Annual Report 2017

Staff, organisation and culture

The group had 2,849 employees (FTE) on 31 December 2017. There were 2,765 employees at year-end 2016. The increase was caused primarily by higher staffing levels on the store floor, growth in the number of logistics employees and the expansion of the omnichannel activities of the group as a whole.

The quality of the services and our employees' focus on service largely determine the success of the retail formats of Beter Bed Holding N.V. A customer-friendly approach, a first-time-right and a KPI-focussed attitude, and speed of delivery are crucial for our reputation and the results. This is why we continuously focus attention on the training and development of our employees in both the commercial and operational fields. The 360° assessments were elaborated further in the Benelux in 2017.

Both the logistics and the sales staff are given training with respect to product knowledge and behaviour. In addition, employees are given scope to complete individual training and educational programs when necessary.

Management positions are filled with local employees in all countries. The company furthermore aims to have a larger number of women in management positions. The organisation had twelve women (39%) in top management positions on 31 December 2017 (2016: 29%).

The Management Board expressly attaches importance to open and honest communications within the group. The 'tone at the top' is crucial in this regard. The organisation's current structure guarantees short lines of communication and transparency. The core values of the culture have been established in the Code of Conduct and can be described by the terms customer focus (internal and external), experimentation, ownership and collaboration.