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Lasting success through community

2 December 2020 6 min read

A shared vision connects people from the furthest parts of the world with each other. Collaboration that works well over the long term requires a working culture that is based on trust, common values, shared ambitions, leadership, and empowerment. It needs to use the opportunities that digital transformation offers. ZEISS knows that innovation, progress, and success come from having a good community.

Practicing and developing shared values

A company is more than just the sum of its employees and projects. It is the human factor that turns a group into a team. ZEISS combines values and strategy in its corporate culture. The “ZEISS Cultural Journey” guides the conduct of all employees and shapes their collaboration and success. Appreciation and empowerment have a big role in this.

ZEISS is aware of this role and has initiated the Culture Ambassador Network, a further important element in the development of its corporate culture. This self-organized, international network has existed since 2021 and is currently made up of approximately 200 employees who make an active contribution to various cultural issues. They have a shared understanding of the guiding themes of empowerment, role modeling, and diverse teams. They act as sparring partners for managers and staff members, helping to firmly establish the topics within the company and among employees.

Cultural issues at the forefront

Icon Empowerment

Empowerment

ZEISS relies on trust, empathy, and leadership. Employee empowerment and leadership are factors in how successful collaborative work is. Mutual support is another. These qualities are essential in order for ZEISS to be successful and capable as a global team and stand out as an appealing employer.

Icon diverse Teams

Diverse teams

Having a diversity of personal backgrounds, technical knowledge, and experience is crucial. Diversity and equal opportunities count at ZEISS! A broad-based team with different perspectives offers the best expertise for fostering innovation and giving customers the best support.

Icon Rollenmodell

Role models

ZEISS employees are reflective and responsible in their actions because they are aware of their role model status and their influence over their surroundings. For these reasons, they take initiative, suggest ideas, and act in pursuit of their ambitions – and therefore in line with ZEISS values.

  • ZEISS apprentices 2018
Susan-Stefanie Breitkopf, Member of the Executive Board CTO ZEISS

Our attitude is to trust in each other. We trust that everyone wants to do, say, and understand the right thing. And that’s what makes for good teamwork.

Susan-Stefanie Breitkopf

Member of the ZEISS Group Executive Board, Chief Transformation Officer (CTO)
Production optics microchips

Traversing new routes together

  

Over the last two years, the way people work together in many areas at ZEISS changed significantly and lastingly due to the pandemic. In many cases, work has been performed remotely. Adopting flexible working methods helped ZEISS make it through the pandemic successfully. Simultaneously, ZEISS was able to draw knowledge and experience from this situation for its future collaborative work. It learned that you reach goals by trusting in the team and in individual solutions. This is because there is more than just one right way to do hybrid work. What counts is teamwork, results, and productivity, regardless of whether the work is done on site or remotely. It is therefore critical that ZEISS employees are highly skilled in the digital arena. To make sure that is the case, ZEISS provides a suitable framework, training, and empowerment. Nevertheless, there is another aspect important to Gero Wittich, Head of People Development & Cultural Journey at ZEISS. “It is important that we set aside time for personal exchange and physical interaction, despite the digital world, so that we grow together, support a shared corporate culture, and stimulate creativity and innovation,” he says.

Dr. Markus Weber, Member of the ZEISS Group Executive Board and Head of Medical Technology segment

In a context of new challenges such as hybrid work, how can we keep operating as Team ZEISS? Our leadership team is addressing this significant task […]

Dr. Markus Weber

Member of the ZEISS Group Executive Board and Head of Medical Technology segment
  • 57 %

    Employees who are motivated by their employer
    put 57% more effort into their work.1

  • 75 %

    of virtual teams globally
    say that they can work more effectively with the more
    flexible options for collaboration.1

#teamzeiss

Our employees have their say on LinkedIn under #teamzeiss. Be it gender quotas, collaboration, or the challenges faced in different occupations, it is a place for authentic #realtalk.

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