Responsible HR Management

Le Jardin de Vosgelis – a garden for the employees

The innovative nature of this experience also contributes to the image of Vosgelis, which can be defined as a modern and innovative company encouraging new working methods and caring for the welfare of its employees.

It is the first initiative in the region that goes beyond simple gardening. On the head office terrace, which is easily accessible for all employees (adjoining the refectory), 9 vegetable gardens and 6 planters were made available to the employees as well as the necessary accessories: bins, biological potting soil, rainwater collector, composter, insect hotel, winter feeders and drinkers for birds.

The volunteers who are organised in teams of 3, share a vegetable garden and a planter where they plant what they want; the only obligation being to respect the principles of organic farming. Employees bring their seeds and plants and garden during their break time. These gardens are also an opportunity to organise awareness-raising sessions on composting, organic farming and the need for healthy eating.

Employer branding of Stångåstaden

The next step was to compare the strengths of Stångåstaden’s employer brand with how Swedish students perceive the ideal employer. The common are as in the internal and external analyses were chosen as the main brand messages for Stångåstaden’s employer brand.

The second part of the project was to choose the communication channels for the employer branding strategy. We chose three main external communication channels where we could get our messages to student candidates effectively. Job ads in the form of films also work as a type of advertisement for Stångåstaden.

The third part of the project was to implement the strategy we outlined.

Well-being and Fitness Meeting

• The installation of a fitness room including exercise machines and a sauna in the basement of the head office at Coquilles. This room is available for the use of all colleagues, free of charge.
• Fitness and yoga classes held three times a week at the company headquarters, with a modest financial contribution from colleagues.
• Financial support for local associations that organise sports challenges, in which colleagues are encouraged to take part e.g. inter-company football competition, trail etc.

Mandatory work out for cleaners

Cleaners often retire with consisting repetitive strain injuries. This is something Bostadsbolaget wants to prevent as we strive to be a responsible employer. We know that regular physical exercise, especially for the muscle groups that are particularly at risk, prevents different kinds of work related injuries.

In 2015, Bostadsbolaget introduced a mandatory and joint hour of work out every week for our cleaners. The cleaners are divided into groups depending on where they work. They then attend gyms located near their workplace and are assigned personal trainers who help them set up personal goals. During the semester, they make regular reconciliations with their personal trainer. Great consideration is taken to each and every ones individual condition and goals.

Style Jobs

• Make the business both faster and more stream lined, the emphasis being on initiative and encouraging collaborative work;
• Reinforce management cohesion and its pro-activity in the deployment of the business project;
• Develop project mode operation with greater cross-functionality and inter-service cooperation;
• Encourage creativity and innovation;
• Promote a better understanding between the strategy of the company and the operational concerns of employees.

To sum up, it’s about helping management become both actors and decision makers within the life of the company.

The rapid implementation of this project was made possible thanks to the commitment and evolution of the teams which fully went with the strategic directions and adapted their position.

In the space of 3 years, there have been great changes in the company that have led to an improvement in employee skills and the emergence of a real customer driven corporate culture.

Midway through this project, it was necessary to dwell on these changes in management style, to ask questions to note the feelings of managers and to accompany them in the “post-project”. Today more than ever, this approach is so important in view of the tremendous reforms that are about to transform social housing in our country. Vosgelis sees this as an opportunity to continue its development and has already made important links with other organizations, while continuing to create new brands and new services.

HR’s priorities at Mimer

The following areas are the ones that HR has focused on in recent times:

• Company values
Company values are deeply imbedded in our everyday work and we also use our values when we determine wages based upon how well co-workers can incorporate them in every-day work. HR together with management team create conditions for how to develop values and also how to use them when recruiting.

• Company capability
Every year all co-workers has the opportunity to take part of a process in which they can highlight what eventual skills mismatches they have in their work unit. They then close the gap by creating a plan of action and during this process all co-workers also can contribute with their talents that they are extra passionate about. This is also a possibility for everybody to get the opportunity to get better at areas they are extra committed in.

After the competence map is set the employees and managers determines their present situation. Then it´s easy to see which skills gaps that exists. Based on a prioritization matrix and an action plan the skills gaps will be closed in the right order. In the process, each employee has the opportunity to share what skills they are passionate about, and will be given additional possibility to develop the skills, if there is a competence gap.

• Diversity and inclusivity
Mimer is for everyone; an important cornerstone is diversity and inclusion. All employees of the company work with the view that all people are equal. Mimer have formed a Diversity Group with 10 employees to manage challenges and issues in a common way.

The employees have paid time to work with activities for refugees like playing football,  and visiting various events together. Employees also get the opportunity to invite newly arrived families to dinner through something called “Invitationsdepartementet”. The newly arrived families who moves in with Mimer will also undergo training in how to live in a rented flat in Sweden.

• Work-life balance
Work-life balance is also key: it is important both for the health and engagement at work. Mimer offers all employees a health and lifestyle-analysis. The analysis is then discussed with a Health-coach. Goals connected to health are created and the company sponsors the coworkers’ activities to support them to reach their health-goals.