The ‘Baanbrekende Werkgever’ certificate is an initiative of De Lijn, Jobat, and Antwerp Management School with the goal of starting a dialogue about hybrid working and mobility. It aims to give companies a framework and an additional incentive to embed hybrid work and new mobility into an employee-centered policy. Curious to know what initiatives we launched this year? Then keep on reading!
3 pillars to enable hybrid work and smart, green mobility
The Baanbrekende Werkgever certificate is based on three pillars according to which the employee is the focus of the mobility policy, not the workplace:
Less on the go
Human-centered hybrid work
Smarter and greener on the road
1. Less on the go
Hybrid work, the new normal
With the COVID-19 pandemic largely behind us, hybrid working has become the new normal. We are convinced that a sustainable work environment is key to a better work-life blend. Combining home and office work not only increases productivity but also allows you to plan your workday in the way that is most efficient for you.
As in 2021, we continue to provide our colleagues with the right ICT assets to set up the perfect home office. This year, our colleagues were able to buy ergonomic chairs and desks at a significant discount. We even had a specialist come to give advice on how to sit/stand properly at your desk. We can safely say that we take ergonomics very seriously.
New HQ: a place to connect, create and unite
We have found that hybrid working has changed the purpose of the traditional office. It is no longer the place where everyone needs to be all the time. It is a place that facilitates connection, creativity and collaboration. Our new office at Groenenborgerlaan in Wilrijk ticks all these boxes:
- central location making it easily accessible by car, bike (possibility of leasing a bike via B2Bike) and public transportation
- awesome co-creating spaces to boost creativity
- innovative meeting rooms to host brainstorming sessions
- our own bar to connect with colleagues
- parking with charging stations
- …
We are looking forward to creating new memories here!
2. Human-centered hybrid work
As a knowledge organization, we rely heavily on our colleagues and their expertise. The more joy they experience, the better we can develop and guarantee our services for our clients. Engaged employees tend to be more energetic, productive, and loyal and this is exactly the reason why we put so much emphasis on human-centered hybrid working.
Commitment and connection are processes that begin long before new colleagues start working within the QbD Group. QbD’s employer brand, application process and contract signing lay the first building blocks in this regard. Our onboarding process provides further anchoring.
Day in and day out, we work on initiatives to keep this commitment alive. Not only for new colleagues, but also for those who have been with us for a long time. Our team events, platforms, and our feedback process play an important role in this. They give our colleagues a voice within the organization. Some examples:
sTEAM UP
QbD’s sTEAM UP, for example, is an event for new QbD’ers during which we present our QbDream, offer personal branding and ambassadorship training and introduce all our departments in a light-hearted way.
QbD Academy
The QbD Academy is a young graduates program that combines working and learning with intensive training.
During QbD’s Academy Week, trainees attend a specialist training program to
- learn the basics of life sciences consultancy,
- familiarize with relevant methodologies,
- and jumpstart their careers as QbD life sciences consultants.
After that, they get to sink their teeth in a specific project.
QbD Connect
- stay connected
- work on their growth
- give continuous feedback to each other, both horizontally and vertically,
- ask clients for feedback,
- and support the dialogue with their HR Business Partner.
Your voice @ QbD Group
Last year, we achieved a 92% response rate to our ‘Your voice @ QbD Group’ satisfaction survey. This shows that our colleagues are committed and want and/or dare to let their voices be heard. For this year’s edition, we are collecting the responses as we speak!
QbD Referral Program
Employees who feel at home within the company and are engaged to talk about the organization with pride, boosting retention and new hires. We are thankful for all our enthousiastic colleagues who recommend the QbD Group as an employer. We have set a yearly group target which makes it even more fun to see the increase of referrals.
QbD Board of Ambassadors
To represent the voice of all QbD’ers of the entire QbD Group across all borders, we have set up a board of ambassadors. They take an active role in spreading the QbD Group’s mission and vision and collaborate on several topics like recruitment initiatives, well-being, employer branding and so much more!
3. Smarter and greener on the road
This year we have made great strides in the evolution towards a greener fleet, with a strong focus on expanding the number of electric vehicles (EVs) in our offering. And it’s clear that EVs are “the way to go” among our employees, with 65 percent of our new car orders this year being electric!
To further reduce our impact on the environment and our employees, we also introduced the Mbrella Mobility Budget. This government initiative allows our employees to be more flexible, smarter, and greener on the road.
It gives them the option of replacing their car or choosing a lower-category electric car in exchange for a mobility budget. They can spend that budget however they want. The only requirement is a link to sustainable mobility. Apart from that, the possibilities are endless: housing costs, mobility costs, public transport, shared transport, etc.
So what's up next for the QbD Group?
Every year, we make great strides in developing the 3 pillars of the Pioneering Employer program. We will continue our efforts for a greener vehicle fleet and further implement our people-focused hybrid working within our organization through our new home working policy. Do you have ideas about new initiatives we can implement in our organization? Let us know!
Want to work at QbD?
Or does QbD look like the company you want to work for? We are always hiring, so do check what we have to offer and apply!
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