Employees
06
Employees
Empowering employees is essential to creating a sustainability culture.
“Employees” as a pillar of our E3 strategy sets the fundamentals to tap into the knowledge and expertise of our workforce.
The combined skills and dedication of our employees make us who we are. Our main objective is to offer an inspiring environment for everyone to fulfil their potential.
Hager Group is a family-run company with more than 12.800 employees, which manufactures and produces in different countries around the world. While German laws regarding employee rights are binding and adhered to at our German sites, sites outside Germany adhere to their respective national regulations. For example, the French Code du Travail is observed in France where a large percentage of our workforce is located.
Led by our Social Dialogue managers, our employees have the right to engage with management and collectively put across their concerns and requests. This dialogue encourages workers to timely raise concerns, acts as a barometer, early warning system to assess worker satisfaction and reduces worker vulnerability. Satisfaction surveys like the “Tell us” survey started in 2022 serve as a basis to identify misfunctions and develop roadmaps to address critical issues faced by employees.
As a company, we recognise that our employees are our greatest asset, and their engagement and empowerment is critical to our E3 sustainability strategy. Our employees are the backbone of our organisation, and by providing them with the tools, resources, and support they need to excel, we are not only creating a positive work environment, we are also driving business success and contributing to a more inclusive society.
06.1
Employee Value Proposition
Hager Group looks to establish a strong name as an employer and communicate around its Employee Value Proposition, which is our promise to current and future employees. We believe that great people make Hager Group a great company. We are driven by our meaningful purpose and continuously create an inclusive environment where employees are empowered to be at their best and innovate. Our Employee Value Proposition continues to evolve in line with the business.
Family Company
We are big enough to matter and small enough to care. We are convinced that we can achieve far more together than we ever could on our own.
Shaping tomorrow’s electrical world
As a leading supplier of solutions and services for electrical installations, we always have, and always will, put protecting people’s lives first.
Learning and Growing Together
Both on a professional and personal level, we truly believe that people and business grow together.
06.2
Talent Development
At Hager Group, our vision is to shape the electrical world of tomorrow. We can only achieve this if our employees are equipped to lead our transformation, which requires of everyone to have the skills needed to operate at the leading edge in our industry.
Our approach to learning is guided by two principles – being available on demand and structured for the long term. It is only through relevant knowledge, fresh ideas, and innovation that our business can develop and our people with it. We know that learning needs to be delivered in an accessible and engaging way so that everyone can benefit.
A core element of our talent development is Hager University, or Hi! as it is officially known Hi! provides development opportunities with in-person academies, online courses and digital communities. In 2021, over 60% of employees participated in learning through Hi!, completing a total of over 105.000 training hours.
The Hi! curriculum covers many areas that are crucial for individual – and therefore our company’s – success. Employees can find training on leadership development, project management, improving language skills and gaining official certifications. Hi! Combines all our training courses together making it easier for employees to find the knowledge they need to succeed in one place.
We are currently rolling out a selection of new modules that cover topics aligned with the Hager Group sustainability strategy, to ensure that everyone has the knowledge and skills required for this to be successful.
These include elements on GHG emissions reduction, circular economy, and compliance for our engineers, alongside broader courses designed to be relevant to all business functions.
There have been and continue to be many programmes and initiatives in place at Hager Group to develop talent and prepare the electrical world of tomorrow. Our Annual Report this year is dedicated to personal growth and lifelong learning at Hager Group.
06.3
Equal Opportunities and Diversity
Empowering employees is key to any company’s sustainable growth, all employees need to feel valued and know they have the resources they need to succeed. Working in an increasingly international environment with colleagues from all over the world provides many opportunities but also comes with risks if not properly managed. Transversal projects and processes throughout the group necessitate a better understanding of cultural & linguistic differences.
In Hager Group, employment is based on merit, ability to do the job. Fair treatment is extended to all employees without exceptions regardless of any background. We are aware that differences in lifestyle, choices, etc., often become a source of discrimination, victimisation and harassment. This curbs freedom of expression, hiding preferences (unconscious biases), and creates mental health challenges. Our responsibility is to ensure a workplace that accepts diversity and provides an inclusive work environment. There are no clear goals regarding diversity, yet different programmes related to work-life balance and the creation of working offices in international hubs contribute to promoting diversity in the workplace.
Hager Group boasts a highly diverse workforce, and we know how important this is to the success of our business and the supportive environment it creates for our workforce. Hager Group team members come from all backgrounds and operate in a global, multicultural, multigenerational and diverse world. We are present in over 120 countries and our workforce comprises over 70 nationalities with a wide range of cultural heritages, languages and lifestyles.
06.4
Health and Safety
All Hager Group employees work responsibly in the daily application of occupational safety measures. Everyone has the duty to point out recognised dangers as well as the right to eliminate potential dangers. The health and safety of our employees are part of our corporate objective and are the responsibility of the company management. ISO 45001 systems for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) are implemented by HS managers in 80% of Hager Group sites.
Hager Group does not compromise on safety be it for employees, customers, partners or those working on their behalf. Safety is a component of the Ethics Charter and it reinforces the group’s commitment to provide a healthy and secure workplace for all. In addition, Hager Group’s aim is to achieve the highest standards of safety excellence in manufacturing operations.