Development, Diversity & Health

FOSTERING A FAIR AND RESPONSIBLE CULTURE

Around 17,000 people work for HUGO BOSS worldwide (Full-time equivalent, as of 2022) – the Company has a responsibility to each and every one of them. That’s why the Group promotes a fair, open corporate culture where motivation is part of everyday work. To achieve this, we strive to recruit the best employees, inspire and support them, empower them for the transformation, and build a trusting, creative relationship with them. All of these elements are essential for HUGO BOSS and its employees to develop innovative ideas that generate value for all stakeholders.

First and foremost, of course, this involves ensuring that employees develop awareness for sustainability. But it also involves much more: lifelong learning, meaningful actions, and a working relationship characterized by mutual trust. Additionally, a diverse workforce is also important to us. Experience has shown that mixed, inclusive teams find more effective and creative solutions to complex issues and have a positive impact on corporate culture. HUGO BOSS therefore specifically promotes diversity amongst its employees.

Targets and measures

Our target

HUGO BOSS has made it its target to inspire its employees, give them the best possible support, and empower them to take responsibility. To achieve this, the company has implemented a variety of measures and carries out projects together with the employees.

Promotion of responsibility

HUGO BOSS works actively to promote exchange between employees and to empower them to make responsible, autonomous decisions. Measures include training programs for managers and employees in agile methods and attitudes, self-reflection, and a feedback culture.

New ways of working

In this project, HUGO BOSS and its employees explored the workplace of tomorrow: Self-organized teams test agile working methods in practice. Their experiences help to develop a more productive environment for the entire workforce. In the meantime, the New Work concept was rolled out throughout the company.

Mobile Working

An internal survey of some 2,000 employees at HUGO BOSS has shown that mobile working is a popular idea – and one that results in high-quality work. In response, the company introduced the mobile work model Threedom of Work in October 2020.

Listening to employees actively

HUGO BOSS regularly conducts satisfaction surveys among employees within the company and at subsidiaries. The results provide indications of the employees’ needs and provide motivation for catering to them even more.

Flexible working concepts

WORK-LIFE BALANCE BETWEEN FAMILY AND CAREER

HUGO BOSS provides a wide variety of offers for its employees for balancing work and private life. Among other things, the Group promotes flexible working-time models. In order to simplify the complexities of family life, the Company is committed to the national network Erfolgsfaktor Familie (success factor family) and offers its workforce comprehensive support for families. The company also promotes family friendliness at international locations. For more information, see Working at HUGO BOSS.

THREEDOM OF WORK 

With the mobile work model Threedom of Work, HUGO BOSS is setting a new standard in the fashion industry. The concept provides for three days on site from Tuesdays to Thursdays, with employees free to choose their location on the remaining two days of the week. HUGO BOSS is thus offering even more individuality and freedom in the design of each employee’s work model and therefore in the compatibility of work and private life. Learn more here

Flexible Work in practice

Balancing family and career is often only possible when the employer makes it possible to schedule working hours flexibly and also occasionally work from home. With its New Work concept, HUGO BOSS provides these freedoms. Eileennia Rivera has been trying it out in practice for two years. She reports on daily life as a working mother with New Work and two young children.

OUR EMPLOYEES MAKE US STRONG

HUGO BOSS wants to create a constructive dialog and relies on a corporate culture that promotes the active engagement of its employees. Our goal is to inspire employees, give them the best possible support, and empower them to take responsibility.

To achieve this, HUGO BOSS employs a variety of communication and transparency measures to promote exchange among employees and empower them to make responsible autonomous decisions. Exemplary of this are our training programs for enabling managers and employees in agile methods and attitudes, self-reflection, and a feedback culture.

In addition, HUGO BOSS conducts regular, global satisfaction surveys as an important tool for employee engagement. The results provide indications of employee needs and give us an incentive to respond to these needs even more.

With various benefits at our sites, we honor the commitment of our employees and ensure a productive working environment - be it through a broad sports portfolio, health promotion, and nutrition. Find out here which benefits we offer at which locations.

 

 

78%
employee satisfaction
Target: 75% ongoing
46%
share of women in middle management
Target by 2025: >50%
131
nationalities of employees

VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

The systematic vocational training of talents is an important pillar of human resources work at HUGO BOSS. The Company offers a wide range of technical and commercial vocational training and work/study programs, in collaboration with regional, national, and international universities and training centers.

To identify and recruit young talents outside the company at an early stage, HUGO BOSS employs a variety of measures at its locations and works together with external partners. One example is the HUGO BOSS Ticino Ambassador Program at our Swiss location, in which employees are committed to expanding and consolidate collaborations with universities.

A systematic approach to continuing education and career development supports employees in continually increasing their knowledge and expanding their skills. HUGO BOSS has implemented an employee development program in addition to the existing extensive options for individual development. Future managers and team leads follow this specific development plan. HUGO BOSS offers individual development programs for managers with special training options, both at headquarters and in the subsidiaries. The Excellence Program, for example, provides specialized training content for employees in IT, procurement, or project management. 

In this way, the company not only succeeds in attracting external applicants as an attractive employer, but also in recruiting internal candidates to fill vacancies. In 2022, we hired 57% (2021: 59%) of our roles with internal candidates (refers to the DACH region). With company-wide events such as our healthcare and sustainability days, we also invite you to expand your horizons far beyond your department’s boundaries.

Diversity

At an international company like HUGO BOSS, diversity is a natural component of our corporate culture and a living reality. All employees are guaranteed equal opportunity and a working environment free of discrimination – regardless of nationality, gender, religious or political beliefs, sexual orientation, age, or potential disability. With our Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Commitment, we want to contribute even more to creating an inclusive work environment to support the personal growth, dignity and self-respect of all current and potential employees.

HUGO BOSS SUPPORTS THE DIVERSITY CHARTER

HUGO BOSS has been a member of the Charta der Vielfalt (Diversity Charter) since 2008. This initiative promotes diversity in businesses and institutions and advocates for acknowledgment and appreciation of all employees.

SUCCESS DRIVEN BY INTERNATIONALITY  

Having a diverse workforce contributes significantly to corporate success. This includes the international backgrounds and cultural diversity of our employees all over the world. At HUGO BOSS, employees from a total of around 130 countries work together – an incredible range that we’re very proud of. Experience has shown that mixed, inclusive teams find more effective creative solutions to complex issues. HUGO BOSS therefore specifically promotes the diversity of its employees. A detailed overview of all nationalities and their share of the total workforce and management can be found here.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: A CENTRAL ISSUE

The subject of diversity also encompasses equal opportunity between genders. This is why we have signed for instance the Women's Empowerment Principles. The seven principles contribute to the empowerment of women in business. Women comprise the majority of the workforce at the HUGO BOSS Group, with a 60% share. In management – that is, at all four management levels – 50% of the positions were staffed by women in 2022 (2021: 50%).  

Further Focus Topics

HUMAN RIGHTS & WORKING CONDITIONS

HUGO BOSS bears responsibility for its employees worldwise. Respect for human rights and compliance with labor standards, based on internationally recognized benchmarks, is our highest aim.

Occupational Health & Safety

As a responsible employer, HUGO BOSS takes the occupational health and safety of its employees very seriously. Details of this can be found in the company`s Health & Safety Commitment.

SUSTAINABILITY AT THE HUGO BOSS CAMPUS

At HUGO BOSS, everyone can be part of sustainability. On our HUGO BOSS campus at our headquarters in Metzingen, there are many opportunities to get involved and experience sustainability for yourself.​