Aleksander Zalaznik, Senior Vice President Danfoss Commercial Controls

"Accepting the challenges offered by Danfoss in the international environment represents the greatest opportunity for professional development for the majority of our employees. At the same time, we strive to recognise the wishes, expectations and potential of employees and give them feedback about their performance. The talent management process, which includes succession planning, involves all employees, including those in production.

Taking on ambitious challenges, drive and a positive approach, being open to new knowledge and changes, as well as a strong work ethic with responsibility for results, provides most employees with the best motivation. If we also add a great deal of trust and enough freedom, we have an excellent combination for innovation and the strong Danfoss organisational culture."

 

Franjo Bobinac, President and CEO, Gorenje d.d.

"Gorenje Group is an international group of companies with more than10,000 employees of 42 different nationalities operating in more than 90 countries worldwide. We are attracting new talented employees through cooperation in different innovative projects with international institutions and schools and we strive to recruit the most talented young people and experienced professionals among them. In order to develop human resources in the most efficient way, we have established a performance management system and we utilise various methods of evaluation and improvement such as competency and potential assessments. Successful employees, with high evaluation results, are nominated as talented high potentials and key employees. They have the possibility to develop their careers internationally in challenging working positions and projects. High performers also have the possibility to take part in the Gorenje Group internal training programs at the Corporate University of Gorenje."

 

Iztok Seljak, PhD. Managing Director of Hidria

"In Hidria we are aware that success of talented, competent and highly motivated employees is crucial. Therefore, we are constantly looking for solutions that enable our employees to achieve the peak of excellence and commitment.

To achieve that, we perform different activities and use different tools and approaches. Most important is the development of the Hidria Leadership System, proactive employee involvement in different processes of improvement, regular execution of annual interviews, preparation of career development plans for employees, organisation of strategic and information workshops, a stimulating reward system and promotion within the corporation, ongoing concern for a good working climate and constructive interpersonal relations, with the support of state of the art modern technology and IT equipment and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.

Without all of the abovementioned, Hidria could not have developed as exceptionally as it has, ranking today among the leading conceptual pre-development providers of innovative automotive and industrial technologies in the world. All employees in Hidria have maximum respect toward our corporate values (knowledge, competence, responsibility, innovation and excellence) and we continually pass them to our colleagues, as good examples always count."

 

Andrej Božič, General Manager of Steklarna Hrastnik

"After the process of identifying talent, we give them space for self-realisation. This means that employees are given opportunities to put themselves to the test and acquire their own experience. They are each assigned a mentor who has knowledge and experience. Talented employees are included in specialised as well as existing training programs. The opportunity for development, respectful and open communication, and an environment that allows learning from mistakes are important factors for boosting employee motivation. In addition to qualified employees and a stimulating organisational climate, it is also essential to involve employees in finding ideas and solutions. Last but not least, employees are rewarded for their success on a monthly basis through a variable component of their salary."

 

Samo Roš, Member of the Board of Management, Lek 

"Our associates appreciate interesting and meaningful work that offers opportunities for promotion, participation in the international environment, working with top experts and opportunities for continuous learning.

Development is not necessarily always for the way 'up', it can also mean development in the existing job, such as taking on more challenging tasks, gaining knowledge in new areas, exchanging knowledge, engaging in the mentoring programs.

Personal development is closely connected with a team and the teams our employees work in are more and more international. Lek has Slovenian roots and international wings.
Our employees work in an environment that supports them in reaching for the stars and becoming a star them self. Lek's Stars are our recognition of individual talent and teams and they are one of several methods of recognition we use.

A salary and appropriate financial remuneration for work performance in the form of bonuses and also contribution to the decisions for the career path at Lek, a Sandoz."

 

Agata Jakončič, Executive Director Supply Chain Optimization Europe & Canada, MSD

"First: Create the right environment by driving a top-down talent development approach across the company, visibly engaging all leadership levels. Start by having the CEO mentor 15 of the top talents every year, devoting his/her time for their individual development in the company and communicate such activities throughout the organisation regularly.
 

Second: Hold people accountable by ensuring that top leadership and HR include talent development into individual objectives and country scorecards, so that employees and managers are driving and tracking progress as part of the regular rhythm of business.
 

Third: Provide visibility by nurturing each talent's hunger for learning and development, providing challenges for growth and visibility within the organisation, while looking for new development opportunities, keeping talent on their toes, engaged and challenged.
 

Four: Maintain a reward system and celebrate success which recognises outstanding performance in both financial and non-financial ways. Many employees report that recognition in front of the organisation may be more rewarding than "just" monetary recognition, which has to be embedded into the overall reward system, based on total company effort and performance."

 

Tomaž Lanišek, M.Sc., General Manager OEM Europe & CIS, Knauf Insulation 

"At Knauf Insulation we are aware of the importance and value of high quality and loyal employees. In addition to their expertise, we also look for their proactivity, innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and dedication. All this we try to encourage in young people through the mentoring and coaching programs in the company. In doing so, it helps the business culture in the company, which is also developed within a systematic program of internal values and ambassadorship. We are preparing career plans for the recognised talent in the framework of the Talent Management program. At the same time we encourage them with the company's internal and external education programs in which they are incorporated. We also work with prominent external stakeholders to develop specific programs for youth talent development (eg. AmCham Slovenia).

Due to the size and diversity of the company's activities where we have development centres, production, sales, etc., all successful and promising employees can gradually progress, which is certainly appropriate motivation and finally, the outstanding individuals we grant with special honorary and financial rewards (Project Orion). Education and talent development for our company is of high importance as we are aware that the company performance, in the end, is about people. "