1. Annual report 2015
  2. Responsibility
  3. Personnel matters
  4. Human resources management
  • Supervisory Board
  • Risk management
  • Insider administration
  • Audit
  • Internal audit
  • Remuneration
  • VR City Traffic
  • Properties
  • Conductor
  • For the investor

    • Human resources management

    • VR Group’s values are the customer at the core of our operations, safety and responsibility, successful together, goal-orientedness and self-renewal.

    The values are put into effect through good human resources management. In VR Group, management is based on the model for good supervisory work that is common for the management and supervisors, and can be summed up into three key sectors: I demand, I engage, and I renew. Supervisory work balances the management of operations, human resource management and development. Timo Koskinen, VR Group’s Human Resources Manager, is responsible for human resources management.

    Human resources strategy

    VR Group has assessed its human resources strategy in connection with business strategy updates and the measures supporting the strategy have been derived from the requirements of the business operations. The strategic HR goals are linked to the strategic themes of the Group, which are growth, competitiveness, a customer focus and an effective foundation. The human resources strategy supports these themes.

    Objectives of human resources management

    The strategic objectives of human resources management are:

    • Personnel costs are competitive
    • A motivated and skillful personnel supports the profitability of operations
    • HR analytics are on a level that supports strategic decisions
    • The level and efficiency of HR operations will improve

    The company’s operating environment has been made more competitive by continuously developing collective agreements and clarifying any interpretations, and with guidelines for supervision. More effective working capacity management has produced good results, e.g. a decrease in the number of disability pensions (93 => 83) and fewer sickness absences (5,4 % => 5,0 %).

    The focus area in developing management has been improving the interaction between management and personnel and supporting openness and cooperation. In 2015, the needs and objectives of managing expertise have been assessed, and the identification of strategic expertise continues. The incentive scheme for personnel has been developed to emphasise incentives over performance on both the employee level and for larger occupational groups.

    Efforts in workplace well-being activities have been targeted towards selected focus areas: developing shift work, the smooth flow of work and developing work communities.

    The development of HR reporting and analytics have been continued while taking into account the special needs of business operations, and the new HR system has been implemented.

    The HR unit has improved its own service model and adopted a new service model.

    Successes and setbacks in HR activities

    The well-being of personnel and their satisfaction with their work and workplace are monitored with the annual personnel survey. We have managed to improve many key results from the previous year’s level. The development work has had an effect.

    • In one’s own work and workplace, especially matters related to occupational safety and work-related guidelines are seen as being better than before.
    • In supervisory work, there has been a marked improvement in change communications and coaching-oriented management.
    • The experience of workplace well-being is improved by e.g. increased opportunities to influence one’s own work.
    • The employer is seen as supporting workplace well-being better than before.

    The ongoing changes have not been communicated well enough to personnel and we have not been able to increase the personnel’s trust in the management, even though at the same time the personnel feel that they are being listened to better than before. Opportunities for different interactions have been systematically created during the year.

    Changes improving HR management and results

    • The incentive scheme has been improved by renewing its structure in a way that the objectives that are the basis for the incentive can be brought closer to the work of each individual and to better support the different goals of the different business operations even for larger occupational groups.
    • The operating model for medical examinations has been made more efficient and the responsibilities have been clarified with our partners.
    • We have founded a centralised operational HR service centre whose aim is to ensure fast, unified and high-quality HR services for the whole organisation and to improve services for supervisors and support in all matters related to HR.
    • We have implemented new information storage reporting that enables combining and better utilising HR information from different information sources to support the business operations and supervisors.
    • We have adopted a new HR system.
    • We have developed and implemented new and more flexible working time models.

    Opportunities and risks in human resources matters

    Opportunities

    + Meaningful work and the personnel’s strong enthusiasm and pride for their work
    + Broad-based personnel skills
    + Successful working ability and workplace well-being activities
    + Successful cooperation with personnel organisations

    Risks

    - Adjusting to changes
    - Management of the work load as the personnel are aging, especially in heavy work tasks and shift work
    - Ensuring future expertise