Nurturing wellbeing
Embedded in our We Care culture is a commitment to supporting our employees. In different ways, we want to boost their employee experience. To gain information on employee satisfaction, we conduct the Voice of Employees survey each year from November to December. It’s followed by a pulse survey the spring after to help us evaluate how well we are doing.
In Central and Western Europe in the survey 2023, work-life balance and wellbeing emerged as two key focus themes. This revelation ignited discussions within our regional and national management teams, sparking a journey toward a deeper understanding of wellbeing.
Creating a region-wide common approach to boost wellbeing
After the survey results were shared, the Central and Western European regional management team discussed the results. Time was spent especially on addressing the topics of work-life balance and wellbeing. During this time, it was discovered that wellbeing as a topic defies the one-size-fits-all definition. It’s an abstract concept, uniquely personal to each individual, encompassing three critical dimensions: self, organisation and team.
“As our team embarked on the journey to enhance Lindströmers’ well-being throughout the region, the diversity we encountered presented both challenges and opportunities. We aimed to create a positive working culture, energizing environments, strong relationships, effective management, and healthy lifestyles. Together, these elements contribute to a holistic employee experience. It fosters resilience and teamwork,” notes Mika Kujala, SVP of Lindström in Central and Western Europe.
The wellbeing initiative began with discussions at various levels. Starting with the regional management team and cascading down to country management teams led by managing directors, and local department heads. The outcomes of these discussions were summarised during a joint session between HR and managing directors. It lead to the identification of key focus areas for both the country and the region. These focus areas encompass health, nutrition, work environment, and mental health. They serve as the foundation for developing comprehensive wellbeing plans at both the regional and the national level.
To facilitate implementation, HR collaborated with the region’s managing directors. They co-created a wellbeing actions toolbox, integrated into the regional wellbeing plan for 2023. This collaborative effort extended to creating local wellbeing plans. It set the groundwork for implementation in 2023 with a strategic outlook for planning in 2024.
Successful steps in Lindström Poland
Lindström Poland has been internally acknowledged for the work that they have been doing to boost the employee experience. They achieved an impressive increase in Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) in the Voice of Employees survey conducted in late 2023.
“Two years ago, we sought direct input from our employees on what they envisioned for wellbeing in the workplace. This open questionnaire yielded invaluable insights, enabling the realisation of tangible improvements. Transparency in salary communication, office space renovations inspired by other Lindström offices, and enhanced lighting for better health and safety at the workplace were among the changes implemented, but this was just the start,” explains Rafal Kopera, Managing Director of Lindström Poland.
In early 2023, a region-wide focus on wellbeing prompted the Polish organisation to conduct a survey to learn how to enhance employee satisfaction further. This initiative led to the implementation of monthly webinars covering diverse topics like physical health and mental and emotional wellness. Additionally, a dedicated effort was made to address the ergonomics of work, involving on-site physiotherapist sessions to assess workstations and even car setups individually. Offline training sessions were organised to provide hands-on guidance, ensuring individuals were equipped to optimise their workstations in both office and laundry settings.
“Our wellbeing initiative centres around the belief that work is not just about tasks but also about creating an atmosphere where individuals thrive. We believe that all employees play a role in ensuring each other’s wellbeing in some ways. Also, when looking at the Voice of Employees results, we began to realise that Lindströmers tend to be modest in their self-assessment, often undervaluing their contributions – both on a day-to-day basis in building the culture and in the survey for the overall experience,” adds Lucyna Piórkowska, HR Manager for Lindström Poland.
To bridge this gap, communications were kicked up a notch, to let it be known how all Lindströmers can contribute and inform them about the topics involved as a whole. Emojis and bright visuals, posters, and information were shared on internal communication channels, online and offline, emphasising the importance of wellbeing and how we all can contribute to it, as well as understand the scale in the employee satisfaction survey and the value of honest evaluations.
“As we look to the future, the focus shifts more towards the self, especially mental health. How can we support cultivating it as a workplace and colleagues? Plans include, for instance, supporting employees in understanding their own finances, a topic which in today’s economy is a real factor for some people’s wellbeing. With a close-knit organisation, we have fostered an environment where everyone is known by name, and individual talks play a role in addressing concerns and improving the overall organisational experience,” add Piórkowska and Kopera on the plans for 2024.
The work continues both in Lindström Poland as well as on a global scale. The topic of wellbeing is gaining attention globally.
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