62MILES is a Great Place to Work

A baseline measurement

62MILES (previously called Onlyhumans Group) has only just been launched. The new name underlines the shared ambition of this family of experts, namely: to raise the bar. It is no coincidence that 62 miles above the earth, the sky turns into a vast space. The group not only aims high when it comes to its work, but also as a workplace. Getting employee feedback was the main reason for participating in the Great Place to Work assessment.

The Great Place to Work® Institute helps companies to become and remain great workplaces, and to build their company culture on trust. 62MILES will be using the survey as a baseline measurement to help set priorities. HR Manager Fran De Backer stresses the importance of a bottom-up approach: “We want to take employee input as our starting point; not HR structures or processes. So, it makes perfect sense to use Great Place to Work as a tool for our continuous improvement.”

Strong team spirit

62MILES employees very much appreciate the strong team spirit in their respective agencies. Fran De Backer: “There certainly is an openness and willingness to get to know colleagues from other family members, and to learn from each other.” In addition, the team indicates that they can be themselves at work. They see each other as friends, not just colleagues.

To CEO Tom Bogaert, the Great Place to Work certificate shows that 62MILES is on the right track. “Our people have confirmed that they are proud of what they do and attach a lot of importance to camaraderie. This feeling of unity is the perfect starting point for the further cultural integration of our various agencies.”

Though the 62MILES agencies collaborate closely, they are also quite different. Employees like it that there’s room for individuality, sharing great respect for each family member’s unique history and expertise. Tom Bogaert: “This cultural diversity is our forte. Every agency confidently adds its own touch. And we wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Priorities and people-first approach

62MILES continues to build on its strengths, as well as launching actions for improvement. “We want to keep focusing on our people and the needs of every individual agency,” Fran De Backer explains. “The group is investing heavily in knowledge-sharing. There is so much we can learn from each other.”

The story of 62MILES has only just begun, creating interesting opportunities for the team. According to the employees, working for a company in transition allows them to assume responsibility and take initiative – to strengthen and shape the organization, but also to manage their own schedule and to maintain a healthy work-life balance. The latter is especially significant to them, given the industry’s reputation for long hours and workplace stress. Finally, the internal mobility at 62MILES is regarded as another huge plus.

Mutual trust and respect

At 62MILES, every team member’s opinion, input, and vision counts. Employees may have to step up a gear from time to time, but they feel that the extra effort is amply compensated by the high degree of flexibility they get in organizing their own work, and by the many wellbeing and teambuilding activities.

Tom Bogaert clarifies that the agencies use feedback moments to keep the finger on the pulse. “Our team can really leave their mark – on the work we do as well as on how we do it. Everyone is a part of a bigger story, and we heighten that feeling of togetherness by celebrating our successes as a team.”

Some remarkable results …

• 90% of employees think 62MILES “is a great organisation to work for”, and 96% call the group “a nice place to work”.

• 94% feel that there’s a strong feeling of togetherness.

• More than 94% stress that “people are treated fairly, irrespective of gender, sexual orientation or ethnical background”.

• 93% state that colleagues care for one another.

• 92% call management approachable and easy to talk to.

• 92% confirm that management trusts people and is not looking over their shoulder.

• 92% agree that employees can take responsibility at 62MILES.

• 89% say: “I can be myself”.