Employee survey: Because every opinion matters

Following a successful start to 2020, FIEGE once again asked its employees about their opinion in 2021. “It is our belief that feedback makes us better. Courage, honesty, and openness create a solid base for this”, Alexander Neudorf, Director Human Resources at FIEGE emphasises.

To reach all employees whenever and wherever they are, the twelve-member international project team comprising colleagues from the Human Resources departments as well as from IT worked together across all hierarchies. The team mapped and analysed the survey using an existing tool that was adapted for the world of FIEGE. Also, an independent reporting dashboard was created to visualise the current findings. The questions were translated into 18 languages to offer colleagues belonging to over 110 different nationalities and working in 14 countries the possibility to partake. The project was a very special task for the team of Martina Schlottbom, Head of HR Business Solutions at FIEGE: “We managed to implement the entire project using our own input and resources only, without referring to outside service providers. A big thank you goes out to our project manager, Anna Santos Schepers.”

A total of ten questions were asked, covering topics ranging from CPD options to feedback culture to leadership qualities. In addition to the questions known from the year before, each location and each business unit could add up to nine specific questions to this year’s survey to explore in greater detail what employees specifically appreciate, and which areas are facing challenges. In collaboration with the Data Protection Officer, the anonymity of those partaking was secured.

The highly positive conclusion: Both the number of respondents as well as overall satisfaction have risen. While in 2020, 63 per cent of the workforce seized the voluntary opportunity to give feedback, that figure has risen to 71 per cent this year. With an average rating of 4.61 out of 6 possible stars (compared with 2020: 4.54 out of 6 possible stars) even the overall result was outdone. Feedback about employees feeling respected by their superiors and the team spirit at the company being especially strong proved particularly positive. “We are very pleased about the good result and the valuable recommendations from colleagues”, so Martina Schlottbom’s positive reply.

Thanks to the feedback from the workforce, it was also established where and how the company has room for further improvement. Based on the outcome from last year’s employee survey alone, more than 350 actions were developed which have been implemented progressively. For example, Münster now has a network of colleagues who took up their first employment ever at FIEGE. In Boryspil, Ukraine, a manager workshop titled “Constructive Feedback for Employees” was held to promote an even stronger team rapport.

Following the communication of the outcome, first workshops will soon be held in response to actions following the 2021 employee survey. The project team works across all areas with the colleagues in charge at the individual business units to develop possible further steps.

“As a company, we wish to evolve to make Fiege even better. Against the background of measures derived from last year’s employee survey in many but not all areas, it was our goal to exceed last year’s results in these areas in particular. Therefore, we are thrilled about this outstanding result! At the same time, it is our mission to develop more suitable measures across all fields – not only to identify these through ongoing surveys but also to make their effectiveness measurable and visible with the help of regular surveys”, Dr. Stefan Thies, Executive Board Member at FIEGE says.