Attracting and retaining talent
Attractive working environment
Around 9,500 employees from 92 nations work at Implenia. The company provides them with a safe and modern working environment and is continuously expanding its in-house education and training offering.
Content
Diverse employees
- GRI 2-6
- GRI 2-7
- GRI 2-9
- GRI 3-3
- GRI 401-1
- GRI 405-1
At the end of 2023, Implenia Group employed a total of 9,617 people from 92 countries. About half of all employees are between 30 and 50 years of age. Over the past few years, the average age of the Implenia workforce has decreased slightly. Around 58 percent of employees are office-based while 42 percent work on construction sites.
The great diversity of Implenia’s workforce is one of its strengths, enriching the company with different experiences and perspectives. Implenia has therefore established the promotion of employee diversity, equality and integration as a corporate goal (see Sustainability Goals); it introduced a new global guideline in 2023 that sets clear goals and directions (see Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Directive).
The proportion of women employees has been rising steadily for a number of years and in 2023 again exceeded the previous year’s level at 23.4 percent. The proportion of women in management roles was 19 percent (previous year: 11.2 percent).
12.8 percent of all employees work part-time. 65 percent of these are women. In total, 90.6 percent of all employees are in permanent employment (all figures as at end-2023).
The employee fluctuation rate across the company in 2023 came to 18.9 percent (excluding Wincasa), which is 4.3 percentage points higher than in the previous year. Even after the completed transformation, which had an impact on staff turnover from 2019 to 2023, Implenia is implementing several measures to be an attractive employer.
In line with its sustainability goals, Implenia aims to improve employee satisfaction continuously up to 2025 – through, among other things, modern, flexible and family-friendly working environments. In 2022, the company introduced a decentralised survey tool to check employee well-being and satisfaction in all areas and functions.
Employees
in % by country of origin for the year 2023
Proportion of women
in %
2023 influenced by integration of Wincasa
Part-time and full-time jobs
in %
2023 influenced by integration of Wincasa
Permanent and temporary jobs
in %
Fluctuation rate
in %
2020-2023 influenced by transformation
Age structure
in % for the year 2023
Equal opportunities
- GRI 405-1
Implenia has worked intensively for many years to provide equal opportunities for women and men. The company is not satisfied with the current percentage of female employees, and it is continuing its work to attract more women across all job categories.
Implenia established a women’s network in 2023 to promote diversity, equality and integration. The network organises regular events at local and global level.
At the end of 2023, Implenia also signed the UN Women Empowerment Principles. The WEP established by UN Women and the UN Global Compact are based on international labour and human rights standards and recognise that companies have an interest in and a responsibility for gender equality and for strengthening the role of women. The WEP are an important tool for businesses trying to implement the gender aspects of Agenda 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Its involvement in the WEP community demonstrates the company’s desire to focus on business practices that empower women (read more).
Implenia is a member of «Advance», a broad-based Swiss programme established by a group of well-known companies to actively help women advance their careers. One of its aims is to increase the proportion of women in management positions through skills-building workshops, mentoring and networking events.
Implenia also works on bringing talented young people into many different careers within the construction industry, directing its efforts equally at women and men.
Fair pay
- GRI 2-30
- GRI 401-2
- GRI 401-3
- GRI 405-2
Implenia pays transparent, fair and competitive wages and salaries. Salary setting is gender-neutral and specific to each position. Where there are no collective agreements, Implenia complies with statutory minimum wage requirements. In 2023, around 62 percent of the Group’s workforce worked under a collective employment contract. For employees not covered by a collective employment contract, Implenia follows the standard practices in its markets in accordance with local labour laws.
Regardless of pay guidelines, salaries of men and women in comparable positions still sometimes differ. The Human Resources Department is constantly working to eliminate unjustified pay differentials. For example, it makes targeted use of the budget for salary increases to rebalance gender differences, and it conducts quantitative analyses during pay reviews to ensure that gender pay gaps are minimised or eliminated.
In 2022, Implenia Switzerland had its wage equality analysed externally using “Logib”, the Swiss government’s respected analysis tool. Taking into account personal and location-specific circumstances, a slight gender wage gap of 5.3% was found – in favour of women.
