In line with all of the above, I would underline also as a crucial challenge, now more than ever, the identification and then implementation of the right new and effective strategic change within an organization in order to enable on a long term a solid and sustainable high performant workplace, in an uncertain environment and in the same time with happy and engaged employees. The right people in the right positions will be the differentiator for the companies that succeed in such an environment.

I would just add that having the right leaders in the organization with a high level of passion and engagement mixed with a strong portfolio are 2 main ingredients of a success story, story that Servier is telling for more that 30 years now on the Romanian market.  

First of all, we needed to measure the engagement index and drill down team by team to understand in depth and clarify the expectations of our colleagues across demographic categories and job types. For this, we implemented 4 years ago, as part of a group initiative, the Gallup Engagement Index, a complex methodology that also provides the framework for acting on those items that are identified as setbacks. Each team member can and is encouraged to contribute to the action plan created together with his/her team and manager. In this way everybody is involved and committed in the process.

Besides the formal processes and tools, the pandemic pushed us to find creative ways to keep the team united and engaged. We created our own engagement platform – The Good Lab – a prescription for team Engagement & Cohesion - focused on 3 main pillars: Personal Development, Lifestyle & Wellbeing and Health. The first 2 seasons of the program comprised of a complex set of initiatives and actions aiming to create long term engagement and bringing people closer together in a time of distancing.

How?

• by sharing their achievements, hobbies, passions with their colleagues in weekly casual talks (TedX like events), casual Interviews
• by participating in weekly workshops dedicated on many themes of interest
• by challenging them to contribute for acts of good (supporting social causes)

…. And by interacting with Pierre, our “virtual” employee, created by the look & feel of our colleagues who shares their hobbies, wants to engage in doing good and even has his own email address.

The results? More than 80% of colleagues participated in the activities, 87% of the colleagues felt engaged with the company and 93% find the organization a best employer!

Now we just launched the 3rd season of the Lab and we completely changed the format, letting each department to build and coordinate the program, to prepare content and surprises for their colleagues within the company.

Because engagement doesn’t lie only in the hands of HR – it’s the responsibility of each and any one of us, especially the leaders of our organization. How much clarity you give to people regarding their roles and missions, the company strategy, and results, the “why” behind, how is the future seen and how they can contribute to it. All these elements ensure transparency and trust, elements without engagement cannot exist.

This is what we also do – we find ways to empower people, let them decide, test & learn and we are here for them to support them in any way needed when the case. Also, we like to celebrate successes, big and small. We are lucky because we have a senior and capable leadership team, that understood fast and supported this new mindset.  

In one word: smooth. We benefited from the constant support of our Account Manager, we had a strong communication plan in place and the sponsorship of the General Director so once the survey was out for our colleagues to fill in, the completion rate was almost 100% both times. In what regards the HR assessment, we had the core members of the team involved and although a bit time consuming, it was also lots of teamwork and fun action to perform together.

Every organization is different, but I would say that it’s important for the people to understand the “why” behind such a process, what’s in it for them and to have the sponsorship of the leadership team.

Motivating employees is a continuous process. The measures we take are correlated with the results of the internal surveys we conduct on a regular basis. We can decide, for example, to add new benefits such as Floating Days or an annual bonus, but also to introduce a variety of social activities – quarterly team meet-ups, in-person meetings at the office or internal events. 

The learning opportunities have also been adapted to hybrid and remote work, so that, starting in 2022, we implemented several e-learning solutions, complementary to the in-person training sessions provided by internal or external trainers. This is how we succeeded to answer the development needs of our employees – introducing technical trainings, specific to the field in which they operate, as well as soft skills and languages trainings.

It depends on the industry we are referring to. For engineering and IT Services, the main challenges are the limited number of professionals compared to the existing demand and the short employment duration. In other words, fewer candidates, and higher attrition rates.

The certification process went quickly and was smoothly. For us, it was also a process of discovery and analysis, that brought us closer to the needs of our employees. We gained

A better understanding of those aspects that we need to work on, as well as of our strengths.

To see in this certification, not just a formal process, but a valuable opportunity to learn and obtain information on the company and its employees. Obtaining the Best Places to Work certification should be part of the evolution of any Romanian company.

As a CHRO, there are some challenges that keep me awake at night: To me, Insurance business is considered people business. Hence, what at the top of my head is always around how we can keep ourselves competitive, especially in the people front.  We have been the market leader for years and that is because we have quality and right people. My worries are therefore being recognized as the best place to work and that is the ability to attract and retain the top talents in the current competitive environment where talent war becomes stronger and stronger. The other challenge would be how we can develop the agility in the organization where people can be mobilized to respond to priorities of the business to keep up excellent customer experiences. We expect ways of working that are towards simpler, faster, and more connected organization that allows people to be empowered to test and learn.

Every year, we have different HR metrics that are aligned with the key priorities to support the business growth.

• We continue to monitor the level of our employees’ engagement in various aspects and segments such as new joiners, management, and staff.
• Towards our new ways of working strategy, our metrics will be on the percentage of employees in the technology, digital, and analytical roles and capabilities.
• To the extent of being simpler, faster, and more connected organization; our metrics will be on the percentage of employees working in agile teams

At AIA, we offer flexibility arrangements such as working from home (WFH), flexible working hours. Nevertheless, we develop the clear guideline to people to still connect and strengthen working relationships such as "One Meet day per week" when all the team members will meet in person. To engage employees, we have a unique proposition under ‘WorkWell at AIA’. It is a fundamental aspect of our integrated activities and comprises of four key dimensions:

• Live Well: We promote health screenings, physical activities, and virtual events that remote employees can join.
• Think Well: We foster awareness of employees' mental health and provide tailored solutions in the form of education, self-help tools, counseling, and coaching.
• Plan Well: We provide access to professional help for planning and managing finances across different life stages.
• Feel Well: We build an inclusive work environment and supportive network that fosters a sense of belonging to a wider community, as well as CSR and ESG activities.

It was our honor to participate in the Best Places to Work program. Honestly, it's a simple and straightforward program. The Best Places to Work team guides us through each step and provides materials that we can pick and choose to communicate to our employees. The questionnaire is also available in multiple languages, making it easy for our employees to select their preferred language. 

Afterall, it’s not about the certificate but it’s about what is in it for your employees. Be authentic and always put employees as your top priority. You will know it yourself when you are ready to be certified.  Cultivate a culture of inclusivity that resonates with people's hearts and empowers them to achieve beyond their limits. Communication is key to ensure that employees understand the reasons why you want to participate in the certification program – mainly to benchmark yourself against the best practices.  The learning will be valuable if, somehow, you are not certified. You will definitely know how you can make your company better.