A workplace experience that evolves with every stage of your professional life
Every March, Great Place To Work® announces the annual Best Workplaces™ based on a thorough evaluation of the employee experience. This ranking is based on the Trust Index™ survey, in which employees assess their organisation on key factors such as trust, credibility, respect, honesty, pride and camaraderie.
Organisations are recognised in four categories, each based on their number of employees (Small: 20–99 employees, Medium: 100–249 employees, Large: 250–499 employees and Extra Large: 500+ employees). For organisations with more than 250 employees, this employee perspective is further enriched by a Culture Audit™, which provides insight into the HR and leadership policies in place.
During the Best Workplaces™ event, in addition to these category awards, two Special Awards are presented to organisations that stand out for their particularly people-centred work culture.
One of the 2026 Special Awards is ‘Best Place Throughout the Employee Lifecycle’.
This award recognises organisations where everyone, regardless of role, background or age, feels equally valued and respected. Where employees are treated consistently and where collaboration and the exchange of knowledge across different stages of life and career are central. In short, a forward-looking vision of work, in which people are not seen as roles, but as individuals with evolving needs and ambitions.
The 2026 Special Award ‘Best Place Throughout the Employee Lifecycle’ was awarded to Bank Van Breda, for their consistent and people-centred approach to the entire employee lifecycle.
Bank Van Breda: A People-Centric Culture Throughout the Entire ‘Employee Lifecycle’
At Bank Van Breda, everything stems from one fundamental belief: you don’t build a strong culture just once — you choose it anew every day. Or as Griet De Ranter (HR Business Partner) and Marianne Van Erck (Head of HR) so aptly put it: “Culture is a verb.”
The three core values – honesty, responsibility and enthusiasm – serve as the compass for every stage of the employee lifecycle: from recruitment and onboarding to development, wellbeing and a respectful farewell. It is precisely this consistent and sincere approach that ensures employees feel supported and engaged throughout their entire career.
A warm welcome from day one: pre-boarding as the starting point for building connections
At Bank Van Breda, the process of welcoming new employees begins well before their first day at work. Through pre-boarding, new recruits receive practical information, a personal message from their manager and often even an invitation to an informal team get-together. This ensures that new colleagues not only feel well prepared, but also engaged right from their first introduction.
From the moment they start, employees are supported by both a mentor and a buddy, who guide them through their first few weeks. In addition to training, there is a strong focus on culture, networking and building informal connections, so that everyone quickly feels at home.
Tailored development opportunities: Van Breda Academy and job mobility
At Bank Van Breda, development is seen as a continuous process. Through the internal training programme – recently officially named ‘Van Breda Academy’ – employees are given opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills. But learning does not stop at classroom or digital training.
The organisation encourages job mobility, including on a temporary basis, for example through placements in other departments. This allows employees to broaden or deepen their expertise without a formal change of role or team. Growth is therefore never exclusively vertical; horizontal development is also explicitly recognised and encouraged.
The three core values – honesty, responsibility and enthusiasm – serve as a guiding principle for every stage of the employee lifecycle: from recruitment and onboarding to development, wellbeing and a respectful farewell. It is precisely this consistent and sincere approach that ensures employees feel supported and engaged throughout their entire career.
Wellbeing and retention: focusing on life stages and work-life balance
Bank Van Breda has made a conscious choice to offer flexible working arrangements, wellbeing initiatives and support during key life events. This includes extra support for parents – such as an extended paternity leave for new fathers – or the option to take temporary career breaks and time to recover from illness.
This approach contributes to sustainable employability and strong retention: employees feel that their employer recognises not only their performance, but above all their humanity.
Respectful departure: offboarding with care and appreciation
Leaving Bank Van Breda is handled with just as much care as joining. Through exit interviews, the organisation gathers valuable feedback that is shared directly with senior management. In addition, many former colleagues remain naturally connected through informal contacts.
For employees retiring, the bank even organises a two-day retirement training course – including their partner – covering legal, medical and social information to ensure they are well prepared to embark on a new phase of life. This emphasises that respect at Van Breda does not stop at the door. Furthermore, retired former colleagues are kept informed of the ins and outs at Bank Van Breda, and are also invited to the annual results presentations and events.
A culture embraced by everyone
The common thread running through every stage of the employee lifecycle is a vibrant, dynamic culture. Through rituals – such as onboarding events, celebrations for long-serving staff, or personal gestures following an absence – the bank creates moments of genuine connection.
Initiatives such as Happy Team, B-You, B-Eco, B-fit and B-connect, along with various co-creation projects, ensure that employees are actively involved and that decisions enjoy broad support. The HR team acts as a facilitating force here, whilst enthusiasm and commitment are widespread amongst employees across all teams. Culture is created through facilitation, bringing platforms, initiatives and support to life, enabling people to express their humanity both in the workplace and beyond.
Leadership also plays a crucial role. The abolition of formal appraisals in favour of ‘You Time’ conversations – a continuous dialogue about motivation, employability and development – has fundamentally strengthened the feedback culture. Managers are selected for their coaching skills, and the fact that the board and CEO also read the annual reflections confirms that every voice counts.
Culture Pride
What makes Bank Van Breda most proud today? That culture is not a static concept, but a daily responsibility. In a growing organisation, investing in trust, honesty and dialogue remains a conscious choice.
Their advice to other organisations is therefore clear: do not invest solely in structures or processes, but above all in humanity. Culture is created through consistent behaviour – day in, day out. Winning the Best Place Throughout the Employee Lifecycle award therefore feels to Bank Van Breda not as an individual achievement, but as a collective victory.