed reports for each unit in our offices, we ensure that the leadership team has actionable insights for their unique contexts.
Through team workshops and collaborating closely with local HR and management, we together create an action plan with concrete measures to implement the feedback we received. In these workshops , we guarantee a space for open dialogue where leaders and employees can collaboratively review the survey results. Detailed reports and analysis from HR help management recognize early warning indicators, areas for growth and amplify departmental strengths. This approach empowers managers to implement team- and needs-oriented measures, thus creating a positive team spirit.
What are the key values and culture that the DOUGLAS Group strives to uphold?
We are a people company, which means that we champion an environment where everyone feels welcome and encouraged to reach their full potential. Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) are not only a core pillar of our identity but also a part of our People and ESG strategy.
This commitment is highly valued by our employees, as reflected in consistently positive survey feedback regarding our DE&I efforts. Our dedication permeates all aspects of our workplace culture and guides our actions — fostering a sense of belonging and community across all levels of the organization.
Collaboration and team spirit are at the heart of our (retail) operations, making teamwork more effective to best serve our customers. These values are not just ideals, we also want to be measured by how they are perceived and lived guiding the way we interact, support each other, and work towards common goals, creating a framework for the whole DOUGLAS Group that stands for Passion, Appreciation and Ownership.
