Martin Schuil is HR Manager at FN Steel and has been responsible for the ESS from the start. “At our company, the fixed interval between ESS’s is four years. This agreement has been made by the company together with the Works Council. After 2008 and 2012, no investigation could be conducted in 2016 due to economic circumstances. A takeover took place in 2017, after the time was right for another ESS in 2018.
Prior to the MTO, there was no doubt that Integron would once again become our cooperation partner. Martin: “We wanted to be able to benchmark on themes that are comparable to the previous measurements. Engaging another agency would make that more difficult. In addition, Integron had proven itself as an organization that provides concrete insights that can be used for targeted improvement. I could see that they do not sit still in the periods between our MTOs, which I could see in every survey from the modernization in their dashboard and reports. ”
Leadership trajectory
By far the most important topic in the MTO was the ongoing leadership process within FN Steel. “The core of the leadership process is to enable department managers and middle managers to allow themselves and their departments to work together as well as possible. Now we as managers can jointly determine that we are making progress in this area, for example in the field of communication, but what if employees think differently about this?”
The results of the ESS were higher than expected. “In a work situation in which a lot has changed in recent years, more and more employees seem to find their way. For example, the general satisfaction rate is virtually in line with Integron’s industrial benchmark. In the field of leadership, it appears that the current management is appreciated significantly higher than previous managements. This is an important first step in the direction we want to take. ”
Explanation of research results
After the ESS, two sessions took place in which Integron provided the FN Steel managers with an explanation of the research results. “The first took place with the management, the second with the middle managers. Integron knew how to hit the right strings at the right level. Strategic priorities were defined during the first session. During the second session the tactical accents for the various business units were defined. Both sessions are an integral part of our leadership trajectory. ”
“The insights gained from the ESS were essential for the progress of the process. We can only go in the right direction with the right management information. ”
In order to be able to monitor the further progress of the leadership process, FN Steel deviates from its fixed interval of four years based on the advice of Integron. “In 2019 we will set up a theme meeting in which we ask employees the same questions about leadership as in 2018 for the broad ESS. This gives us insight into the effectiveness of the process in the short term and lets us know where we need to make adjustments if necessary. ”
Up-to-date insights necessary
Robert Mentink is a Consultant at Integron and involved in advising FN Steel. “It’s good that the company has expressed its ambition to increase the frequency of research by means of a targeted theme measurement of leadership. Up-to-date insights are necessary to get the best out of employees. In almost all ESS’s, contact with the (direct) managers is one of the topics that employees indicate that they find very important.”
“Organizations that put the theme of leadership on the agenda can make great steps forward.”
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