Once again, consultancy firm IG&H has been voted Best Workplace 2019, ranking in the top 10 in the ‘midsize-employer category.’ The organization achieves an exceptionally high score on camaraderie, among other things – which is all the more striking considering that last year, the company grew from 100 to 150 employees. This expansion didn’t impact intensive collaboration: 97% experience a sense of family or team spirit, and 99% described the working atmosphere as “friendly.”
IG&H provides guidance on end-to-end transformations in the fields of finance, health, and retail. Notable clients of the consultancy firm include Bol.com, ING, and the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology.
“Close group of people with a tremendous drive”
What makes the organization unique is the high degree of camaraderie between co-workers – a domain which earned a 97% survey score rating. Employees state that they can be themselves. They experience a socially friendly, welcoming atmosphere and team spirit. “To find such a large group of people who have such a tremendous drive and ambition to make a difference, combined with very close-knit friendships, is absolutely unheard of,” says a consultant in the survey report.
One of the ways in which the organization fosters friendships between co-workers is by organizing a multi-day company event four times a year. This event revolves around ‘fun,’ ‘training,’ or ‘inspiration.’ Employees are also encouraged to initiate sports-related activities. Last year, a group of employees came up with the idea to participate in a half triathlon in Portugal. Eventually, approximately fifty percent of the organization participated, and several employees traveled all the way to Portugal to cheer on their co-workers.
Secure feeling as a foundation for optimal growth
Rooted in a strong belief that satisfied employees lead to satisfied customers, the organization puts its employees’ development and growth first. The foundation for optimally challenging people is a secure feeling – which, according to the survey, 84% of employees experience at IG&H.
To simultaneously strengthen this foundation and sufficiently challenge employees, IG&H collaborates with the IMD Business School. All partners and directors complete the intensive High Performance Leadership Program at IMD. Additionally, the training institute and IG&H have jointly developed a three-day personal leadership course, which gives employees insight into their behavior and the way in which past experiences affect them – all under the guidance of a coach. These coaches are co-workers who have completed the High Performance Leadership Program at IMD.
As it’s unique for a midsize company to invest this amount of time and money in staff training, the Switzerland-based business school has included IG&H as a case study in its training program. Notable IMD alumni include Mark Rutte (the Dutch prime minister), Paul Bulcke (former CEO of Nestlé), and Ian Charles Steward (Wired).
About IG&H
IG&H operates in the finance, retail, and health sectors. From its Utrecht-based office, the consultancy and implementation firm helps organizations realize the transformation to radical customer focus, setting high standards for itself and its working method. Using in-depth knowledge and a personal approach, IG&H takes its customers by the hand to help them improve the sector.
What is ‘Great Place to Work?’
Once a year, Great Place to Work lists organizations that score well above average as employers. These ‘Best Workplaces’ are determined through a test which uses 58 statements related to trust, pride, and fun. In addition, the survey focuses on nine themes in the employer’s policy, including the onboarding process, development, and remuneration. This year, a total of 38,000 employees spread over 140 different organizations cast their votes and participated in the associated survey.