In the thirteenth episode of our podcast "forward thinking" about trends, developments and challenges in the learning and working world, Yannick speaks with Jörn Wächtler, Director of Workplace Design at adidas.

For the first time, we are fully dedicating ourselves to the topic Workplace. It was all the more pleasant to have Jörn as a guest for this first workplace episode, who gave us exciting insights into his work at one of the world's leading sportswear manufacturers.

You probably don't need an introduction to adidas as a brand. But how the company's learning and working environments look is probably known by very few. Jörn and his team of around 350 colleagues worldwide are responsible for workplace strategy and work environments.

And perhaps this will reassure some: things don't always run perfectly at adidas either. But that's exactly what is essential to learn again, as Jörn said. From his point of view, the most important thing is above all to "pilot" and "test".

A highlight of this episode is the discussion of the topic neurodiversity, which Jörn has been intensively engaged with for some time. A topic which in the context workplace still receives too little attention and yet is crucial to ensure that work environments meet the needs of all people.

We also address the following questions:

  • How does adidas foster creativity?

  • What incentives does adidas offer for employees to come to the office voluntarily?

  • And for which sport has adidas never developed a product?

👇Here is the thirteenth episode: