About the seal
Since 2020 the German daily newspaper Handelsblatt, together with the Institute for Employment and Employability (IBE), which researches HR questions, has awarded employers a new seal. The “Fair Company” award goes to companies that meet the expectations and values of career starters and young professionals in a particular way.
Generations Y and Z in particular are the focus here. They cover those born between 1979 and 1998 (generation Y) and those born from 1999 onwards (generation Z). According to IBE findings, these generations seek job security and personal development in order to keep their chances on the labour market high.
More about the generations in focus
Contrary to what prejudices might suggest, the willingness of generations Y and Z to perform is also very high. Extrinsic incentives such as salary play an ever smaller role. What matters to employees of these generations is that they enjoy their work and can have some freedom. Because of the individualistic society they were born into, opportunities to shape, influence and develop their own work are important aspects. They want to take responsibility and feel a degree of autonomy in what they do. It is therefore hardly surprising that young professionals prefer a participative leadership style that involves them in decision-making and have little time for traditional approaches in which they and their opinions are passed over.
Beyond that, topics such as the compatibility of work and family and a work-life balance are important criteria for younger generations in deciding for or against an employer. They are aware that they live in a performance-driven society and are happy to play their part in it. However, most are not prepared to subordinate everything to their private life; instead they seek a balance between the two parts of life. Flat hierarchies and a collegial atmosphere in the company are also rated as important by members of both generations.
Why it matters so much to engage with the values of these generations:
because of the ever-growing shortage of skilled workers in some fields (particularly the STEM subjects), it is very important for companies to be an attractive employer for these generations and to retain them.
At the same time, according to IBE, the values of generations Y and Z largely coincide with those of generation X (born between 1964 and 1978) and of the baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1963). While the “Fair Company” award is aimed specifically at the values of the two youngest generations on the labour market, putting them into practice in a company also appeals to the older cohorts and can therefore strengthen their attachment to the employer too.
How to become a “Fair Company”
Whether a company qualifies as a “Fair Company” is assessed by the IBE using an online questionnaire. It compares the topics of fairness, the values of generation Y and generation Z and their expectations of a fair, attractive employer with the company’s lived values and structures. Alongside the values of generations Y and Z described above, equal treatment of all employees and the reliability of commitments were also examined.
We are delighted to meet these requirements and to have been recognized as a “Fair Company”.
For detailed information about the process at Reiser Simulation and Training GmbH, feel free to contact Sarah Kuhn, HR officer, at
sarah.kuhn@reiser-st.com. More information about the seal and the requirements of the Fair Company initiative is available directly on the website
