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Two areas of concern emerged from
the survey. Workers and technicians
indicated that there was a lack of
information about how the Group’s
reward system worked, and all
employees who responded
to the survey said career development
communication was lacking.
Both points are now the subject of
an improvement plan common to
all Group entities. Further, entity
managers along with their teams
examined local action plans for making
headway with respect to the guidance
in the charter.
Employer commitment
While 2011 was marked by the rollout
of the People First charter, Bel also
pursued a number of other programs
vital to “living well at work”.
The “zero accidents” program was
continued at all Group plants, with
intensified efforts to raise awareness
among local general managers and
operators. Two-hundred and twentysix
managers and safety coordinators
were trained, and “safety behavior visits”
were set up to share ideas with operators
and identify situations in need of
corrective measures.
The Bel Care program was deployed to
take aim at setting a common standard
for employee benefi ts such as healthcare
and disability insurance, even when such
benefi ts exceed local market practices.
One of the goals also set by Bel was
to hire more handicapped persons.
In 2011, various initiatives were taken
in France, including the signature of
a two-year agreement with Agefiph,
a nonprofit organization for
handicapped employees.
interview
Deploying People First
in Central Europe
BOYAN NEYTCHEV, General Manager, Bel Central Europe
How did the rollout of the
People First charter go in
Central Europe?
From the start, the project was
enthusiastically received by both
managers and employees, who view
the charter as a sincere and
structured effort by Bel to develop
teamwork and individual
performance. Lot’s of people shared
ideas and expectations and asked
questions. It’s now up to us to
integrate all of this into an action
plan for implementation at our
entity. One of the strengths of
People First is its dynamic,
participative and adaptive approach
to local problems. The action plans
are drawn up by the entities based
on their local populations. We have
already initiated some concrete
measures. We now hold interactive
meetings on a monthly basis with
management and all employees in
Prague to discuss company business
and our results. We will also hold a
Central Europe convention to
strengthen ties between functions
and the countries and to encourage
greater teamwork.
What’s your initial assessment
of the deployment?
People First is a long-term project
that must be deeply integrated
into our business culture and
the mindset of our managers
and employees. Everybody
understands that it’s
a gradual project, and that it
will bear fruit only if everyone
contributes to it. At our plant in
eastern Slovakia, where we employ
500 people, it’s already clear
that People First is viewed as
an advantage in the job market,
and it is making Bel an increasingly
attractive employer.
What areas does your 2012
action plan cover?
The fi rst measures concern
increasing understanding about
how our compensation policy
works, increasing idea sharing with
employees, encouraging internal
job moves over new recruits by
making information about the
job promotion process more
widespread and through adapted
training plans.
Bel Group 2011 • 31