Special Awards 2004 : Camaraderie

CAMARADERIE is reflected in employee's perceptions of collegiality in the workplace

The nominees included:

The winner: Kanal 5, Sweden

This Swedish TV station is a unit of the Dutch media conglomerate SBS Broadcasting SA (with 10 TV and 53 radio stations that reach 100 million Europeans in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, Romania, and Greece). Kanal 5 spends a minimum of 3,200 Euros per employee per year on training, it contracts with a service company to take care of time consuming tasks such as dry cleaning, pharmacy orders, and grocery shopping for the employees., and all employees have free memberships for a fitness centre. There is one thing Kanal 5 is notoriously good at, and that is having fun in the workplace! At Kanal 5 they say: "We have a simple mission: To make television that is more fun. We work with more fun TV, and we do so by having more fun at work". So, recently a visitor noticed: "I have never been to a workplace where everybody's eyes sparkle, but they do at Kanal 5". However, there is more to it than just that. At Kanal 5 there are numerous opportunities for the employees to interface directly with the management in informal and relaxed ways: Positive breakfasts and Friday beers are just a few examples. This has made the way for a strong company culture where you believe that "a good idea is a good idea no matter who gets it", and where everybody dares to say what they think. All managers are trained in coaching, feedback and active listening. Flowers, dinners and theatre tickets are often given as rewards. In addition to this, twice a year the entire company gets together at kick offs often held abroad, where they work together in groups.