By national comparison, the company is therefore doing very well: according to the Federal Statistical Office, the average wage gap in Switzerland is almost 11 percent in favour of men (as of 2022).
Implenia also adjusts wages individually on the basis of performance assessments and relative wage positions. As well as the employee’s contribution, such adjustments are based on the complexity and scope of their role, as well as local market conditions.
Since 2021, employees with a flexible salary component have been obliged to set their own individual goals each year, based on the company’s values. In addition to their agreed basic salary, these employees receive a variable salary component linked to the achievement of these personal goals.
Since the beginning of 2023, compensation for members of the Implenia Executive Committee (IEC) has also been linked to the achievement of goals based on the company’s sustainability targets. IEC members receive a potential percentage bonus on top of their salary if they make the required progress. Implenia sets targets for each IEC member individually in accordance with their area of influence.
All permanent employees have the opportunity to purchase Implenia registered shares on favourable terms after six months of employment at the company.
Conditions of employment and social benefits meet the latest standards at the very least, and in some instances go far beyond the statutory requirements. For example, employees in Switzerland benefit from attractive pension arrangements, an extra week’s holiday and 16 weeks of maternity leave – two weeks longer than the statutory minimum.
All employees in Switzerland are insured by Implenia’s pension fund in accordance with statutory requirements. Implenia also runs the “Fondation Patronale” pension foundation, which has capital of CHF 11 million. The foundation was set up to mitigate the financial consequences of illness, disability and death by paying out pension benefits and voluntary inflation supplements, or by helping people who have been affected by restructuring measures.
In Germany, Implenia employees receive a company pension and anniversary bonuses. Nearly all permanent employees are members of the “2005 retirement and risk insurance plan” which provides added security in old age. In addition to old-age benefits, employer contributions cover the risk of disability and death.
In the wake of the Covid pandemic, Implenia continues to encourage a sensible balance between office-based work and remote working, providing flexibility and attractive working conditions for its employees. Provided the nature of the job allows, there are agreements on mobile working for employees in all markets.
Employees with and without collective labor agreement
in %
2023 influenced by integration of Wincasa
Advice and support
- GRI 403-6
- GRI 406-1
Implenia provides a supportive work environment that enables employees to do their demanding jobs well. The company nurtures a culture of open dialogue, in which important developments and decisions are communicated in a prompt and transparent manner. The CEO regularly addresses employees in a newsletter and at “town hall” events, telling them about changes in the company and its operating environment. There is also a “Meet and Greet” event once a month, at which employees get a chance to talk freely with the CEO and CHRO.
Implenia is committed to treating all employees equally, regardless of their gender, place of origin, colour, religion, sexual orientation or political views. The company follows the International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its follow-up procedure. These focus for example on equal pay and preventing discrimination of any sort.
In order to protect all employees from sexual harassment and discrimination, Implenia has set out clear rules in its Code of Conduct “How we work”. It runs several different reporting channels, including the Implenia Speak Up Line introduced in 2023, which provides advice and support on any issues or problems employees may encounter, as well as a place to report critical incidents in confidence and anonymity.
Where in-house advisory and support services are not sufficient, Implenia offers employees and dependants in the same household the opportunity to access external agencies free of charge and in confidence. Consultants from external service provider ICAS offer professional help in cases of bullying or harassment, for example. They also help employees at an early stage with any family problems, anxieties or psychological issues – before worries and problems start to have a negative effect on health, concentration and performance.
Training and continuing professional development
Individual development
- GRI 404-1
- GRI 404-2
- GRI 404-3
In order to implement its strategy, Implenia wants to attract highly talented people and instil in them a long-term commitment to the company. It offers employees a wide variety of training and development opportunities, allowing them to build up their knowledge and skills and to progress within the business.
Just as employees’ personal and professional progress is encouraged, the training and development programme itself is constantly being expanded. Training courses are subject to constant quality control. In 2023, Implenia launched a new and improved digital learning platform in all markets to provide and monitor global and local training.
Training is coordinated and carried out at Group, national and local levels, and specialist training is provided by experts from the operational units. The success of the training programme is due in part to the fact that it addresses all levels of the hierarchy, reaching every employee from top management to project level.
Implenia wants to support all employees equally in their careers, and so in 2019 it tested a new standard for assessing the organisation and its talents and for targeted succession planning: the “Organisation Capabilities Review”. Following its successful introduction for managers, this has gradually been applied to the whole Group.
Sustainability Academy
Implenia established the Sustainability Academy in 2022. Each segment of the digital training programme covers one of the Group’s sustainability goals, thus informing employees about the most important sustainability issues. The first four modules have been released and are steadily being integrated into training plans and the onboarding process for new employees. Nearly 2,500 of the approximately one-hour training courses on environmental protection, CO2 reduction, circular economy and sustainable development and construction were completed in 2023.
Management training
In order to achieve a consistent approach to management, Implenia uses various leadership programmes to develop managers in all its markets.
Implenia also trains managers from all markets under the Group-wide “WE LEAD” programme, which is based on the Executive MBA Continuing Education Programme “embaX” offered by ETH Zurich and the University of St. Gallen. WE LEAD consists of several modules on topics such as change management, leadership and collaboration.
In addition to conveying common values and leadership principles, the programme promotes Group-wide networking between present and future managers. 200 employees benefited from the extended training and development offer in the first round. Since 2023, WE LEAD has also been open to promising employees who seem suited to a management role in future. The second round is currently under way, with 250 people taking part.
In Germany, up-and-coming managers are trained within the year-long “Winning Potential” programme, which teaches key social, communications and methodological skills.
Promotion of young talent
Implenia prefers to fill vacant positions whenever it can with the most suitable people from within its own ranks, and uses a systematic talent management process to help it do this. The increasing shortage of skilled specialists within the industry means, however, that the company also has to recruit external talent. For example, Implenia offers graduates the opportunity to complete a 12-month trainee programme to prepare them for a commercial or technical career.
Implenia Switzerland has also been offering the “Junior Construction Management Programme” since 2022. Aimed specifically at apprentices and students in the construction field, this year-long course prepares young professionals for construction manager or technical training. Participants currently take nine modules, 90 percent of which involve practical placements on projects and construction sites. The valuable experience they gain puts them in a good position to start a further course of study as a junior construction manager.
Vocational training
Implenia also wants to be a leading company in the construction industry for promoting young talent. The company has always trained young professionals – to secure its own future and at the same time to fulfil its social responsibility. Around 250 young people were doing an apprenticeship in a commercial or technical field at Implenia in 2023.
As well as offering its apprentices in Switzerland a training place, Implenia also strengthens their professional and social skills by running regular apprenticeship projects. In 2023, for example, second-year apprentices built three bridges for the municipality of Goms and performed work assignments for the Furka steam railway in Oberwald, Canton Valais (more on this).
Implenia Norway has awarded its “Mentor of the Year” and “Trainee of the Year” prizes since 2019 to show its appreciation of exceptional achievement in talent development. Not least thanks to these efforts, the number of trainees is steadily increasing.
Since the end of 2019, Implenia Sweden has run its own training programme for on-site staff called “Blue Collar Worker”. Ten of the first twelve newly trained specialists were offered a job within the Group at the end of the programme.
Health and safety
- GRI 3-3
- GRI 403-1
- GRI 403-2
- GRI 403-3
- GRI 403-4
- GRI 403-7
- GRI 403-8
Health & Safety is right at the top of Implenia’s priorities. The topic thus forms a fixed point on the agenda of every Implenia Executive Committee meeting and of all meetings of the divisional management teams. In recent years the company has launched numerous initiatives and created various structures to minimise risks on its construction sites. Almost a 100 percent of all business units (excluding Wincasa) now have ISO 45001 certification.
Implenia has a well developed Health & Safety organisation with clearly defined responsibilities and processes. If accidents do occur, they are systematically recorded and investigated, and corrective measures are introduced. These measures are based on an obligatory discussion between the people involved and their line managers to clarify the causes of the accident.
