Equality as a Strategic Success Factor at Nuki Home Solutions – Interview with Head of People & Chief of Staff, Angela de Monte

Nuki has successfully participated in the funded consulting program “100 Percent – Equality Pays Off” and has been awarded the badge for proven equality measures. A strong signal internally and externally: at Nuki, equality is not only understood as a social responsibility, but as a core element of a future-oriented employer brand.

In this interview, Angela de Monte, Head of People & Chief of Staff, shares which developments led to this achievement, what equality means for Nuki, and how topics such as culture, leadership, and professional development are implemented in practice.

1. Nuki has received the “100 Percent – Equality Pays Off” badge. What does this result mean for Nuki as an employer, and which developments in recent years were particularly decisive?

For us, the badge is far more than an award – it confirms that equality is strategically embedded at Nuki. A key driver was making female empowerment a conscious company-wide priority. We analyzed our structures and worked deliberately to bring more women into leadership and responsible roles.

An important insight was that many highly qualified women are already part of the company – but not everyone automatically “raises their hand.” That’s why we focus on raising awareness among our leaders and have adapted our internal application process accordingly. We see it as our responsibility to actively approach and support talented individuals.

2. How does Nuki support employees returning from parental leave or a longer break, and what role do structured reboarding processes play?

Returning to work is often emotionally and organizationally challenging – something I know from personal experience. That’s why we consciously stay in touch during parental leave and clarify expectations at an early stage.

To ensure no one is thrown in at the deep end, buddies support returning employees in reintegrating both professionally and socially. A special aspect of our culture is that we actively introduce returnees to new team members so their expertise immediately becomes visible again.

Flexibility is essential: if the previous role no longer fits, we enable changes. Our goal is to allow employees to build on past successes without pressure – with solutions that truly work in everyday life.

3. With initiatives such as “Growing Talents” and individual coaching programs, Nuki places a strong focus on promoting female talent. What impact are these programs already having in everyday work and in employees’ development?

Programs like “Growing Talents” help us define development paths more clearly and make talent more visible. Promotions and role changes directly resulting from the program send a strong signal.

However, it’s important to me that development is not limited to exclusive programs. We support all employees – through our internal Academy, coaching, or expanded areas of responsibility. Everyone learns differently. What matters is actively enabling development instead of leaving it to chance.

4. What role do models such as part-time leadership and shared leadership play in fostering an equal corporate culture?

For us, equality is a team topic. We rely on models that move beyond traditional hierarchies. One example is our female co-leadership in Marketing: shared leadership demonstrates how enriching shared responsibility can be.

We apply shared leadership in other departments as well, combining People Leads and Professional Leads. Professional expertise and leadership complement each other on equal footing – reducing pressure on individual leaders and leading to better decisions.

5. What role do age and hierarchies play in your corporate culture – and how is generational change influencing the understanding of leadership and equality at Nuki?

At Nuki, opportunities are not dependent on age. When competence and drive are present, we entrust young talents with responsibility early on. Current discussions clearly show that the new generation understands leadership differently: it is more about purpose and equality than about status. We consciously foster this exchange between experience and new perspectives.

This is where true inclusion begins: when we meet each other on equal footing, hierarchies and traditional role models lose importance. Through such approaches, equality becomes tangible for us – in collaboration and everyday exchange.