CI&T Named One of Japan's "Best Workplaces" for 2021

CI&T Japan (https://ciandt.com/jp/ja), digital transformation company that delivers business impact with strategy, research, design, and engineering services , has been selected by the Great Place to Work® Institute Japan (GPTW Japan) as one of the "Best Workplaces" for 2021in the small-scale category (25-99 employees).

We are pleased to be ranked again, following our first ranking at the first try in 2020.

Besides recognition in Japan, CI&T has also been recognized as a Great Place to work in Brazil for 14 times in a row, China 5 times in a row, US, which have made its recognized as a "Great Place to Work" on a global level, and ranked in the Asian regional of the rankings for our combined performance

In 2020, due to the epidemic, we have been working almost 100% from home (WFH: Work From Home) since February and are still doing so as of February 2021. This past year has been very challenging for us, as we value teamwork and enjoy the physical meetups we have at the office. In the midst of this, we believe that our efforts to maintain and improve the job satisfaction of our employees by trying various things through try and error on a daily basis has led to our recognition.
In this article, we would like to introduce some of the initiatives that we implemented in 2020 to enhance employee satisfaction.

Daily Working Style

CI&T's working hours and paid leave system are almost basic, but even before the pandemic, the company already had the flexibility to allow each employee to choose a comfortable working style for each.
This is because if there is a common understanding that it is important to efficiently perform and provide value, there is no need for the company to closely monitor and manage. This is a corporate culture that has not changed before pandemic, nor has it changed now, nor will it change after the pandemic convergence.

Work From Home & Remote Work

In response to the pandemic, all employees started WFH (Work From Home) from February 2020, but even before that, remote work was an option when necessary. It is said that in Japan, many mothers do not use paid holidays to take care of their children, but at CI&T, mothers and fathers alike can work from home to cover for unexpected circumstances of their children or family members without using paid holidays.

Online Events

CI&T has a culture of celebrating everyone's birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, project accomplishments, employee awards, etc. Since becoming WFH, everything that can be done is moved online, and if there is something that can only be done offline, we implemented something new online instead.

Cake Time
On the last Friday evening of every month, we celebrate the employee who has a birthday that month by singing a birthday song in Portuguese.

Happy Friday
We have introduced a virtual office app called oVice, which provides a place where people can drop by and chat in the evening without affecting their work.

WGO - What's Going On
WGO - What's Going On - shares various status updates with office members on a bi-monthly basis. Progress of each project, employee awards, etc. are also shared.

AMA - Ask Me Anything
This is an opportunity for anyone to ask anything and everything to the CEO and other executives at the Brazilian headquarters. Especially during 2020, AMAs were held many times for executives to talk directly to employees online and answer their questions about the company's policies and status related to the pandemic.

Weekly Engagement Program
In order to increase the number of opportunities for employees to communicate with each other under the circumstances of WFH, a small online program is held every week during lunch time. This program is still ongoing. The program includes yoga classes and mini-live performances by employees, a cooking show that shows the country's character, mommy and daddy talks, backgammon tournament, and an online writing contest.

CI&T Festival 25x25 (CI&T Festival)
Every year, CI&T rents out a live music venue and holds an End of Year Party called the CI&T Music Festival. This year, CI&T Global celebrated its 25th anniversary with a global celebration for 25 hours online live stream. More than 2,000 employees from around the world watched the program.

CI&T Advent Calendar
During the four-week period before Christmas called Advent, there is a calendar where you open a small window each day and enjoy the pictures and treats that come out as you wait for Christmas... CI&T implemented the CI&T Advent Calendar, where we share one fun essay written by an employee each day! Here are some of the essays By reading about what they learned, their hobbies, and their experiences, employees who were not able to see each other on a regular basis were able to learn about each other's new aspects and recent activities, and gain new knowledge.

Diversity and Inclusion / D&I

D&I has been one of the most exciting topics this year at CI&T during 2020.
Two independent groups of employees started up, and they have been very active in researching and discussing the topic in between work hours, to the point of holding internal events.

Monthly D&I Session
During 2020, this was a volunteer activity, but CI&T's global D&I goals are relevant to all employees in the Japan office.
In January 2021, a group of volunteers and HR took the lead in starting a monthly session for all employees to discuss and think about D&I by listening to the stories of those involved and sharing information and thoughts on one theme each month, such as LGBT+, Black People, women, and people with disabilities. We are creating a place to discuss and think about D&I.
We enjoy working to create an atmosphere where everyone can work together to create a comfortable working environment for all.

In this way, in the difficult situation of working from home for 11 months out of the year, we learned more than ever before and were able to start many initiatives that make us feel closer to each employee. We still have a lot of challenges and issues to tackle, but we will continue to grow as a company to provide a more enjoyable and comfortable work environment!

We also published a press release (written in Japanese). Check it out here

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