The Heartbeat of Our Organization
For the second year in a row, we have conducted our Global Employee Engagement Survey (GEES). Participation reached an impressive 85%, reflecting the strong commitment of our people to share their perspectives and actively shape the future of our company.
This year, we went one step further. Together with our Organizational Development team, we expanded the survey to include new questions on organizational culture. This allowed us to explore not only how engaged our people feel, but also how closely our current culture aligns with the one we aspire to build. In addition, we introduced a follow-through section to measure the effectiveness of the last survey and workshops.
Engagement and Culture: A Strong Connection
Engagement and culture are inseparable. Culture defines how we work together; engagement reflects how people experience that culture in their daily lives. Engagement is, in many ways, the heartbeat of our culture - just as a pulse signals vitality, engagement reveals the strength and energy of our workplace.
Research highlights this connection. Gallup has shown that improving employee engagement is not a stand-alone initiative but must be rooted in culture and leadership practices. Engaged teams consistently deliver stronger business outcomes, including higher productivity, customer loyalty, and profitability. Their global studies also show that only around one in five employees worldwide feel engaged, underscoring the importance of linking cultural development with engagement strategies.
Culture Week: Bringing Strategy and Culture Together
One key initiative to make this link tangible is our Culture Week. This global, cross-functional format connects our strategic transformation with cultural development, an important driver of business success. Driven by our global Culture Ambassador Network and Local Culture Teams, Culture Week brings people together to reflect on our transformation, exchange local experiences and behaviors, and explore how each of us can contribute to a strong, vibrant culture.
At four different stations, participants move from strategic alignment to personal impact. Guided by our five culture pillars as a shared framework. The aim is to strengthen the connection between the bigger picture and our daily actions as teams and individuals.
One highlight will be a Culture Wall, where leaders across all levels and regions share personal experiences and success stories. With these real-life examples, we want to inspire, showcase best practices, and emphasize the essential role of leadership in bringing our Culture Journey to life.
What does the Future hold?
Culture Week serves as the entry point to the GEES team workshops. By combining strategic direction and cultural reflection with concrete engagement at team level, it bridges the „where“, the „what“ and the „how“. In this weekway, our culture becomes visible, tangible, and alive - something we create and shape together. Teams will review their survey results, discuss opportunities for improvement, and define action plans to enhance engagement and culture in meaningful ways – focusing on what lies within their immediate Circle of Influence, where real change can start, both individually and collectively as a team. At the same time, global findings will inform our strategic direction to address broader themes that cannot be solved at team level alone. The Managing Board will be closely involved in this process to ensure commitment and to embed these global topics in the strategic agenda.
In short, engagement is more than survey results – it is the living pulse of our culture. By connecting engagement and culture, we build the foundation for long-term growth, resilience, and shared success.
