Dr Björn Schäfers

Dr Björn Schäfers works at shopping24

Shopping24 takes first place in kununu’s employer ranking

Questions for Dr Björn Schäfers, Executive Director shopping 24 internet group

1. Recently, the shopping24 internet group took first place in kununu’s employer ranking. What is it your employees like about their workplace, in your opinion?
Employees generally want to participate and take on responsibility. We give them the opportunity to do so, and actively encourage them to try things out. Our company culture encourages agile working under our own responsibility, in flat hierarchies. We have a lot of transparency: everybody knows what projects are currently under way, why projects are prioritised the way they are, and what our objectives are.

2. Many young people work for the shopping24 internet group. Do their needs and wishes differ from older employees?

We have both: people at the start of their career, and people with a lot of experience. In both cases they often have families as well. I do think, however, that what employees most want from their companies is not fundamentally different. If you find a company in which you can talk openly with any employee, about any topic – without having to ask their boss for permission first – then every employee is enjoying what they do. You can learn a lot very quickly, you can take on responsibility, and so there are many opportunities for development.

3. Collaborative styles are changing in this age of digital transformation. What are the different approaches you observe as a ‘digital native’, compared with more traditional companies?

Of course we use a lot of digital tools in our daily work. But despite all the digital processes and communication channels, we think it’s important that colleagues talk to each other in person and develop their ideas together. This means that employees consider value creation in the whole company, beyond their own departmental boundaries. Alongside transparency, this is absolutely vital. All ideas are debated constructively and tried out here, and in the end we decide based on the hard data whether ideas are to be pursued further or not. All employees know they can contribute their own ideas without fear of reprisals if they happen not to succeed. It’s only through new ideas and innovative approaches that we can keep developing in the fast-moving Internet sector!