At the wheel of your career

A classic company structure with a boss and middle management? Not at BBC. We work in a holacracy.

Sure, there are arguments to be made about the name, but we suspect you’ll agree with the heart of the concept!

It all starts with
‘A pleasure to work with’

For the language nerds among us: Holacracy comes from Greek. ‘Holon’, meaning ‘part of the whole’ and ‘cracy’, meaning ‘rule’. And honestly, that’s about it. At BBC, you decide where our organisation goes. Together with your colleagues.

And of course, there is your talent. How do you want to put that to use in our organisation? What makes you happy, and how does your skill help our clients? BBC is all about the win-win, where everyone can grow!

Why? A pleasure to work with.

It’s one of our core values, one that lies close to our heart. We believe that by giving feedback and taking responsibility, we can cooperate better, and have more fun doing it.

Self-governing teams:
taking matters into your own hands

Sounds cool. But how does a holacracy actually work?
In short:

_01
Colleagues who have similar roles and tasks form an expert team. Every week, they get together to discuss any stressors.
For example
Every Monday, our copywriters (from editors to creative copy) get together – with a coffee! They discuss current affairs, and support and inspire each other. Does anyone have an idea to improve cooperation? Share it with the group!
_02
Any stressors that have to do with another expert team or the organisation’s general operations? That’s a matter to be discussed during the monthly organisational meeting. Together, we’ll try and find a solution!
For example
One of the copywriters would like to see a change in the way they were scheduled so that they can get a better overview of their time.
_03
Is there more to be done? The involved colleagues start a project to map out any potential structural changes.
For example
The copywriter and project lead form a team to examine how this can be put into practice.

All of the above might resemble the rules of a board game.
Don’t worry: we’re already playing the game without having to think about it.

Open, with trust and respect. That’s how it works here.

So… how does a self-governing team actually work?
Well, we’ll let our colleagues tell you.

“Amazing how all BBC colleagues promote this message”
- Sanae El Harcha, Project Lead

“It’s the first time I’ve worked in a self-governing organisation. And I felt immediately how it increases your responsibilities within projects. To make sure these go according to plan, all team members have to be curious and straightforward. And take responsibility of course! It’s amazing how all BBC colleagues promote this message.”

“Decisive factor to come and work here”
- Daan Wauters, Creative Copywriter

“An environment that gives you room to grow, and where colleagues look out for each other. Those were the two central conditions I had for myself during my job search. During conversations with (future) colleagues, I realised that BBC was that exact environment. And they meant it. They even had a name for it: ‘holacracy’. Colour me convinced!

After my first months, I look back with satisfaction. I work independently, set priorities and organise my own work. And I get to think about how I can improve my own work and that of others. So – a lot of freedom, but also the responsibility to tackle problems. At BBC, you chart your own course!”

“A hierarchy or self-governing teams? Easy choice!”
- Anton Loos, Company Director

“BBC has always worked with a flat structure. No middle management, no pompous titles. But that system was threatened in 2020 when we grew from 20 to 35 employees. As company directors, we couldn’t stay involved in everything. So, do we implement a hierarchy? Or do we make self-governing teams?

At a congress, I heard about holacracy, and how companies like Zappos and Patagonia had already successfully implemented it. With the help of an external company, we created the self-governing teams for BBC. Three years later, we see that holacracy works! Colleagues discuss more, tackle problems together and grow with the organisation. Always a pleasure to work with.”