ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
MAY 2021
diana wick rossi,
founder AT
tadah
What is your background in CSR/Social Impact/Sustainability/Communications if any?
I worked in advertising for 20 years and nearly every company I had created campaigns for during the last five years working at agencies wanted to jump on the green-wave bandwagon. So, in 2019, I decided to focus completely on my own business built on the same values: I co-founded Tadah, Switzerland’s first coworking space with childcare and family/career compatibility platform that also offers consulting services for companies. Our goal is to advance much needed compatibility in Switzerland.
What do you do at your organization in terms of CSR/Social Impact/Sustainability, how do you monitor and report (non-financial reporting) the outcomes and what are the goals?
Our mission has always been to empower parents. We wanted to enable them to have a fulfilling career and family life. By offering them an inspiring place to work with flexible childcare nearby, parents can work when work needs to be done and spend more time with their children. For us, compatibility of work and family life is a matter of the heart on the one hand and a social necessity on the other. In order to make a true difference regarding diversity and inclusion, the system needs to change.
In the end, everyone benefits: children get to spend more quality time with their parents, parents have less mental load to bear, and companies get to have more productive and satisfied employees, a higher success rate in the war for talents, increased employee retention, and so much more.
In the beginning, it actually was “only” a flexible childcare and working space. Today, it is so much more. Today, we are a platform for compatibility. Everything we do, we do to give people the possibility to achieve an ideal mix between their private and professional lives. We consult companies and create measurable compatibility strategies. In this way, we generate additional impact where it is really needed – directly within the companies.
What do you think does an organization need if it wants to start introducing CSR/Social Impact/Sustainability practices?
First and foremost a true and authentic desire to make a difference. Even if the customers’ demands have shifted to a clear call for sustainable products, fair supply chains, and social responsibility, a lot of companies are still doing CSR for mere PR reasons. To drive long-term change, you need to have (at least) one senior manager who truly wants to make an impact and relentlessly drives change.
Do you feel that differentiating yourself through impact has brought an added value to your business and reduces risks? In what way?
At the very least, it gave us a completely different reason to go to work every morning. We get up excited every day to work at a purpose-driven company and are happy to be contributors to a change that has a direct impact on our children. By focusing on compatibility in a broader sense and thus utilizing all our resources, we are able to increase our impact. We also believe that risks are reduced when you whole-heartedly believe in what you are doing because your integrity is real and you don’t have to worry about contradicting yourself.
Do you see a change in behavior in your consumers?
Yes. Our individual customers are extremely thankful for our business and our efforts since it makes their lives easier. We also notice this peace of mind in our day care. Parents who bring their kids to Tadah work near their children and thus often tend to leave their kids at our Kids Space in a more relaxed state of mind. Also, the factor of having to rush out after handing over your child because you have to catch a train or bus is eliminated. This has a positive impact on the kids as well. Parents are often surprised at how well their kids’ first day at Tadah goes.
Companies are also beginning to shift and are starting to become much more aware of new benefits and support systems for their employees. In general, their openness to at least consider new ideas has increased.
How do new technologies and this digital age influence your work? Do you use them?
A lot, of course. But in the end, it is a people’s business we are in.
In your view, what’s the biggest challenge when it comes to marketing CSR/Social Impact/Sustainability efforts to the world in a more active way than merely through your sustainability report?
First of all: it is good to do good. And it is also good to talk about what you did well in order to also motivate others. The one thing you can do to really start making a difference is to simply DO IT. And do it now, because you know what? The time will come when customers will not buy things from companies anymore who deplete resources and harm our environment and society. And do it for the next generation, so you can tell your kids: I did my best!