Work environment

Corresponding to our values, IBM Research - Zurich endeavors to provide its employees with the best possible work environment so that they, in turn, can perform at their best.

Development. At IBM Research - Zurich, we foster a strong culture of lifelong learning. We give you the opportunity to improve your skills and to further your education in an environment that encourages creativity and innovation. IBM Research - Zurich encourages its employees to create their own development plan and to take advantage of the strong and complex network of available offerings to enhance their professional and personal performance.

Supplemental to our educational offerings, we encourage networking and mentoring. We want our seasoned, proficient employees to hand down their know-how and skills to our young talent. Senior employees outside the established hierarchy are called upon to act as mentors to young colleagues with regard to their professional and personal development. IBM is committed to networking and mentoring by means of developing and supporting employees throughout the organization and all over the globe.

Mentoring. Mentoring is vital to IBM, especially in Research. It stimulates team-building and knowledge sharing across groups and labs, and can also help you personally prepare to become a technical or managerial leader. Mentoring can help you take risks, accept new challenges, learn and grow.

Mentoring is:

• Two people working together to achieve specific goals.
• A relationship that requires honesty, openness and commitment on both parts.
• Confidentiality between the mentor and mentored employee. This provides a sounding board for the mentored employee.

Mentoring is intended to be a win-win partnership.

Flexibility. At IBM, we are dedicated to our work, but at the same time we also value our free time and things that enrich our quality of life. Besides the interesting and challenging work at IBM Research - Zurich, we grant to our employees the greatest possible flexibility regarding how they arrange their working hours. We want to give them the capability to take care of themselves and their families without putting their job on the line.

A variety of working hour options enable our employees to combine their professional and private lives in an individually optimal manner. You will find further information under Work/life integration.

Diversity. At IBM, we offer a workplace where synergy is more than just a buzzword. The traits that count throughout our multinational and multiethnic work force are intelligence, drive, aspiration, a commitment to making a difference, and a knack for thinking outside the box.

Our researchers bring their passion and ideas, and we give them the resources, the creative freedom, and a conducive atmosphere to pursue their passion. Working together in a culture of trust and confidence, our diverse work force can attain remarkable results.

Approximately 10% of IBM Research - Zurich employees are women. What's more, our scientists come from more than 30 countries. They have been trained in computer science, mathematics, electrical engineering, physics, and chemistry, and often work in interdisciplinary teams. The Zurich laboratory is involved in more than 85 projects with European universities, the Swiss government and research institutes of industrial partners.

Dialogue and assistance. Our concept of mutual communication and assistance is that not only our employees should develop themselves to achieve their entire potential, but also we as an employer endeavor to improve ourselves whenever and wherever possible. IBM Research - Zurich attaches great value to the views, ideas and morale of its employees. We encourage employees to voice their opinions in a constructive, fair and objective way in order to improve constantly the work environment at our laboratory.

Feedback culture. IBM fosters an open and honest feedback culture. Not only do our employees regularly receive feedback regarding their performance and achievements, but management also receives feedback from our employees in the form of annual opinion surveys.

IBM leadership competencies. At IBM, our management style is based on so-called leadership competencies.

A competency is any demonstrated characteristic or behavior of a person that differentiates outstanding performance from average performance in a given job, role, organization, or culture. IBM's leadership competencies are the factors that differentiate between the average and outstanding leaders. These competencies provide guidance and set an aspirational direction for all leaders at IBM. Throughout the company, executive, managerial, sales and technical leaders are encouraged to know these competencies, develop the pertinent capabilities and demonstrate them at their highest levels to help transform the enterprise and win in the rapidly changing global marketplace.

IBM leadership competencies include: