Micron sites in Europe: Small but mighty great workplaces

Though they employ hundreds of team members rather than the thousands working at some of our other global sites, Micron’s sites in Italy and Germany are innovative in driving our business and providing great places to work for all.

But don’t take my word for it: Check out the 2021 rankings compiled by the Great Place to Work® Institute.

Micron’s sites in Italy increased their ranking on that country’s Best Workplaces list from No. 10 to No. 7. Our German sites made their first appearance on both Germany’s Best Workplaces list (debuting at No. 33) and the regional list of Best Workplaces Bavaria, where we ranked No. 11.

Significantly, these sites achieved these recognitions while working under the pressure of a global pandemic. In fact, Micron Italy received a special recognition for resilience based on team member responses to the trust index survey (more about that below) and for innovative policies that Micron adopted during the pandemic in that country.

“Micron Italy and team members led with their hearts, taking care of their communities and each other while maintaining a culture of fairness and inclusion during a time of chaos and uncertainty,” said Roberto Bez, Italy country manager.

What happens in Italy and Germany?

Micron’s German and Italian sites became part of the Micron family through acquisitions over the past three decades, beginning with the founding of our Munich Leopold site in 1992. Our second site in Munich was established when we acquired Elpida in 2013. The combined 140 team members at these two sites specialize in DRAM design, engineering and testing, and they have built solid relationships with top players in the automotive industry and customers implementing DRAM in graphics, networking and other advanced applications. Micron Germany supports STEM education, especially information technology courses, with universities and local middle and high schools.

Micron has four sites in Italy, employing just over 500 team members in Vimercate, Arzano, Avezzano and Padova. Micron Italy strongly emphasizes technology development — including emerging memory technology and design, replacement-gate NAND, and memory system pathfinding — with laboratories to conduct electrical characterizations, CMOS development, TCAD and modeling. They focus on our managed NAND devices, serving as the worldwide quality audit lead on mNAND and a primary leader for application engineering in the automotive sector. Micron Italy has developed a collaboration model among schools, university and industry to promote STEAM and a culture of inclusion.

What makes these sites great workplaces?

The Great Place to Work Institute certifies companies for recognition as Best Workplaces by conducting a trust index survey and auditing companies’ human resources processes and practices.

While a strong culture and well-rounded programs are essential to a positive workplace experience, team member feedback in the trust index survey accounts for two-thirds of a company’s total score in determining Best Workplace rankings.

According to Markus Balb, senior director of the Munich Design Center, and Reinhard Weigl, senior director for automotive marketing, Micron’s global recognitions in Europe demonstrated an amazing level of engagement despite the challenging times, and they confirmed that our focus on team member engagement is important for Micron, no matter the situation. In Germany and Italy, about 70% of team members provided feedback on their work at Micron. Notably, Micron Italy’s overall survey results increased 9% over the 2020 results. (Other companies listed improved by 4% on average.)

Team members in both countries rated Micron highly on job satisfaction and diversity, equality and inclusion. In Italy, community support scores improved the most compared to 2020, reflecting the incredible commitment Micron and its team members showed to their communities during the pandemic. In Germany, job satisfaction scores improved the most, driven by team members’ satisfaction with their share of company profits.

By engaging in these surveys, team members create a feedback loop that allows Micron to build and enhance programs, explore new opportunities and address concerns. Those changes, in turn, foster engagement and propel the feedback loop. I’m proud that, as of 2021, all of Micron’s eligible sites have been recognized by the Great Place to Work Institute — but I’m especially proud of the recognition earned by our sites in Germany and Italy.