Supervision or freedom?
Is the boss’s door always open – or always closed? Are you allowed to try out new things, or do you only get rewarded for “doing it by the book”? Do you feel trusted and enjoy freedom at work, or is every little step meticulously controlled? These are just a few aspects that make up a company’s corporate culture.
Shaped by people
But who actually determines what the culture of a company should be? Corporate culture isn’t something that can be prescribed from above, but rather something that is formed first and foremost by the people who work for the company. Managers have an influence through their decisions, exemplify corporate values, and promote a culture of trust. At Deutsche Telekom, we believe that we need a culture that makes people satisfied and the company successful. We encourage this in several ways – for example, by providing a suitable environment in which our employees feel comfortable and can work effectively. We offer them opportunities to get involved and actively shape the culture. And not least, we show them how they are all making an important contribution to society through their work. More and more people don’t want just any job – they want a job that has a purpose.
What matters
to us
The important thing is not when or where our employees work. What matters is that they make a difference by doing their job and contribute to the company’s goals. We are convinced that each and every individual can help propel our society forward. That is why we help them to leave a lasting technological impression on this world through their work. Our working environment is shaped by mutual trust, entrepreneurial thinking, and autonomous working. We give our employees room to grow personally and professionally and to make a positive contribution to our company and society through their work.
#Werkstolz (#ProudToBeT)
More than 300 “Telekom Ambassadors” give a friendly face to Deutsche Telekom on social networks. They offer glimpses into their daily working lives via the hashtags #Werkstolz and #LoveMagenta on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. Even above and beyond the official initiative, more and more employees are acting as advocates and ambassadors for Deutsche Telekom on social media and offline.
“You can only be successful if you are proud of what you do.”
Involvement encouraged
We place a high degree of importance on sharing and dialog. One example of this approach in action is our internal social network, “You and Me UNITED” (YAM UNITED), which now has over 130 000 users across the Group. These users can also interact directly with Tim Höttges, who regularly reports on what he has been up to in “Tim’s Base” and nurtures a dialog with employees.
No hate speech
“No hate speech” – that is the central message of our campaign for participation. Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Höttges put it this way: “We want to get everyone to take part. With this in mind, we want to devote our full strength to getting as many people on board as possible in our evolution toward a digital society.”
That’s what it’s all about: “No hate speech” stands for equal digital opportunity for all, not just a select few. “Life is for sharing” – but to experience how, you first have to take part. The “No hate speech” campaign is not only aimed at our customers, it is also an important cornerstone for our internal cultural development. After all, we can only deliver on our promise when all employees contribute. This helps us create a strong sense of community; since the start of the campaign, we have launched several internal measures in keeping with the motto “No hate speech.”