Asito has an eye for all its employees and their development. Many people enter the company with a low level of education or even without education at all. In addition, the company is home to no fewer than a hundred different nationalities. Brinkhuis: “We think it is important to connect. That is deeply rooted in our genes. Even before corporate social responsibility (CSR) was conceived, we were already doing it in practice. We never talk about CSR; we just do it. An example; we clean in many reception centers in the Netherlands. In addition, we also try to train asylum seekers in these centers as cleaners. The point of view is that these people not only learn a trade, but also the Dutch language, so that added value is immediately created. We think that is important. And what you find important comes almost automatically. We are a typical organization where you enjoy working because it benefits you.”
Preferred employer
Asito wants to be the employer of choice in the industry. “That is our spot on the horizon. We are working towards that. If you are good to your employees, then they are also good to you, and to your customers. And that is ultimately what it is all about. Energetic employees make the company, ”says Brinkhuis.
“We are typically an organization where you enjoy working, because it benefits you.”
“To achieve that goal, it is important to know what is happening and what is going on with your employees, and especially how you can keep making them happy. An employee survey is very important in this respect. And the journey matters more than scoring a 7.5 or a 7.8. The survey is important whether it is an 8 or a 5. Our ambition is to score an 8 among employees. Our current score is a 7.4. It is proof that we are on the right track. But we already score 7.7 on the ten most important subjects. So the 8 is in sight! ”
Good respons
The first measurement of the customer survey was May / June last year. It was sent to all 10,000 Asito employees; cleaners, property managers and office workers. A good response rate of 23% was achieved among cleaners. Brinkhuis: “We were certainly happy with that, because it is a group that is not easy to reach. Nevertheless, we aim for a response rate of 30% in the next survey in 2018. The professionals of Integron have added value in this. They know exactly what we should and should not do. To reach and activate more people, they set out a campaign, made flyers and approached the object managers of the cleaning teams. Initial results and response update were positive. There was also a session with the management in which priorities were set. Based on this, Asito has decided to focus only on matters with an improvement potential above 25%. You just have to make choices. A scattergun approach makes no sense. ”
Knowing what is going on
To know exactly what is going on within the organization, it was important to involve all 53 branches in the bigger picture. For example, Brinkhuis itself visited the branches to tell the story of what the organization wants and in which direction it wants to go. “The Customer Heartbeat dashboard, tailor-made by Integron, was very useful. This way you can still personalize a large survey per location, make things clear and make comparisons easier. That way you get the priorities out in a simple way.
For example, if we look at the feeling of safety among employees, it is rather high. This is good to know as we place many people externally at different locations. Collaboration within teams is also highly valued by cleaners. This is also positive given the number of externally placed employees. Collaboration between teams / regions is somewhat more difficult. That is why we have started project groups in which knowledge sharing and internal communication are central. This requires a more active attitude from all levels of the organization. ”
Keep activating employees
Sccording to Brinkhuis, Asito liked the employee survey and the associated processes a lot. A new employee survey is planned for 2018 and one of the challenges is to increase the response rate among cleaners. Asito would like to see this increase from 23 to 30 percent. The other challenge is to keep activating the employee. Brinkhuis: “Connecting with employees and listening to them, that is what it is all about now and in the future.”
“Connecting with employees and listening to them, that’s what it’s all about now and in the future.”
Asito: a clean family business!
Asito is a family business that was founded in 1952. At the time as an abbreviation for “Clean Up All Dust In Twente”. The abbreviation now stands for “Clean Up All Dust In Tempo”. The cleaning company has expanded its working area over the years from Twente to the whole of the Netherlands and today it has more than 10,000 employees, 53 branches and more than 3,000 customers. It is the No. 3 cleaning company in the Netherlands.
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