Work Style - Great Place to Work Institute

8
twsm — GPTW Special Issue 2010
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Human Resources for Care NV Belgium: “We brought
our back-office people and our operational management
of all levels together and asked them to do a
brainstorming on how to boost sales. We got no less
than 40 different ideas of which we implemented the
most interesting ones.”
On the point of giving employees more responsibility,
Petra Thees, Managing Director of Domino-World
Germany remarks: “Our process of participation and
contribution aims at giving more freedom to our people
for self-fulfilment and empowerment. We have
processes such as participation of people in team
meetings; Improvement ideas from a survey and Innovation
Workshops.” Forming a team across the entire
company in order to fight problems is the focus
for Ulrich Spie, Human Resources Manager for E.ON
AG Germany: “The ‘Accounts Receivable’ project has
the aim of reducing the level of outstanding debt. The
team is comprised of employees from the UK, Central
Europe, Pan-European Gas, Nordic,US-Midwest and
the Corporate Center.”
Companies are stronger when people come and
work together as a team, as Anne-Marie Berndt,
General Manager Employee & Labor Relations for 3M
Deutschland GmbH Germany says: “Our employees
are deeply involved in all of these processes. The
ideas of employees will be discussed with management
in team-meetings. We have a special seven steps
new product introduction plan.”
Agreeing with the positive impact of employee teams,
Anders Schroll, Human Resources Director for Lundbeck
A/S Denmark states: “In our research and development
organisation we have action-learning teams
for our key talents. Each year they get a specific assignment
and they come back after a weeks work
with proposals to the management team.”
In order to streamline the management of all these
new ideas, Christine Brandis, Personnel, Marketing
and Recruiting for Techniker Krankenkasse Germany,
provides a unique method: “On average 3000 suggestions
are received annually by the idea manage-
ment team. They establish what benefit the idea has
and any potential bonus for the person submitting
the idea.” Anika Weth, Head of Human Resources for
Volkswagen Financial Services AG, Germany, shows
how technology can also be used: “In 2009 we started
a methodology for the improvement of processes. We
implemented an internet-based platform where each
employee can bring in his or her ideas concerning
processes, quality, new products, etc.”
A final thought on company culture comes from Michael
Haag, Public Relations Manager for W.L. Gore
& Associates GmbH in Germany, Italy, France: “Because
of the strong personal relationships and immediate
lines of communication engrained in the corporate
culture, associates are able to introduce their
ideas and suggestions directly into their work environment
and so are closely involved in the decision
making process.”
Talk with 50 Small and Medium-sized Workplaces in
Europe 2010
By Pia Colombo
In all companies interviewed, the employees
from all levels of experience are directly
involved in providing suggestions and ideas.
Some companies use particular instruments to make
the amount of ideas collected visible. For example,
OMICRON has installed an “idea barometer” in the
main hall of the OMICRON Austria Development Center.
“As soon as the barometer is full, a raffle is made
in which everybody who provided an idea has the
chance to win a holiday weekend for two people or
other prizes”, states Harald Dörler, Human Resources
Manager.
People are involved in very different ways: “Regular
practice meetings enable our consultants to reflect on
progress in the last financial year, discuss our strat-