For the past six years, Verisure has been conducting annual employee engagement surveys (EES) in collaboration with Corporate Spirit. Recently, even more effort has been put into utilising the results in daily work. The results of the EES work are an important contributor to Verisure’s annual performance management process. Hence, it is important that there is a clear and fast way for managers to carry it out and that the HR personnel supports them. Henrik Heslyk emphasises, that managers need to take ownership of the process in order to be successful. They need to understand and see the EES as a development tool, not only for themselves and for their teams, but also for their superiors and for top management.

Getting everyone’s attention and commitment has been an interesting journey. Obviously, it takes a while to get everyone on board and make all managers see the potential and feel comfortable with the process.

“Along the way, we have learned that openness and transparency are the key elements for success. It also goes without saying that we need to communicate clearly”, says Henrik Heslyk. “The EES has helped us recognise the development needs of our organisation. Our goal is to remove any obstacles that prevent our employees from having the best prerequisites to perform. That includes highlighting best practices, teams and countries that have shown clear improvement.”

By conducting the EES on an annual basis, by helping everyone understand the value of it, by making it part of the performance management process and by following up on the implementation, Verisure has been able to improve the overall performance level of its employees.

According to Henrik Heslyk, it is important for the organisation to manage to pull through the entire process, which sometimes can be lengthy and even complicated. Behavioural changes, structural changes and improvements take time and patience, even in today’s hectic business environment. On the other hand, success creates engagement and willingness to make an effort. Especially the younger generation expects development, so a company needs sufficient tools and processes to fully utilise its high potential and to make the most of this kind of investment.

Henrik Heslyk, HR Director, Verisure:

Verisure is Europe’s leading provider of professionally monitored home alarms and connected services for smart homes. Offering both home security solutions – primarily professionally monitored intrusion and fire alarms – and smart home services, Verisure helps its customers stay in touch with home and family, making their daily lives that little bit easier and more pleasant. With 6,500 employees serving a total of 1.6 million customers, Verisure is number one in Europe and growing fast in South America.

HR INTELLIGENCE TO SUPPORT BUSINESS SUCCESS.

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AND CREATE AN EFFICIENT PROCESS FOR IT”“TAKE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR PEOPLE SERIOUSLY

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENTBUSINESS IMPROVEMENTEDITORIAL

In my role as Corporate Spirit’s regional representative in South America, I’ve had the opportunity to familiarise myself with the local working culture and to make observations about the differences between South American and Northern European business life.

In order to understand customer needs in their key markets, companies attempting to expand their operations abroad need to be well prepared. An exceptional product or a skilfully designed marketing campaign, or even a combination of these two, is seldom enough to break through the barriers of global competition. When hiring local personnel and setting up operations abroad, companies tend to think that the same kind of practices can commit people to their employer and to do their very best anywhere in the world – as long as the local language is spoken and understood.

In South America, the attitude towards employees significantly differs from the European attitude. Terms such as “employee”, “personnel” and “workforce” all have specific implications and even connotations. In particular, the sense of the word “engagement” is not quite the same over here as it is, for example, in the northern parts of Europe. A gradual understanding can be achieved through systematically asking customers detailed questions about their perceptions of things. Apart from linguistic differences, however based on cultural variations, a company entering a new market also needs to study and understand the local business culture. Personal relationships and networks are crucial in creating partner networks and closing business deals. Keeping an open mind, establishing an extensive level of cultural awareness, attending events and utilising social media channels are useful tools in establishing connections in new market areas.

Kind regards,VERONICA GUSTAFSON

Regional Director, Chile

BROAD PERSPECTIVE FOR BUSINESS

In a large group of companies, high employee engagement makes a big difference in performance. With everyone’s involvement, willingness and sufficient expertise, the results of an employee survey can be efficiently utilised.

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BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT

“Personally, having participated in several training sessions of this type, I would say we now have better tools at hand to make the most of our employee survey. After training, we went through the developmental focus points with every manager in my unit individually. We wanted to make sure that everyone understood the task at hand – what needed to be done and how everyone could contribute. The company’s targets were kept in mind at every stage of the process, especially when working with results from the best and worst areas. The open answer fields in the survey also provided valuable insight that we were able to compress and analyse. Seeing concrete change may take a while, but at the moment I feel that we have what it takes to make it happen. It all begins with realising that people are the most valuable asset of any organisation. Their well-being is in direct relationship with the organisation’s ability to perform.”

“The training helped me interpret the results and to see the importance of clear expectations towards employees in order to help them to do their work better. This is what we are emphasising on a regular basis – and the results are clearly visible. Based on the group’s objectives, everyone sets their own development targets and defines steps that are required for reaching them. People are encouraged to voice opinions and take action. The new practice has been very well received. Intermediate goals and schedules were created, along with a performance bonus system – and the work began. My group goes through all on-going projects, including development projects, regularly – how they are proceeding and when they seem to reach a stage where they affect everyone’s work. Regular follow-up is seen as important – it helps everyone stay on track. Furthermore, it shows that the development work is appreciated.”

