Empowering Digital Excellence through Holacracy: The Liip Way

This blog post is part of 50+ case studies of self-managing organizations we created for the 2024 inaugural ZeroDX awards. These organizations embody the principles of RenDanHeYi in their work structures:

• Zero Distance to customer: Decision what to build is based on insights from the marketplace

• Autonomy: Small teams with full decision-making autonomy enable speed in execution

• Shared Rewards: Everyone in the micro-enterprise participates in its financial success.

Introducing Liip

Liip is a digital agency based in Switzerland, with offices in Zurich, Lausanne, Bern, Basel, Fribourg, and St. Gallen. Founded to deliver high-quality digital services, Liip specializes in web and mobile application development, e-learning tools, and digital strategy solutions. Today, the company boasts a team of 220 talented professionals who are at the forefront of technological innovation, working on projects that drive digital transformation for businesses across multiple sectors.

Liip is committed to creating a future that works for everyone by embracing the power of human-centered digital solutions. This vision is grounded in the values of autonomy, client collaboration, and sustainability. The agency has implemented Holacracy to replace traditional hierarchies with a decentralized, self-managing structure that empowers its teams to drive change and innovation.

Liip is a prime example of RenDanHeYi in the digital services industry. It is among the pioneers of Holacracy in Switzerland, ensuring distributed authority and empowering teams to work closely with clients while maintaining the autonomy to deliver high-quality solutions.

Organizational Structure

Liip’s commitment to innovation and employee empowerment is evident in its organizational structure. Since 2016, Liip has adopted Holacracy, making it the first company in Switzerland to do so. This progressive governance system eliminates traditional hierarchies and empowers teams to self-organize and manage their operations. By embracing a decentralized model, Liip gives employees the autonomy to make decisions that directly influence the success of their projects.

• Decentralized governance: Teams operate with full autonomy, managing their business segments and developing direct relationships with clients.
• Client-centric: Each team is responsible for delivering tailored solutions based on a deep understanding of client needs.

This structure fosters innovation, as employees have the freedom to experiment, adapt, and implement creative solutions with the flexibility needed to respond quickly to challenges.

Client Collaboration

At Liip, close collaboration with clients is essential. At the core of the relationships Liip builds with its clients are geographical and cultural proximity, close collaboration, and local development.

The self-managing teams interact directly with clients, ensuring that communication is seamless and that client needs are promptly addressed. This direct interaction allows Liip to tailor its solutions to the specific requirements of each project, fostering a collaborative environment where clients are seen as partners and mutual trust is developed.

The teams’ autonomy in decision-making enhances the quality and efficiency of service delivery, as they can quickly adapt to changes and implement solutions that are both innovative and practical.

Internal Culture

Liip's internal culture is deeply rooted in autonomy, transparency, and shared success. The company’s adoption of Holacracy has created a flat organizational structure where traditional managerial roles are replaced with roles defined by clear responsibilities and accountabilities.

Financial indicators and impact metrics, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are openly shared at all levels of the organization, from project level to the organizational level. This transparency ensures that every employee is aware of the company’s financial performance and “contribution to the world”.

Decision-making at Liip greatly lies in the power of every role-holder, driven by guiding principles underlying the values and identity of the organization:

• Purpose over profits

• Open over closed

• Challenge over comfort

• Trust over control

• Practice over theory

• Flexibility over strength

• We over me

Liip’s ways of work, often unique in Switzerland, have earned the company several employer awards throughout the years. For example, Liip practices transparent salaries (both the values and the process) and operates an egalitarian bonus system where either everyone receives a bonus, or no one does, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose. This approach ensures that all employees are motivated to contribute to the collective success of the company. Additionally, Liip is in the process of achieving B Corp certification, further solidifying its commitment to sustainability, social responsibility, and the well-being of its team and the wider community.

Conclusion

Liip exemplifies how innovation, employee autonomy, and client collaboration can drive success in the digital services industry. By fostering a transparent, inclusive, and sustainable culture, Liip stands as a leader in the digital landscape and a powerful example of the future of work.