Safety culture
- GRI 403-5
A good safety culture encompasses all the norms and values that define how people work and interact with each other safely. Implenia promotes its safety culture on many levels. This culture includes being constructive about errors, exchanging experiences and applying established models and concepts of work psychology. For many years, Implenia’s number one safety rule has been that everyone has the right and duty to stop work immediately if a situation seems unsafe.
The Code of Conduct obliges all employees without exception to comply with the Safety Rules. Thanks to the Implenia Code of Conduct for External Business Partners, this also applies to subcontractors operating on Implenia construction sites. Implenia doesn’t just impose rules and regulations however; it also actively tries to heighten its employees’ awareness of health and safety. In Switzerland, for example, this already starts during the induction week for new trainees, where more than half of teaching time is devoted to health and safety at work.
Regular meetings and workshops designed to identify risks, improve risk management and share experiences are embedded into everyday working life. In past years, Implenia has carried out various programmes and campaigns, most of them at local level and in the operational units. A “15-Minute Safety” internal training session is held at least once a month at all projects, for example.
At management level, the company uses leadership workshops to create an even greater awareness of the Group-wide safety culture. The guiding principle is: “safety at work is a management issue!”. Another vital component is the regular reporting that gives managers of relevant operational units an overview of the latest safety performance. Annual goals set for senior managers and executives include site inspections with a focus on health and safety.
Implenia is continuously strengthening its international cooperation on health and safety. A regular exchange of information within the Group-wide Health & Safety organisation helps different teams learn from each other, identify potential for improvements and exploit synergies. By sharing examples of best practice from different countries, all parts of the company can help bring safety up to the same high level across the Group.
Implenia is a member of the "Health & Safety” working group of the European construction industry network encord, which allows it to exchange ideas with other companies.
Health & Safety-Award
Implenia’s annual Health & Safety Award recognises outstanding achievements in occupational health and safety by three teams or individuals across the Group. The award is designed to encourage the search for innovative solutions and publicise good ideas throughout the Group.
The 2023 Health & Safety Award was won by a unit of Division Buildings in Switzerland. This unit developed a modular “SOS station” that contains a first aid kit, a defibrillator, a fire extinguisher, instructions and other emergency equipment. The SOS station is mobile and has attachment points so it can be lifted by a crane. Second place went to a unit that has brought in a whole series of ideas to improve safety. Third place was awarded to a tunnel construction project in Germany, where BIM was used very effectively to model and update a constantly changing network of safe walkways through the construction site (read more).
Health & safety day
- GRI 403-6
The second Group-wide Health & Safety Day was held in September 2023. Every employee in all the different countries and departments, on construction sites and in offices, took a break from their day-to-day work to discuss and learn about how they can make a personal contribution to reducing accidents further and creating a healthy working environment. The main focus in 2023 was on a team-level discussion about the question: “What will I do ?”. Animated discussions within in the teams ended with all employees stating their intention to improve the health and safety situation by doing small things. Thousands of proposals came together. Other activities during on the day included workplace visits, first aid and fire-fighting training, as well as workshops on specific topics.
Accidents and absences
- GRI 403-9
- GRI 403-10
The number of accidents at Implenia has thankfully fallen sharply over the years. In 2023, the accident rate was 41 accidents per thousand full-time jobs. The most common types of accident include trips, injuries when lifting loads by hand, and eye injuries.
However, the accident rate is only one of several health and safety indicators. It does not adequately capture rare but serious incidents. Alongside the accident rate Implenia therefore also includes the number of serious incidents in its annual health & safety targets and works to reduce both values. Unfortunately, in 2023 three fatal accidents involving subcontractors and temporary employees occurred on Implenia construction sites and in joint ventures led by Implenia.
Days of absence due to occupational accidents fell to 6,722 in 2023 (2022: 8,285). The number of non-occupational accidents fell slightly between 2022 and 2023. Most accidents in people’s private lives happened when playing ball sports, on the roads, or as a result of slips and trips in the home or garden.
When its employees have serious accidents or are seriously ill, Implenia works with internal health managers on their rehabilitation and reintegration. In 2023 the team supported 166 such cases in Switzerland.
Occupational accidents
in number of incidents per 1,000 full-time positions
