Great Place to Work® 2026 – ISR has once again been named one of Germany’s best employers in three categories (regional, industry-specific, and national).
We have successfully distinguished ourselves on several occasions in the past: For example, in 2020 we were named the best employer in Lower Saxony and Bremen, as well as the best employer in the information technology and communications sector (ITC) . In 2023, we achieved our first “triple” with awards at the regional, industry-specific, and national levels. We are all the more pleased to be able to reaffirm this success in 2026.
Every three years, we actively participate in the Great Place to Work® employee survey. Our goal is to gain an honest and accurate picture of our corporate culture—directly from the perspective of our employees. This feedback is a key component in our ongoing efforts to improve and strengthen ISR as an attractive employer.
We rely on an experienced partner to carry out this work: Great Place to Work® is an international research and consulting firm operating in over 170 countries. It helps companies analyze, highlight, and strategically develop their workplace culture.
Specifically, Great Place to Work® certifies a large number of companies each year based on two assessment tools. The evaluation is composed of three-quarters anonymous employee surveys and one-quarter of the so-called Culture Audit, an analysis of HR practices. In addition to certification, Great Place to Work® also recognizes outstanding employers for exceptional performance in various competitions—including Germany’s Best Employer, regional comparisons, and industry-specific comparisons.
In May 2025, our employees had three weeks to provide their feedback. Of the 251 employees invited to participate, a total of 209 took part in the survey, resulting in an outstanding response rate of 84%.
The Great Place to Work® model – what is it all about?
The content of the employee survey is based on the Great Place to Work® model, which consists of these five focus areas:
It measures the extent to which a very good corporate culture and excellent working conditions exist.
The focus area of credibility examines whether there is open communication between employees and managers and whether they are perceived as competent. The focus area of respect determines the level of employee support, cooperation with managers, and the extent of recognition. Fairness, on the other hand, covers topics such as balanced remuneration, neutrality and fairness towards employees, and equal treatment of all. The focus area of pride aims to determine whether employees are proud of their personal contribution, the work of the team, or the image of the company. Finally, the focus area of team spirit assesses whether there is a friendly working atmosphere, whether interactions are characterized by familiarity, and to what extent "everyone pulls together."
And what was the result? Our triple win at Great Place to Work®
This year, we received three awards:
In the industry comparison (ICT) we achieved an excellent 5thth place among companies with 251–1000 employees. A total of 190 companies participated, of which 60 were honored.
In regional comparison (Lower Saxony-Bremen), we achieved an outstanding 2nd place among companies with more than 50 employees. A total of 93 companies participated, of which 11 were honored.
But as they say, the best is saved for last! Out of a total of 1,141 participating companies, we also made it into the Top 100 best employers in Germany. The Top 100 are divided into six company size categories. Specifically, we were able to 6thth place in the category 251–500 employees. You can find all the winners here.
In addition to all these awards, we are particularly pleased that the overwhelming majority of 90% stated that ISR is a very good place to work. In the area of team spirit as well, 93% of our employees agreed that teamwork is characterized by friendly interaction and a high level of trust. Furthermore, everyone pulls together in the spirit of the ONETeam motto. We are incredibly proud of that!
Great Place to Work® isn’t just a trophy for the display case; it’s a reflection of how we interact with one another every day. Each and every one of us plays a part in making ISR a place where people enjoy working, growing, and celebrating their successes.
Thank you for your trust, your passion, and your ideas!
What's next? Our lessons learned
We naturally want to use our employees’ feedback to make ISR an even better place to work. After improving our benefits and employee perks in 2017 based on the Great Place to Work results, we formed a task force in 2020 that has been actively promoting health and wellness within the company. Since then, ISR has introduced active breaks, short motivational talks, and a health podcast.
Based on the 2023 survey, we have once again expanded our wellness offerings and introduced Hansefit. This gives all employees access to hundreds of fitness and yoga studios, swimming pools, and various online courses that are available nationwide at any time. The response has been impressive, as more than 80 colleagues are now using Hansefit. In this way, Hansefit makes a significant contribution to our corporate culture, in which health and quality of life are our top priorities.
We are still in the planning stages for 2026 regarding the specific actions we will take based on the feedback. In any case, we are doing everything we can to further increase employee satisfaction through additional targeted measures by the time of our next survey in three years. We are therefore confident that we will take it up a notch again in the final results for 2029.
Further information and an overview of our previous rankings can be found here:
Alicia Möpert
ISR Academy
