Retaining talent internationally with hybrid work: Shopware positions itself as an attractive rural employer with Zoom

Shopware AG was founded in 2000 in the German town of Schöppingen. Shopware offers a modular online shop system that is available as open-source and commercial software. It helps companies grow their businesses by providing an omnichannel digital commerce platform. Shopware’s flexibility makes it ideal for virtually any business model. And thanks to its API-first approach, it is flexible enough to integrate with any third-party system. 

Hybrid work as a competitive advantage

Shopware – once a typical start-up – has a successful growth story. The company currently has a workforce of 450 individuals and established a branch in the United States in 2022. Shopware US Inc. now has a team of over 20 employees. Its headquarters in Schöppingen, however, has remained true to the company. At an early stage, Shopware opted for a hybrid and remote working model.

It was clear that the company, which is located in a rural area, at least in terms of infrastructure, would have to go the extra mile when it came to recruiting employees. It had to find and retain talent from all over the world. The company set out to make a systematic shift from campus-based to hybrid working. 

This required rethinking and adapting existing workflows. This transformation has become a competitive advantage for Shopware in the “war for talent,“ and the company continues to build on this advantage. “Just three years ago, Shopware was looking to buy additional space to expand and create more workspace for new colleagues. With the way we work today, that is definitely no longer necessary,“ says Wiljo Krechting, Spokesman at Shopware, explaining the change in corporate culture.

Today, Shopware employees work in Sweden, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Benelux, Vietnam, and now, with the opening of New York, the USA. 

“Zoom is the linchpin of our remote-first work culture“

Shopware has been successful in managing the transformation of its processes to a hybrid culture. A dedicated department has set up digital processes and ensures continuous development and improvement. This, in turn, required professional and efficient communication and collaboration solutions that work anywhere and without fuss.

Shopware has relied on Zoom since 2020. The challenge at the time was video calling – the goal was to find an easy-to-use solution with the best possible video quality. They also wanted to be able to easily integrate with other tools like Confluence, Sharepoint, or bamboo. 

“For us, Zoom is much more than just a useful tool. Zoom is the linchpin and a necessary interface for our remote-first working culture,“ says Wiljo. The introduction of Zoom has been in the form of user guides and manuals. “Zoom was found to be very intuitive and easy to use by all staff.”

In particular, Shopware’s sales and support teams stand to benefit from using Zoom. Pitch calls or direct acquisition via video are very different from traditional phone calls. “This way of communicating is a lot more efficient and a lot easier than the ticketing system we had before,“ says Wiljo, echoing the opinion of his colleagues. 

More than just Zoom Meetings

In addition to Meetings, the company also uses Zoom Webinars to communicate on a wide range of topics: “We organize webinars for our partners and customers via Zoom, the range of topics is wide: customer cases, how-tos, info webinars on third-party solutions such as payment solutions or ERPs and the like,“ Wiljo explains, adding that the webinars are usually held together with the partners. 

Shopware also produces an audio podcast called ‘Dreimal Digital’ using Zoom Webinars. The podcast covers relevant digital transformation topics for retailers and entrepreneurs. 

Wiljo adds that various teams from all departments use the whiteboard feature to develop ideas together, visualize concepts, or present complex information in an easy-to-understand way. “We are using Zoom Whiteboard more and more, especially in creative departments. The deep integration with Zoom is a clear added value for us,” describes Wiljo. Simply launching the whiteboard from a Zoom session instead of a separate tool saves time and reduces complexity.

“Without Zoom, we would not be the hybrid company we are today“

Shopware embraces the transformation process, providing tools, processes, and transparent communication. With new programs like onsite events, breakout sessions during meetings, and virtual team coffee breaks, Shopware is successfully transitioning to a remote culture.

“We understood that employee engagement is not tied to the local workspace. On the contrary, freedom and flexibility are values that are highly valued by employees and lead to great loyalty,“ says Wiljo. “Without Zoom, the transformation to a hybrid company would not have been possible. Efficiency, networking, and team structure are the most important aspects for us.“