What it does: As a technology company, we – and our brand licensees – innovate for people with one consistent belief: there’s always a way to make life better.
Mission: At Philips, our purpose is to improve people’s health and well-being through meaningful innovation.
Size and presence: We are a diverse team made up of some 80,000 individuals across over 100 countries, all with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.
Best known for , At Philips, we see healthcare as a connected whole. Helping people to live healthily and prevent disease. Giving clinicians the tools they need to make a precision diagnosis and deliver personalized treatment. Aiding the patient's recovery at home in the community. All are supported by a seamless flow of data.
The good bits: Good benefits and good management systems
The not-so-good bits: Occasionally difficult navigating a big company.
Philips & Co was founded in 1891 in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, by Frederik Philips and his son, Gerard. Recognizing the opportunity presented by the mass-market introduction of electricity, and inspired by Gerard’s keen interest in scıence and engineering, the pair soon conceived a bold but timely plan: cost-effective, reliable electric incandescent light bulbs.
The 1900s were a time of dramatic social and economic change. During this time, Philips became the largest private employer in the Netherlands, with over 2,000 employees. As mass industrialization gathered pace, Gerard and his brother Anton invested in providing housing, healthcare, and sports, instilling a culture of social responsibility that continues to this day.
Recognizing the value of scientific research to product innovation, the first Philips research laboratory – known as ‘Philips Nat Lab’ - opened in 1914. Led by Dr. Gilles Holst, it aspired to the highest standards of research, embarking on visionary projects, such as investigating emerging lighting technologies to discover new sources of light, while its breakthroughs in X-ray tubes ultimately marked the origin of Philips' involvement in health technology.
Much of our Philips design expertise can be traced back to Louis Christiaan Kalff. An architect with a passion for graphic design, Kalff understood the importance of consistent, effective design and recognized its role in driving consumer preference for the company’s products as well as the brand. The first product to reflect this design vision was the Philips radio, which also introduced the famous waves-and-stars shield.
During the 1930s, Philips introduced its pioneering rotary electric razor, the Philishave. With its ergonomics and attractive appearance, the Philips Philishave heralded the age of mass-market consumerism. It was an instant success and set the stage for appealing, customer-centric products. Since its introduction in 1939, Philips has sold an average of 700 Philishaves an hour.
After the Second World War, Philips Research developed innovations to aid post-war recovery. These included using UV light to kill bacteria, tubular fluorescent lights, new magnetic materials and ceramics, a hearing aid, a gramophone as well as miniaturizing and modernizing its radio and shaver technologies. The most significant introduction, though, was mass-market television.
The World Fair was an expression of post-war ideals of peace and innovation. Philips was alone among multinationals in being awarded a pavilion of its own at the 1958 Expo. Known as Le Poème Electronique, the futuristic Philips space hosted a showcase of color, sound, and images, creating a unique ‘ambient’ experience; a revolutionary concept at the time and a prelude to Philips Ambient Experience.
In response to popular culture and consumer spending power, Philips focused on making its technologies accessible. The first Compact Cassette audio player - ideal for the mass market - was an instant success. It set the global standard for tape recording and was followed by the first stereo Compact Cassette player, as well as car and portable radio-cassette players.
As the video age dawned, Philips launched the first video cassette recorder (VCR) in 1971. While the VCR and ongoing innovations kept Philips at the forefront of consumer products, the company was also undergoing further change as the world globalized.
Informed by its pioneering work in images, sound, and data, Philips remained at the forefront of emerging consumer digital technologies in the 1980s. Introductions included the LaserVision Optical Disc, optical telecommunication systems, and, one of its biggest successes, Compact Disc (CD) – developed together with Sony.
As technology became more complex and ever-present, the 1990s saw the rise of products designed to be easier to use and more comfortable to experience. Philips adopted a human-centered approach to product design entitled ‘Design for Life’, which harmonized and integrated all aspects, improving patient experience and throughput.
Philips is more than a company name – it is a brand with a purpose. This era marked a renewed, people-centric focus and the company’s first fully comprehensive approach to creating a harmonized Philips brand experience, delivering solutions that were advanced, easy to use, and designed around the user.
Inspired by its purpose to improve people’s health and well-being through meaningful innovation, Philips aims to improve the lives of 2.5 billion people per year by 2030. Today its growing portfolio of innovative health technology solutions supports value-based care across the health continuum.
Patient Safety, Quality, and Integrity always is at the heart of our culture, and are part and parcel of our company’s mission and vision. While pursuing our business objectives, we aim to be a responsible partner in society, acting with integrity towards our, customers, employees, business partners, and shareholders, as well as the wider community in which we operate.
We are transparent about our plans, activities, results, and contributions to society (e.g. tax reporting), and engage with shareholders, customers, business partners, governments, and regulators through a variety of platforms.
We are committed to delivering the highest quality products, services, and solutions compliant with all applicable laws and standards.
Everything we do at Philips is about making life better for people around the world. How? By creating meaningful innovations that solve a range of healthcare challenges big and small. When you start a career with us you’ll be joining an organization with over 127+ years of history in innovation, breakthrough research, and continuous reinvention and entrepreneurship to lead the market.
Working together with us, you’ll be part of a diverse global culture that puts people first; our own and our customers. We believe that we’re at our best when you’re at yours. And everybody who’s part of our team should be supported to develop to their fullest potential. The conditions that allow for that are our unique culture.
So if you’re thinking about a role at Philips, here’s what you should know about the qualities you’re expected to embody and live in your work every day:
⛔ Bonus annual leave
✅ Bonus parental leave
✅ Unpaid extended leave
✅ Permanent employee
✅ Signing bonus
✅ Annual bonus
⛔ Stock options
⛔ Full remote work
✅ Partial remote work
✅ Flexible working hours
⛔ Child care
✅ Free gym
⛔ Pet-friendly office
✅ Mental health days
✅ Hospital
✅ Outpatient
✅ Dental
✅ Maternity
⛔ Free breakfast
⛔ Free lunch
✅ Free tea & coffee
✅ Free snacks
⛔Free dinner
Having achieved our 2020 environmental targets, we have adopted ambitious new goals to mitigate climate change and leave a healthier planet for future generations through the responsible use of energy and materials.
We recognize the threat of climate change and the effects it can have on human health. We are committed to collaborating with our customers and suppliers to reduce CO2 emissions across our value chain in line with a 1.5 °C global warming scenario.
We are maximizing the lifetime value of our products and solutions while minimizing the use of new materials and resources and eliminating waste. We do this through innovative service models, smart digital solutions, and product take-back, refurbishment, and recycling.
We embed sustainability in our innovation processes. EcoDesign is an approach that addresses all aspects of product development and design, including recyclability and chemicals management.
Sustainable supply management is more than simply managing compliance: it is about collaborating with our partners to reduce the environmental footprint of our supply chain in line with a 1.5 °C global warming scenario.
We are teaming up with our partners to increase our social and environmental impact and build strong coalitions to effect global change.