10. September 2021

KiKxxl GmbH is employer of the year 2021

Constance/Osnabrück – The communications service provider KiKxxl GmbH is the overall winner of the “Top Job” employer competition for the third time. On the basis of a scientifically based employee and management survey, the Center for Employer Attractiveness (zeag GmbH) annually honors the most attractive employers among German medium-sized businesses. The award as Employer of the Year 2021 will be presented by former Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel as patron. The call center company headquartered in Osnabrück impressed across the board – employee feedback in the area of culture and communication was particularly good.

The owner-managed communications service provider now employs around 2,400 people, and last year alone – despite Corona -¬ two additional locations were opened: a fifth in Germany and a second in Kosovo, and more are expected to follow. One of the things that has put the company on the road to success is its appreciative management practices. “Communication is as versatile as the people who shape it,” says Andreas Kremer, one of two managing directors, explaining the company’s employee-centric culture.

Ensuring the long-term loyalty of employees is one of the central tasks of the management team. It has committed itself to a set of values that employees can demand be observed. Only with shared values and goals is cooperation based on partnership conceivable, emphasizes Managing Director Erden Yildirim, “they create transparency for everyone. The KiKxx employees put this into practice with a series of transparency-promoting measures. They don’t just publish company newsletters and e-mails, but also use the Internet. A monthly salary report is published there, for example, which provides a detailed picture of the wage structure. The employee portal and, since last year, an employee app provide both transparency and communication. The latest milestone could be a chatbot, which is currently being developed. As digital employee “Toni,” it will answer questions about the company.

Employees are not only well informed, they also enjoy tangible benefits. In addition to above-average pay for the industry, there are various bonus systems, as well as a company pension plan, disability insurance and numerous incentives. The service provider is particularly concerned about the well-being of its employees: tea and water are available free of charge everywhere and at all times, and KiKxxl subsidizes daily lunches at all its locations – in its own company cafeteria or in nearby bistros. In addition, Weight Watchers courses, eye and back examinations and Hansefit training are offered; fresh fruit or smoothies are available to everyone at regular intervals. Regularly organized sports and leisure events, such as soccer tournaments and summer parties, are equally beneficial to health and the working atmosphere.

In any case, the management pays a lot of attention to a working environment that is appropriate to life circumstances. For example, flexible working hours from 10 to 35 hours and working time accounts are offered. For parents, there is training for returning to work and emergency childcare. Mentoring models have been designed especially for older employees – with success, as HR Manager Sabine Müller-Wöhrmann reports: “Our oldest employee is 77 years old and has a lot of fun and success. In general, employees can advance regardless of age and qualifications. KiKxxl trains itself and also systematically promotes consultants through development measures bundled in “Steps” (coach, mentor, professional). In addition, there is the opportunity to qualify for specialist and management tasks by means of trainee programs. In addition to an inspiring working atmosphere, the management is convinced that well-trained employees are the guarantee for excellent performance. KiKxxl demonstrates how this can be done, setting top benchmarks both within and outside the industry in terms of employee satisfaction and loyalty.

Conducting employee surveys even during the Corona period is a concern for the TOP JOB team. “Our studies show that even – and especially – in times of crisis, good employers should know how the working atmosphere is in their company,” reports Prof. Dr. Heike Bruch, head of the Institute for Leadership and Human Resource Management at the University of St. Gallen. “After all, qualified feedback from employees is the basis for a strong, crisis-resilient corporate culture.”

The award-winning companies may now carry the TOP JOB seal for the next two years. 57 percent of the employers are family businesses. Of the award-winning employers, 37 percent are national and 5 percent are global market leaders. On average, the companies employ 272 people and the proportion of women in management positions is 23 percent. All award-winning companies can be found at www.topjob.de.

The “TOB JOB” employer program

With “TOP JOB”, medium-sized companies work on their qualities as employers. The seal makes their attractiveness visible to applicants. The basis for the award is an extensive employee and management survey. It is organized by zeag GmbH, Center for Employer Attractiveness, based in Constance on Lake Constance. The scientific management of the benchmarking is in the hands of Prof. Dr. Heike Bruch and her team from the Institute for Leadership and Human Resource Management at the University of St. Gallen. The patron of the project is Sigmar Gabriel.

The organizer: zeag GmbH I Center for Employer Attractiveness

Under the umbrella of the Center for Employer Attractiveness, zeag GmbH thematically combines the two benchmark projects “Top Job” and “Ethics in Business”. zeag thus accompanies medium-sized companies that already excel in the fields of human resources management and corporate social responsibility or would like to do so in the medium term.



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