Employee survey
In the Northern fall of calendar year 2022, some 48,000 employees in 50 countries were invited to participate in the voestalpine employee survey. The very high response rate of 77% provides representative findings. Employees’ level of commitment, which describes the degree to which they identify with the company, is the key parameter.
Compared with the most recent survey in the Northern fall of 2019, the level of commitment dropped by two percentage points to 54%. Among other topics, ten additional questions addressed “Professional Development Options,” “Work/Life Balance,” “Working with Colleagues,” and feedback about direct supervisors. voestalpine’s approval ratings improved in seven categories and remained the same in two. The “Innovation” question cannot be compared with the one asked in calendar year 2019 because of the fundamental changes since then. As regards the important categories, “Reputation” and “Working with Colleagues,” however, already high values from previous years rose yet further, surpassing the global benchmark.
All Group companies received the findings at the end of November 2022 and have started to analyze them and develop action packages. Every company must report the two most important measures it plans to take to Group management by June 2023.
The next Group-wide employee survey will be conducted in the Northern fall of 2024. Group companies may conduct interim surveys directly in collaboration with Kincentric, an external provider, until then.
Employer Branding
Its positioning as an attractive employer is very important to voestalpine. The Group can drive innovation and compete successfully in the market only if it has committed and professionally competent employees. The regular employee survey serves as a barometer of employee satisfaction and results in the development of pertinent internal measures. To further enhance its employer branding, voestalpine also undertakes numerous external personnel marketing activities such as collaborations with (primarily technical) universities, participation in job fairs and career expos as well as sponsoring. A strong presence in relevant online and social media channels as well as proactive reporting from and about the company boost voestalpine’s visibility among target groups.
Industry winner and fifth place in overall BEST RECRUITERS ranking
In the 2022/23 study conducted by BEST RECRUITERS (an Austrian company), voestalpine was ranked first among 561 major employers in Europe’s German-speaking region for its above-average recruiting skills; this was its 13th consecutive win. voestalpine placed 5th in the overall ranking. The study collected data on 287 criteria in ten categories along the candidate journey, including companies’ career websites, mobile recruiting, social web programs as well as job ad content and usefulness. Direct contacts with applicants were also examined. Applications as well as job inquiries were sent to every surveyed company, and the responses were analyzed as to both timeframe and content.
Annual employee performance review
The annual employee performance review has already become a key HR resources development tool in many voestalpine companies and is a material component of the Group’s management culture. A structured, annual conversation between supervisor and employee provides the basis for constructive, respectful collaboration. Careful preparation, regularity, and documentation distinguish these reviews from other kinds of meetings. To use a visual analogy: The individuals concerned take a “time-out” from the “playing field” of daily routines and move to the “edge of the pitch” to reflect jointly on their “teamwork” and discuss basics. Annual employee performance reviews of salaried employees are mandatory throughout the Group. A recommendation has been made to introduce suitable instruments of this nature (e.g., team assessment dialogues) for wage employees also, but the binding standards do not provide relevant guidance. While corporate headquarters offers standardized questionnaires and manuals, adjustments specific to companies and countries may be made.
In the business year 2022/23, a total of 30,554 employee performance reviews were conducted Group-wide either in one-on-one meetings or in teams; 16,263 of these concerned wage employees and 14,291 salaried employees.