More workplaces people actually like
What that has to do with business success
The core task of an employer is to provide work
In this conversation, Markus Hanauer, founder and entrepreneur, explains why he initiated an open Culture Camp for leaders and anyone interested in the topic, why a healthy workplace culture is not a “nice-to-have,” and what responsibility entrepreneurs truly carry.
We talk about concrete leadership practices instead of buzzwords, about economic reality rather than feel-good rhetoric and about the belief that creating better workplaces can start small yet still have a major impact.
You run an agency and invited people to a two-day workshop in a barcamp format. However, the participants were not employees of Spirit Link, but mainly people from all over who are interested in the topic and the format. The theme: “What can we do to create more workplaces that people actually like?” Markus, why do you do this?
The motivation behind the initiative is both personal and entrepreneurial. As an entrepreneur, it’s very important to me to create work environments where people enjoy working. And not only because it feels right, but because satisfied and engaged employees demonstrably deliver better results for our clients and make our organization more resilient overall.
Over the years, I’ve repeatedly met people who share similar convictions. That sparked the desire to connect them more closely and to enable an open, practical exchange from which everyone can learn. Since there weren’t really any suitable platforms for this, I eventually decided to take the initiative myself.
And on a somewhat more abstract level, I’m convinced that society benefits as well if there are more workplaces that people actually like.
My experience with similar networking events is that you almost enter a bubble: you meet like-minded people, and returning to your own workplace afterward can feel like a rather hard landing.
We’re currently experimenting with a lot of things around that. Because we also ask ourselves how the spirit of the Culture Camp can be kept alive. Right now, we’re trying out small circles that meet regularly on the initiative of individual participants to discuss their everyday challenges.
I also know the kinds of events you’re referring to. They remain just a two-day workshop addressing hyped “New Work” topics and giving you the vocabulary so you feel like you can now join the conversation.
For me, the Culture Camp is successful when a participant leaves with several concrete ideas for solving a current personal challenge. That’s where real value is created for the individual: they take something tangible with them that they can implement. That’s very different from leaving an event feeling energized after listening to inspiring talks, but nothing really having changed regarding your own issues.
You are the host of the Culture Camp. The two days take place in your offices, some employees help with organization and moderation, we were wonderfully provided with food and drinks. Considering the participation fee, the event probably just about covered its costs. Does this contribute to the business success of Spirit Link in any way?
To be honest: no. And it doesn’t have to. It’s allowed to be something separate.
So, what motivates you then?
I think it was about 15 years ago. Back then I set myself the goal that it would be nice if, during my lifetime, I could make 1,000 workplaces happier.
That’s obviously a big vision, and perhaps that’s why it was clear that I wouldn’t necessarily have to be the entrepreneur who creates all of them myself. But I can help spread the idea.
And it doesn’t have to be directly related to Spirit Link employees, even though there’s naturally a learning curve in organizing events like this or discussing solutions to everyday leadership challenges from other organizations. In that sense, something does flow back from the Culture Camp to Spirit Link.
1,000 happier workplaces. Where does the counter stand today?
Counting that is quite difficult, Steffi. Honestly, back then I was probably more focused on numbers than I am today.
Meaning?
When I leave gatherings like the Culture Camp or hear the discussions happening in the circles, I often think: “This is already moving in a good direction.”
You’ve been an entrepreneur for many years now. What is the core task of an entrepreneur in your view?
The Culture Camps over the past years have helped clarify that for me as well.
For example, we hear from companies that are really struggling in a crisis now but previously did everything possible to make employees feel good, sometimes even allowing them to live in a kind of illusion. That worked because the market was very favourable to them. But now the wind is getting rougher, and suddenly people are shocked that “work doesn’t just fall from the sky.”
At that point, you have to return to the core purpose of a company. The core task of an employer is to provide work. In our case, that work comes from our clients. We have to win them over so that we can pay salaries and people can support themselves and their families.
As an entrepreneur, I have to keep that core value stream in mind. Of course, I should design the working environment as positively as possible, treat people with respect, and try new things. But I must not lose sight of that core responsibility.
And that’s the great thing about the Culture Camp: it brings together entrepreneurs who carry responsibility for workplaces.
If providing work is my responsibility, I constantly have to adjust to win customers. I can’t just rest on past achievements. Do you think this would be harder if you didn’t treat your employees well and, in a human-centered way?
Absolutely.
We’re in the service business, which is inherently people-centered. Our largest cost block is personnel costs, and our core value creation happens when our experts work in teams with client teams. That means the quality of internal collaboration is crucial: How do we treat each other? Do employees feel respected and supported? Do they have the right conditions to work creatively and effectively?
If our culture were characterized by excessive bureaucracy, lack of appreciation, or rigid control, I’m sure that would significantly harm the results we deliver to our clients.
Have you ever received customer feedback along the lines of “things work differently with you”?
Very often. At the end of every project, we conduct a review with the client. That amounts to around 70–80 such conversations per year. In roughly a quarter of those discussions, the client mentions on their own that working with us is enjoyable.
Is that a unique selling point in your industry?
Absolutely. One important factor is that we have significantly lower employee turnover than our competitors. On average, people stay with us for eight years.
That’s a huge driver of client satisfaction, because our projects are often complex and industry-specific long-term engagements. For clients, it’s not only frustrating but also expensive if someone in a four-person team constantly has to be replaced.
So, team stability is a real USP. And it also increases the likelihood of long-term business relationships because clients who work with us for a long time build up industry knowledge, expertise, and familiarity with our internal guidelines. Starting from scratch with a new agency becomes much less attractive.
What do you think would no longer be possible if you worked differently? Let’s say a new management team came in that mainly wanted to optimize business figures.
Our shared purpose at Spirit Link is “to make success fulfilling.” That includes both business success and people’s satisfaction.
I believe that promise will no longer be kept. And many people here would probably say they wouldn’t stay either, because they have plenty of offers from competitors. In fact, we’re not large enough to pay classic pharmaceutical-industry salaries. So, we would very quickly lose our top people.
One last question, Markus. If this is the entrepreneurial core of the matter, creating jobs and not treating people like things, what drives your optimism?
What gives me confidence above all is my own conviction and encounters with people like you and others who think in a similar way.
I don’t claim to have answers for the big picture or to fundamentally convince anyone. I can’t and don’t need to do that.
What matters more to me is that we shape things well within our own sphere of influence, even in small ways. If that works, it already has value.
