At Team Tactics, we’re fascinated by the organisations that consistently earn a reputation as great places to work and believe there’s always something to glean from businesses that put people and culture first.
In this series, we’re taking a closer look at some of the world’s most admired employers to explore what makes their workplace cultures so successful and what other organisations can learn from them.
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Why is LEGO considered a great place to work?
When you think of LEGO, you probably picture colourful bricks, iconic minifigures and the joy of creating whole new worlds as a child. Although for many of us, the fascination doesn’t stop there – perhaps you still spend hours happily poring over a build!
Behind one of the world’s most recognisable brands is an organisational culture that’s earning a reputation every bit as impressive as its products.
Headquartered in Billund, Denmark, the LEGO Group employs more than 34,000 people across corporate offices, manufacturing sites and retail stores worldwide. In recent years, it has been recognised by Forbes as one of the World’s Best Employers and Glassdoor as one of the UK’s Best Places to Work, the latter based on anonymous employee reviews.
So what makes LEGO such a highly regarded employer?
While generous benefits and flexible working certainly play a role, what stands out most is that everything LEGO does feels connected. Leadership, wellbeing, learning, volunteering and even play all reinforce the brand’s central purpose: to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow.
LEGO workplace culture at a glance
| Headquarters | Billund, Denmark |
| Employees | 34,000+ |
| Known for | Learning through play |
| Leadership style | Leadership at every level |
| Key focuses | Purpose, wellbeing, learning, volunteering |
| Awards | Forbes World’s Best Employers 2025, Glassdoor Best Places to Work in the UK 2026 |
Rather than relying on one-off initiatives or workplace perks, LEGO has created a company culture where its values are brought to life every day, through every aspect of the business. Here’s how:
Leadership isn’t reserved for managers
Rather than viewing leadership as something that sits with managers or senior teams, LEGO encourages everyone to demonstrate leadership behaviours in their everyday work. In other words, leadership is treated as a mindset rather than a job title.
This philosophy is brought to life through the company’s ‘Leadership Playground’, a framework designed to help employees at every level create the kind of culture LEGO wants to be known for.
Speaking to UNLEASH, Margarita Echeverria, global talent management director at the LEGO Group, explained: “We believe that talent can be found at any level of the organisation. We can all make a difference in our everyday work, and demonstrate leadership on a day-to-day basis, even if you are not a formal people leader.”
One way this happens is through ‘Playground Builders’ – employees who become culture champions within their teams.
LEGO’s approach is a refreshing reminder that workplace culture isn’t created solely by senior leaders or HR teams. While leadership sets the direction, culture is built every day through the actions of people across the organisation.
It’s a principle we often see in high-performing teams – culture becomes much stronger when employees feel they have a role in shaping it, rather than simply experiencing it.
They don’t just encourage play – they make time for it
Every organisation talks about creativity and innovation, but far fewer make dedicated time for it. At LEGO, that time comes in the form of Play Day – an annual company-wide event that brings employees together to experience the ‘power of learning through play’.
Rather than seeing play as something that distracts from work, LEGO treats it as something that better supports it. That thinking is backed by research, with a study commissioned by the group finding that workplace play can strengthen relationships between colleagues, improve wellbeing and encourage greater creativity and innovation.
Those findings mirror what many organisations are discovering more broadly. Shared experiences give people permission to step outside their day-to-day roles, think differently and connect with colleagues they might not normally work alongside.
It’s something we saw in our research too, with employees reporting improvements in communication, collaboration, teamwork and morale (to name a few) after taking part in team building or work social events.
It goes to show that, if organisations are looking to strengthen these skills and behaviours in teams, they need to create opportunities for them to develop, not simply expect them to emerge.
Family comes first
One of the strongest indicators of an organisation’s culture is how it supports people beyond the workplace. For LEGO, family isn’t an afterthought. Alongside generous paid parental and caregiver leave, the company offers a range of other support designed to help employees balance work with life’s biggest responsibilities.
Working parent and director and head of global paid media performance analytics, Simon, explains: “The flexibility I have here makes it possible to build a career and take care of [my] family. I’m more motivated to lean in when needed because I know the organisation also expects me to take a breather and re-energise.”
By recognising that employees have lives, responsibilities and relationships beyond work, LEGO fosters a culture built on trust rather than presenteeism. That trust works both ways – when people feel supported through different stages of life, they’re more likely to feel valued, engaged and willing to give their best when they’re at work.
And yes, new parents do receive LEGO gifts to help inspire the next generation of builders from day one!
Living values through volunteering
LEGO’s commitment to inspiring and developing the builders of tomorrow extends beyond the toys it creates. It’s also reflected in its volunteering programme, with colleagues receiving up to two paid volunteering days each year to support local causes centered around helping children learn through play.
