Our employees

It is our employees at TrygVesta who provide peace of mind and make a difference for customers. Highly skilled and motivated employees are our most important asset and a prerequisite for us to achieve our targets. Human competencies are one of the Group’s four strategic focus areas. That means ongoing focus on ensuring our employees to have the skills and reserves of energy required to handle everyday challenges. This focus area is also about giving managers and employees latitude and responsibility, and we expect managers to create commitment and frameworks and to generate results. We give high priority to innovative thinking and openness towards new ideas, and we believe that helps create an attractive and exciting workplace.

Employee survey 2008
In order to identify areas where we can improve, we conduct bi-annual anonymous employee surveys on topics that include the working environment, satisfaction and well-being. In the intermediate years, we perform measurements on a smaller scale, taking stock of the working climate and the activities that have been launched.

The 2008 employee survey showed the same high level of employee satisfaction as the status survey in 2007, that 90% of the Group’s employees were very satisfied or satisfied with working at TrygVesta. As a new feature in 2008, we compared the results of the employee survey with the Nordic labour markets in general and specifically with the financial sector in the Nordic region. This comparison indicated higher satisfaction levels for TrygVesta than for Nordic companies in general with respect to all areas included in the survey. Compared with the financial sector in the Nordic region, TrygVesta managers had a particularly high score, and our ability to provide opportunities for professional and personal development was assessed to be stronger than for the industry in general.

We believe that respect, openness and trust are important features for maintaining a good working environment. The results of the employee survey are therefore used proactively in dialogue meetings in all departments. As a consequence of the results, focus in 2009 will be on communication and employee branding, our performance-related pay systems and on performance interviews and development plans.

“The Living House” and “The Living Organisation”
The work of converting TrygVesta’s offices in Ballerup, Denmark and Bergen, Norway into modern workplaces facilitating innovation, knowledge sharing and a motivating working environment started in 2008. The conversion will be very important for the individual employees, who will have improved facilities in the form of innovation, meeting and quiet rooms as well as recreational and café environments. Individual workplaces will also be improved with new equipment and modern design. More than 100 employees and managers were involved in developing the project in 2008, and the first pilot projects were implemented. The large conversion projects will start in 2009. They will be supported by the roll-out of new IT tools and training in readiness to change for all employees. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2010.

Recruitment and employee branding
TrygVesta performed a thorough analysis of the Group’s recruitment process in 2008, resulting in a large number of initiatives to ensure transparency, flow and high quality in the recruitment process.

We drafted a Nordic recruitment concept in 2008 to be used on print, the Internet and exhibition stands. We also enhanced the Group’s visibility at career fairs and educational institutions throughout the Nordic region in order to raise our profile in relation to recent graduates. Furthermore, for the second time we introduced a Nordic management trainee programme comprising eight trainees in the Nordic region. We worked together with various associations and organisations in order strengthen diversity in the Group’s recruitment process. In this context, our Group CEO took part in a project intended to help young people with an immigrant background and a criminal past gain access to the labour market.

In 2009, we intend to further develop the opportunities for employees wishing to work internationally, and we intend to continue to raise our profile vis-à-vis potential new employees.

Focus on competence building
We are aware that development is necessary if we want to continue to be perceived as the leading peace-of-mind provider in the Nordic region. It is therefore important for us to make training and development tools available to enable employees and managers to update and develop their skills at all times. Training and development activities are handled by Corporate Learning and TrygVesta Management Academy. The responsibilities of our Corporate Learning training unit include employee training and quality assurance of all in-house and external courses. TrygVesta Management Academy is a development unit focusing on developing managers and specialists.

The Management Academy’s projects in 2008 included TrygVesta’s new talent development programme, which focuses on accelerating the development of a defined group of talented, ambitious employees. In relation to our strategic focus areas we intend to develop talent to ensure we have competencies in disciplines that are particularly important for adding value to the Group in the years ahead. In early 2009 we will complete a programme for talents with management potential and junior project managers with the potential to drive major projects in
TrygVesta. As part of the overall talent development strategy the next stage of the programme will also include managers and industry experts.