Human Resources Policy: Adding Quality To People's Lives

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Human Resources

Policy

Adding Quality to People’s Lives

The policies of Georg


Fischer specify the values
and principles of our
Corporation. We act in
accordance with them.
Our fundamental values

The success of Georg Fischer is driven primarily by


the Corporation’s employees through their skills, their
commitment and their constructive cooperation. This Performance
knowledge forms the heart of the Human Resources Our employees drive the success of our company. To main-
Policy at Georg Fischer. tain this level of success, each and every individual must
contribute and develop his or her skills and accomplish-
Our fundamental values illustrate what Georg Fischer ments for the benefit of the company. We want employees
regards as particularly important with regard to who are among the best in their field. This demands quality
its employees. They form the basis for cooperation and reliability in results, the contribution of knowledge and
between people at Georg Fischer. They are intended ideas for the ongoing improvement of business processes
primarily to support the creation of a culture of trust, and the willingness to confront change actively and con-
assist employees in assuming personal responsibility structively. We expect that our employees will always act in
and promote teamwork and cooperation. accordance with the law and in compliance with the highest
ethical standards in their business activities.
These values derive from the corporate culture that
has grown organically in the history of Georg Fischer,
and they will shape this culture in future. These val- Development
ues are not to be taken for granted. They have to be We want our stakeholders to regard us as a successful com-
infused with life every day anew. It is the daily work pany in all fields of our activity, a company that is respected
of all employees that brings them to life. In difficult for its achievements and one with which our employees can
situations in our everyday work, they are signposts for identify. We are an attractive employer offering interesting
appropriate conduct. and challenging work in which the individual enjoys a large
measure of independence and scope for personal initiative
within the framework of the business demands. We give our
employees feedback and support and we ensure that good
Respect performance is appropriately recognized. As the company
Cooperation with and between our employees is based on grows, we are able to offer our employees opportunities for
mutual respect. Every employee – from the time of his or personal and professional development.
her application through the entire period of employment and
after the end of employment – is entitled to be treated fairly,
considerately and respectfully. Respect for the dignity of Equal opportunities
each individual takes precedence over all else. Our employees have equal hiring and employment oppor-
tunities regardless of race, colour, gender, national origin,
age, religion, sexual orientation or disabilities. The key
Trust requisites for successful development are the individual’s
Through esteem as a basic attitude towards all employees, qualifications and performance in the task in question. We
we create a culture of mutual trust. The employees are regard diversity of cultures, religions, nationalities, skin
comprehensively informed about the Corporation’s aims colour, ethnicity, gender and age as a valuable source of
and objectives. Managers explain decisions and the entre- talent, creativity and experience. Diversity enhances the
preneurial background in clearly understandable terms. potential for ideas and innovation and thus improves our
We communicate openly and honestly. We do what we say. competitiveness.
Discussion takes place in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
Employees can freely express their opinions without fear of
adverse consequences.
Leadership Principles

The leadership principles form a common basis for


management behaviour at all levels. They are not
intended as recipes, but as guiding principles toward Develop employees
good management. Our managers make every effort to fully develop employee
capabilities and personal qualities. They strive to ensure
that the professional and social competence, the personality
and the leadership abilities of employees are adequate for
Manage by teamwork and objectives their tasks, and that they are deployed accordingly.
Our managers define clear responsibilities and task priori-
ties, based on objectives developed with input from employ-
ees. They delegate decision-making competencies, incorpo- Encourage and acknowledge good performance
rate their employees in decision-making procedures as far Our managers motivate employees by encouraging and
as possible, and they uphold and promote teamwork beyond recognizing good performance, and through constructive
the limits of formal organization. criticism wherever necessary.

Promote self-reliance Solve conflicts


Our managers allow the necessary freedom for employee Our managers recognize conflicts or potential conflicts
initiative and self-reliance. They regard errors as an op- promptly, and solve them in a manner which upholds the
portunity for learning, and thereby encourage employees integrity and self-respect of those involved.
to take responsibility, make timely decisions and accept
calculated risks.
Form efficient teams
Our managers promote optimal teamwork by forming teams
Engender trust whose members are complementary with regard to their
Our managers take their employees seriously and accept individual strengths. Teams should be formed for optimal
them as colleagues. They uphold the employee’s personal task fulfillment rather than on the basis of organizational
integrity and individuality, thus creating an atmosphere of structures.
mutual trust and respect. Managers are fair and self-criti-
cal at all times, squarely facing problems and making clear,
prompt decisions wherever necessary. Set an example
Our managers set an example with regard to all the above-
mentioned aspects.
Communicate
Our managers are responsible for comprehensive, timely
information and for open, straightforward communication,
thus ensuring transparent and logical decision-making.

Make changes wherever necessary


Our managers understand their company as an organiza-
tion subject to ongoing development and learning. They take
full account of this, and undertake all necessary measures
for introducing the appropriate changes and improvements
together with employees as rapidly as possible. They actively
support the process of continuous improvement, and en-
courage constructive criticism at all times.
Human Resources Management Principles

HR Management is a crucial element in maintaining


and improving the competitiveness of Georg Fischer.
HR Management creates – in close cooperation with Create attractive positions
the Corporation’s managers and employees – the con- Ensuring employee health and safety are of paramount im-
ditions and the framework that will allow the employ- portance in designing positions. The conditions of work are
ees to further develop their capability («can»), willing- guided by the needs of our employees as much as possible,
ness («want») and opportunity («may») to perform. given the demands of business operations.