It’s a great example of purpose in action. What makes LEGO’s approach stand out is how closely it’s aligned with the company’s wider mission, making it feel like a genuine expression of its values rather than a separate CSR initiative.
These programmes also create value on multiple levels. As well as benefiting local communities, employer-supported volunteering has been linked to skills development, improved wellbeing, reduced sickness absence and wider economic gains.
Learning is driven by curiosity
A commitment to learning is hardly unique to LEGO, but what stands out is the philosophy behind it. Rather than treating development as something that’s dictated by managers or reserved for promotion, employees are encouraged to take ownership of their own learning journey.
LEGO helps colleagues identify their strengths, shape the direction they want to grow in, and choose both what and how they learn. Alongside personalised development plans, employees have access to platforms including LinkedIn Learning and Pluralsight, giving them the tools to continue developing in ways that are meaningful to them.
It’s another example of the company’s wider culture in action. Rather than viewing learning as a one-off event or mandatory training exercise, LEGO appears to encourage continuous curiosity, experimentation and personal growth.
As senior training and development manager, Laura explains: “Play encourages creativity, problem-solving, and a sense of wonder. I’m proud to work for a company that embraces play not only for students and children, but recognises its importance in the learning process for adults too.”
Wellbeing is all-encompassing
Employee wellbeing has become one of the defining characteristics of a great workplace. Rather than focusing solely on physical or mental health, LEGO takes a broader view, with its strategy centering around four key pillars: body, mind, community and places.
Alongside counselling services, neurodiversity initiatives, menopause support, resilience training and health benefits, the company also recognises the importance of belonging. Community is treated as an essential part of wellbeing, with volunteering and opportunities to connect with colleagues sitting alongside more traditional wellbeing initiatives.
We love this approach because it recognises something that’s sometimes overlooked, especially with hybrid and remote work being so prevalent. People don’t just thrive because they feel healthy, they thrive because they feel connected and part of something bigger than themselves.
What can we learn from LEGO’s workplace culture?
It’s perhaps easy to assume LEGO’s culture works because it’s a playful brand, but the real lesson goes much deeper than colourful bricks and annual Play Days.
Crucially, every initiative feels intentional:
- Leadership isn’t defined by job titles, it’s something everyone can demonstrate.
- Play isn’t there simply because it’s fun – it encourages creativity, experimentation and stronger relationships.
- Volunteering isn’t a standalone CSR initiative, it reinforces the company’s purpose.
- Wellbeing and family-friendly policies recognise that people perform at their best when they feel valued as whole people.
Like LEGO’s famous bricks, every piece connects. The initiatives reinforce one another, creating an employee experience that consistently reinforces the values the organisation wants to be known for.
Looking to create a more connected workplace?
At Team Tactics, we believe the most successful workplace cultures are created through shared experiences, meaningful connections and activities that genuinely reflect an organisation’s values.
Whether that’s through creative team building, purposeful CSR experiences or unforgettable company events, bringing people together with intention can have a lasting impact on collaboration, employee engagement and workplace culture.
If you’re looking to create experiences your team will remember for all the right reasons, we’d love to help. Take a look at our incredible range of activities or talk to our team today.
FAQs
Why is LEGO considered a great place to work?
LEGO has built a reputation as a great place to work by creating a workplace culture where its purpose, values and employee experience are closely aligned. Rather than relying on isolated initiatives or workplace perks, its approach connects leadership, learning, wellbeing, volunteering and family support to its wider mission of inspiring and developing the builders of tomorrow. The result is a culture that employees experience consistently throughout the organisation.
What is LEGO’s workplace culture?
LEGO’s workplace culture is built around creativity, curiosity, learning and purpose. Employees are encouraged to demonstrate leadership at every level, continue developing throughout their careers, support local communities through volunteering and prioritise wellbeing alongside performance. Together, these initiatives create a culture that values both personal growth and meaningful work.
How does LEGO engage employees?
LEGO engages employees by creating opportunities to learn, collaborate and contribute beyond their day-to-day roles. Initiatives such as Leadership Playground, Play Day, personalised learning and volunteering programmes encourage employees to shape the culture themselves rather than simply participate in it. This helps create stronger engagement, ownership and connection across the organisation.
What can other organisations learn from LEGO?
Perhaps the biggest lesson is that great workplace cultures aren’t built through one-off initiatives. LEGO demonstrates how leadership, learning, wellbeing, volunteering and family support can work together to reinforce a shared purpose and consistently reflect their values.
What role does team building play in workplace culture?
Team building alone won’t create a great workplace culture, but it plays an important role when it’s part of a wider employee engagement strategy. Shared experiences help colleagues build trust, strengthen communication and create meaningful connections that support collaboration long after the activity has finished. When aligned with an organisation’s values and culture, team building becomes another way to reinforce the behaviours and relationships that great workplaces are built on.
