The HR & Coaching Director of KLEEMANN Group, Katerina Koukountzou, takes us on a tour of the new Head office in Thessaloniki and shares with us the Group's philosophy regarding the Employee Experience.

What is the rationale behind the KLEEMANN Group management’s decision to create offices in Thessaloniki?
The creation of the new KLEEMANN Head Οffice is a strategic decision aimed at transferring the Headoffice services from Kilkis to Thessaloniki. This project is crucial for enhancing the work experience of our employees. It was executed within a short timeframe, with collaboration not only from our external partners but also involving colleagues from various departments. By creating a modern workplace and reducing commuting times for employees residing in Thessaloniki, we aim to achieve a better work-life balance and foster greater productivity and satisfaction among our team members.

How do the new Head Office offices relate to the "Employee Experience" of KLEEMANN people?
With the goal of enhancing the daily work experience of our employees, the new KLEEMANN Head offices have been designed with an "Open Space" layout, aligning with the standards of major multinational corporations. These spaces have been meticulously configured to include meeting rooms equipped with comprehensive audio-visual capabilities and "private booths" for confidential conversations and calls as needed.
 
Moreover, the delightful surprise awaiting our team on the opening day was the introduction of the "KLEEMANN Café" – a versatile space designed for relaxation and team gatherings. Here, our employees can enjoy their lunch break while engaging in activities like table tennis, football, or basketball, fostering camaraderie among colleagues or hosting group and interdepartmental meetings over morning coffee.
 
Yet, beyond the realm of work, lies the realm of personal life. The close proximity of our workplace to our employees' residences has significantly contributed to striking a healthy balance between their personal and professional lives. Witnessing our colleagues arrive at the office with smiles, well-rested and in high spirits, fills us with satisfaction, fostering an even more positive atmosphere and a heightened eagerness to engage with our teams and peers.
 
At the same time, we uphold a hybrid work model, where time spent in the office and at home is thoughtfully divided.
 

How crucial is employee engagement to your organization?
Strengthening the commitment of our people is one of the Group's strategic priorities. 

In 2023, we achieved a work commitment rate of 76%. With a workforce of over 1,700 employees spanning four continents - Europe, Asia, Australia, and America - this accomplishment fills us with pride, and we aim to reach 80% by 2024.

In recent years, we've invested in significant projects focusing on the human factor. For instance, we redesigned and implemented a new organizational structure in Greece and subsidiaries, and we're rolling out a new HRMS system. Soon, employees across the Group's 13 operating countries will be able to monitor and access information about their professional daily life from their mobile phones.

Additionally, we've worked on creating new career opportunities for our people. For example, we extended an open invitation to production colleagues to participate in a special training program designed by our internal trainers for new elevator technicians - installers and maintainers.

Given our increased needs for elevator installation and maintenance personnel, as the Group has been expanding vertically into specific markets in recent years, we invited production colleagues to participate in a special training program designed by our internal trainers. This program aims to equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge for elevator installation and maintenance in line with our evolving service offerings.

To what extent do you invest in communication and continuous feedback from your people?
Our goal at KLEEMANN is the continuous development of our people and the support of their talents. This is achieved through the feedback process, improved communication, and the cooperation of all team members. We highly value and listen to the opinions of our employees.

We maintain open lines of communication with every colleague through various channels, including engagement surveys, service surveys, support from the HR team, and development meetings with supervisors. Additionally, our annual performance appraisal process provides valuable information and feedback on the performance and development of our employees.

Since 2011, we've been implementing coaching programs at all levels of the company, from the Leadership Team to the technical staff. Coaching and knowledge sharing are integral to our strategy and values, fostering trust, participation, and free thinking. 

Every challenge is seen as an opportunity for personal commitment, dedication, and responsibility. To further support this initiative, we've developed our own "training" school for internal coaches, which currently comprises 97 internal coaches.

In 2023 alone, we provided our employees with over 2,000 hours of one-on-one coaching sessions, leadership coaching, and training for new coaches.