Emploee satisfaction and retention

Motivated employees who feel a strong bond with our company are an important prerequisite for the success of HeidelbergCement. In 2009, at our Heidelberg location in Germany, we commissioned a study conducted as part of an academic thesis to examine how our CSR activities affect the commitment and satisfaction of the employees. The findings enabled us to conclude that the employees feel a strong bond with the company. A majority of those surveyed for the study said their satisfaction with their working environment was at a high to very high level.

Management survey concerning the corporate culture and work satisfaction
To analyse the senior managers’ satisfaction with their working environment, in 2010 we surveyed 1,200 managers around the world for the first time regarding our corporate strategy, their approaches to management and leadership, corporate values and issues concerning their working environment in general. Especially positive were the responses to the questions about strategy, corporate culture, company management and management style.

After evaluating the responses (response rate: 87%), we introduced numerous individual measures worldwide that are designed to help ensure a better work environment. The focus here is on activities for the optimisation of human resources development and for cooperation across business lines and units. For the next survey, which will be conducted in 2012, the managers will be asked to assess the implementation of these measures.