The HR Management Policy defines the principles Employment in an industrial enterprise is subject to eco-
that apply at all Georg Fischer corporate subsidiaries. nomic considerations. There are jobs only so long as there
Managers and HR Management executives implement is work and money can be earned through this work. We try
these principles in their daily human resources work to prevent dismissals where possible through foresight in
within the framework of local practices. our personnel planning and such alternatives as transfers,
retraining or part-time work. This implies a willingness to
contribute on the part of employees in terms of mobility and
Recruit proficient employees a willingness to retrain.
The recruitment and selection of new employees is crucial
for the Corporation’s success. Accordingly, we approach this We endeavour to be flexible to fluctuations in demand
issue in a highly professional and diligent manner. and capacity. In consultation with the employees and the
demands of business operations permitting, we employ
When seeking new staff, as a general rule we employ a job instruments to maintain flexible operational and individual
description along with specifications for the position. The working hours. Flexible working time models provide an op-
ultimate selection is based on professional and social portunity for employees to accommodate the twin demands
competence, individual personality and – for managerial of job and family.
positions – leadership competence. In filling key positions,
additional investigations (e.g. assessments) are made and We are confident that we can best satisfy our customers if
considered in the decision-making. Even when we are under our employees feel at ease in their working environment
pressure of time, we do not take any shortcuts in and are motivated to achieve. We measure our employees’
assessing the suitability of new employees. motivation and satisfaction at regular intervals and imple-
ment measures to bring about continuous improvement.
We use the available opportunities to fill vacancies with our
own people by giving preference to internal candidates in
the event of equivalent qualifications. Wherever possible, Provide frank and constructive feedback
vacant positions are advertised in the Corporation-wide job The basis for personal development is effective assessment,
database. which is grounded in respect for the individual and fairness.

Professional recruitment also includes an exemplary in- We provide frank and constructive feedback. Our managers
troduction and rapid integration of the new employees, an inform their employees about conduct, performance and de-
aspect to which we attach great importance. velopment measures, while our employees provide feedback
to their managers and to their fellow workers.

Our managers agree on achievable and measurable goals


with their employees. These targets, together with the job
specifications, form the basis for transparent, accurate and
fair assessment of performance and conduct. For this pur-
pose, a performance appraisal meeting is held at least once
a year between each employee and his or her line manager.
Develop actively individuals and teams
The development of our employees’ skills is the key to high
achievement and high-quality work. It is an investment in Work together
the future. A key component of our management culture that is of
particular importance to us is providing the most direct pos-
First and foremost, employees are responsible for ensuring sible information for employees at the workplace and in the
that their qualifications correspond to changing and more work team and ensuring their involvement.
demanding requirements. We support them in this effort
and provide every manner of assistance. Acting in good faith, we take a constructive approach to co-
operation with employee representatives and organizations.
At least once a year, usually as part of the performance ap- In the course of regular discussions in a frank atmosphere,
praisal, the line manager discusses with each of his or her we aim to arrive at fair solutions in the interests of both the
employees individual development requirements, suitable Corporation and the employees. Even in the event of con-
development measures and individual career planning. troversial issues, our goal remains to maintain sustainable,
long-term cooperation.
Our corporate subsidiaries have their own training concepts
that govern training and education in accordance with stra-
tegic requirements and local conditions, and they implement Act professionally in HR Management
the training concepts of the Corporation and the Corporate The people working in HR Management advise and support
Groups. managers and employees in all employee-related activities
at a high professional level.
We train a sufficient number of highly qualified managers,
thereby ensuring orderly succession planning. We identify Working together with the managers, they develop and im-
management successors systematically and as early as plement appropriate and innovative concepts, instruments
possible. We expect our management successors to be and processes that are geared to the requirements of the
flexible in terms of career and mobility. We place special individual business and take account of employees’ needs.
emphasis on gaining experience in different cultures
through assignments abroad in addition to the development The network of HR Management executives coordinates its
of managerial and leadership competence. We support de- activities so as to ensure that the demand for specialists
velopment with targeted measures such as project assign- and managers is met and that employees can develop even
ments, job rotation and management training and provide beyond organizational and national boundaries.
supervision during assignments abroad.

We are committed to basic career training within the frame-


work allowed for by business operations.

Provide fair compensation


Where we are not bound by collective agreements, we em-
ploy simple, clearly structured salary systems that ensure
fair remuneration and are comprehensible for employees.

We gear wage levels to market wages in the relevant market


and review these levels at regular intervals.

Individual compensation is determined by the specifications


of the position, competencies, salary market, performance
and the Corporation’s business success. Wherever possible,
we use success- and performance-driven compensation
systems that include a success-related variable component.
We acknowledge and reward outstanding achievements of
individual employees and teams spontaneously in response
to particular situations.

In addition to the basic salary we offer the social benefits


usual in the particular country and industry.
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Corporate Policy
Financial Management Policy
Human Resources Policy
Social Responsibility Policy
Communication Policy
Environmental Policy

This policy is published in English Georg Fischer Ltd


and German. Amsler-Laffon-Strasse 9
www.georgfischer.com/policies_en 8201 Schaffhausen
Switzerland
Tel. +41 (0) 52 631 11 11
www.georgfischer.com

Disclaimer
This policy statement provides principles and guidelines forming the basis of the corporate culture and identity of the Georg Fischer Corporation.
It does not create any actionable rights or duties. In particular, it does not create any rights beyond those stated in the laws of the applicable
jurisdictions. The policies described are not conditions of employment and do not create any type of employment contract between Georg Fischer Ltd
or any of its corporate subsidiaries on the one hand and any employees on the other.

© Georg Fischer Ltd Mix


8201 Schaffhausen/Switzerland, November 2007 Product group from well managed forests and other controlled sources
www.fsc.org Zert.-Nr. SQS-COC-22084 FSC mix (credit material)
Printed in Switzerland © 1996 Forest Stewardship Council

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