TANJA PARVIKOSKI HEAD OF REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT UNIT

“Utilising the results in a meaningful way is the best way to protect our

most valuable asset – the people.”

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VIRVE VAAHTERAGROUP MANAGER, POWER PLANT CHEMISTRY

“The training has helped our team to establish the right kind of objectives and to discover ways to reach them.”

Helsingin Energia is one of Finland’s largest energy companies, providing electric power to about 400,000 customers and district heat to more than 90 per cent of properties in Helsinki. With numerous additional services, such as district cooling, maintenance, outdoor lighting and planning – and more than 1,300 employees – it goes without saying that the ability to engage and encourage employees in the right way can make all the difference to operational efficiency.

Every other year, Corporate Spirit carries out an employee survey to discover how main development points have been tackled – and what the employees would consider the next ones in line. The latest survey was supported by specific training sessions directed to all managers at Helsingin Energia. According to Corporate Spirit’s trainers and consultants Annukka Väisänen and Esko Piekkari, the CS utilisation model is a useful tool to carry out significant changes throughout large and complex organisations.

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Valkjärventie 7 A, 02130 Espoo, Finland, ☎ +358 9 452 0730 Läntinen Pitkäkatu 33, 20100 Turku, Finland, ☎ +358 2 274 3100Birger Jarlsgatan 2, 5 tr, 114 34 Stockholm, Sweden, ☎ + 46 8 505 65 171Dronning Eufemias Gate 16, 0191 Oslo, Norway, ☎ +47 2 389 888020 Broadwick Street, Soho, W1F 8HT, London, UK, ☎ +44 870 366 93 35Av. Golf de Manquehue 9750, Lo Barnechea, Santiago, Chile, ☎ +56 9 5628 8292

EMPLOYEE SURVEYS

360 ° ASSESSMENTS

INTERNAL CO-OPERATION SURVEYS

SOLUTIONS FOR UTILISING THE SURVEYS

AND ASSESSMENTS

www.corporatespirit.eu

Editor-in-chief: Jukka Pohjola | Editor: Piia Aalto | Layout: Mainostoimisto Dynastia | Printed by: TEMA-TEAM 12374-14 | Circulation: 7 000

Corporate Spirit CS Ltd

Airport Managers from around the world gather to Munich in the beginning of December to change ideas and best practices on how to create The High Performing Airport. Corporate Spirit is, for the third time, present as a sponsor. The company’s AirPeopleTM

employee engagement survey gives detailed information about how to create the high performing airport culture. More information about AirPeopleTM concept is available at www.airpeople.aero

Airport Leadership and Change Management Summit & Exhibition in Munich

THE PASSPORT TO HIGHER PERFORMANCE

BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT

14.10.2014 600Min HR, Stockholm, Sweden

13.11.2014 600Min HR, Munich, Germany

1.–3.12.2014 Airport Leadership and Change Management Summit

& Exhibition, Munich, Germany

28.1.2015 600Min HR, Helsinki, Finland

MEET US ATFACES & PLACESCORPORATE SPIRIT HAS APPOINTED THE FOLLOWING SPECIALISTS:

Katja Louhema-SantasärkkäResearch DirectorEspoo office

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Corporate Spirit takes pride in the company’s proven ability to not only produce relevant information about employee well-being and engagement, but also in the fact that its expertise can help organisations to interpret and utilise the outcome in a correct way, keeping the business priorities in mind at all times.

All managers were invited to the training sessions, as everyone’s involvement is needed to achieve changes in large organisations. When the contents of training are similar for managers who lead teams of different size and nature, the overall idea goes through the organisation in a uniform way, even though the implementation in daily work may vary according to specific circumstances in each team.

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We are re-designing our Internal Excellence concept to match with companies’ diversified needs and business requirements, and would like to interview you about what you see essential. Help us gain understanding about today’s complex, co-operational challenges by sharing your insight and experience with us. Your input will be more than highly appreciated!

Contact us and we will tell you more » send email to info@corporatespirit.fi

INCREASING EFFICIENCY WITH INTERNAL CO-OPERATION

”Utilisation training empowers change. Change – when carefully designed, executed and managed – supports the organisation to reach its business objectives. The entire organisation needs to be aware of what we are out to achieve – and of what is expected of everyone. Managers’ commitment to change is key, but without the entire personnel’s involvement, only a little change can actually take place”, says Corporate Spirit’s Senior Consultant Annukka Väisänen.