Novo Nordisk Global Business Services has achieved the Best Place to Work Certification in its first year participating in the certification process. This prestigious certification is based on evaluating the people practices implemented in the organization along with the employee experience.

In the employee feedback, 92% of employees strongly agreed that the organisation is a great place to work – 17 percentage points higher than the average Indian based company.

89% of employees said they are proud to tell others they work for Novo Nordisk Global Business Services. We met John Dawber, Corporate VP and MD of Novo Nordisk Global Business Services to give us more insights about what makes the organisation a best place to work :

Why is culture so crucial at Novo Nordisk?

As Novo Nordisk completes 100 years of establishment, we are extremely proud of the culture that is based on Scandinavian principles. These values of honesty, ambition, accountability, and openness, which were passed down from our founders, define the way we treat each other, how we make decisions, and how we innovate.

Our principles have been articulated in the deep-rooted set of guiding essentials. We call them the Novo Nordisk Way, a lived version of these ethics that all Novo Nordisk employees put into action and that underpin every company direction.

To give you an example, when I catch up with new hires every Monday and I ask them – about their first impression of joining Novo Nordisk or what might have helped them decide on Novo Nordisk as an employer.

What I hear the most is the culture of the organisation and how the employees are respected and the strong sense of giving back to the community.

What factors do you think are most important in driving a positive workplace culture?

In my opinion, the culture at a workplace is largely driven by leadership styles and strategic organisational purpose. It is critical to establish a clear set of values and a purpose that is effectively communicated and most importantly demonstrated in action.

A management style that encourages teamwork, open and honest communication, and feedback is also vital to creating a positive feeling in the workplace.

These should be supported with a robust people-friendly policy framework that reinforces a workplace culture allowing employees to grow, develop and have equal opportunities.

When people take pride in their work and workplace, they become the biggest brand ambassadors in turn creating opportunities for the company’s growth and development. Moreover, their passion extends to their family members and friend network that helps to attract new great colleagues to our organisation.

In short, building a culture where everybody feels included and everyone matters. 

How do you maintain employee satisfaction?

Several factors evoke satisfaction and happiness among employees. At Novo Nordisk, providing a safe space for employees to speak up, allows our leaders to understand employee concerns, needs, and values. I also believe that communication is essential for building a strong foundation of trust and fostering closer working relationships. 

In Novo Nordisk Global Business Services (GBS) we have several initiatives that drive two-way communication be it through our annual employee surveys or our employee connects that provide a safe and open environment for employees to bring up their concerns or questions. We take our employee feedback very seriously.

We recently conducted focused group sessions to understand what might motivate employees at the workplace. From the responses, we realised that most of the reasons listed were non-financial motivators. Making sure that we are listening to them and acting on some of their feedback becomes crucial.

We work continuously to help bring out the best in all our people, providing a framework that enables development opportunities and creates an environment of mobility within the company.

Lastly, the company offers opportunities for people to live up to their full potential while giving them room to find their work-life balance.

What do you hope to accomplish with your HR team within the next year to advance workplace culture?

We aim to continue what we are already doing to remain one of the best in terms of workplace culture:

1. Paramount focus on employee health and wellbeing – physical, mental, and emotional

2. Fostering a culture of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and looking beyond gender diversity

3. More emphasis on employee learning and development

4. Improve Employer-Brand and Employee Value Proposition to attract and retain talents

5. Implement agile work practices to improve already existing good work-life balance

While we are already following many good practices, by focusing on some of these strategies, HR teams can help advance workplace culture, create an engaging work environment, foster employee retention, enhance employee satisfaction, and improve organisational outcomes.