Alfa laval uses employee data for continuous team development

With 2,200 employees located in various locations, Alfa Laval's approach to understanding employees' perspectives and needs is crucial. By listening to employees, the company aims to improve overall performance, increase productivity, and create a more engaged and satisfying work environment. Leaders respond quickly to input from their teams and proactively adapt their approach.

Frederik Nielsen, a global HR Business Partner in Alfa Laval's Marine division within the Business Unit Heat & Gas Systems, brings extensive HR experience to the task of managing the unit with 2,200 employees spread across multiple locations.

Alfa Laval is a global company with 37 production facilities and 100 service centers spanning the globe. Their extensive operations cover various sectors such as marine, food and beverage, and other industries. With sales divisions in 55 countries and an additional 45 sales representatives, they employ over 20,300 employees worldwide. Besides their core activities, they also seek to acquire smaller companies with unique technologies or competencies that complement their existing business areas. Sustainability is a central priority for Alfa Laval, especially in sectors such as marine, where they actively implement initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions and improve energy efficiency.

Alfa Laval's strategy emphasizes delegating responsibility and creating an environment where employees thrive through trust and opportunities for growth. Their culture is characterized by openness, support, and an informal approach. Safety and respect are of the highest priority, especially if it contributes to employees' psychological well-being, which is also supported by the Winningtemp system.

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Improving Survey Response Rates

The response rate for their surveys has significantly increased from 68% to 81%, which the company now strives to maintain. Although employees suggested more frequent surveys, Alfa Laval chose to start with surveys every 14 days to avoid overloading employees and give leaders time to adapt to the system. However, they are considering switching to weekly surveys at a later stage as it may be more appropriate for their strategy.

"There are actually only four questions and the opportunity to write a comment under each question. And that's what we get positive feedback on. Because it takes no time at all. It comes in your email, and you click, and you're off. Some put effort into writing detailed comments, while others just click through and say 'I'm happy today' or 'it's going well at the moment.' So that's what we have to work with."

The response rate increased significantly from 68% to 81%, which did not happen by chance but was the result of conscious efforts to properly prepare leaders. HR played a central role in the project, handling day-to-day operations and offering support and training internally at Alfa Laval. There was a strategic collaboration with Winningtemp, including an introductory phase for all leaders before the system's launch.

They recognized the importance of allowing at least two months of data accumulation before the system could begin generating useful insights and recommendations for departments. After this period, they participated in an in-depth training session with a representative from Winningtemp. This session aimed to equip leaders to extract meaningful insights, analyze data, handle feedback effectively, and identify trends important for the departments' focus.

They emphasized understanding and addressing overall trends rather than focusing too much on daily scores. This was due to the recognition that daily fluctuations could stem from insignificant events such as the quality of cafeteria food or personal incidents that do not necessarily reflect the department's overall condition. This strategic approach aimed to leverage the potential of the collected data for meaningful improvements within the organization.

"So, it's the trends that are more interesting, to see where we are going. Is there a good development in the department, overall in the business, where it is measured, and what does it indicate, and what can we look at in the data that is there."

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Next Steps and Leadership Integration

Alfa Laval's next focus is to maintain the current progress. Although the details are not yet in place, there are plans for follow-up, either through additional training or another form of activity. They are considering choosing a specific area and conducting a short session with a deeper analysis.

Another initiative involves tailoring a survey specifically aimed at leaders. The goal is to get feedback from leaders on their experience working with Winningtemp. These questions are more parallel and will allow Alfa Laval to adjust if needed and assess the system's effectiveness for leaders.

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Strategy Against Discrimination and Bullying

Alfa Laval has implemented a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination, harassment, and bullying in the company. Management encourages employees with comments or experiences in this area to come forward and contact their manager, the manager's superior, or the HR department. These channels have been highlighted as valuable for addressing such situations.

The feedback culture forms the framework for how the tool can be implemented effectively. HR initiatives also play a role in the company's function.

"From the start, our BU president, that is, the director of the business unit here, introduced Winningtemp at our monthly business update, so it was owned from the top."

The HR function focuses on equipping leaders well, being available for support, monitoring Winningtemp, and identifying any problem areas. There is a strong focus on leaders from HR to ensure that they are aware of relevant issues and situations in their departments.

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