The average number of full time internal employees increased from 12,779 in 2005 to 14,366 in 2006, as a result of acquisitions and organic growth opportunities in well-established markets, particularly in the UK, the US and Latin America. The inclusion of our motto ‘Where People Matter’ as part of our corporate logo is not solely an external message; it underlines our commitment to our own staff and emphasises the important role they play in Vedior’s development.
Vedior is committed to invest in its employees and become the employer of choice in our industry. We take great care in recruiting and retaining skilled recruitment consultants who not only have expertise in general employment and staffing issues, but also have particular knowledge of the sector in which they operate. In order to maintain its market position, it is important that Vedior provides its staff with stimulating career opportunities as well as an enjoyable and productive working environment. It is our policy to promote from within our organisation wherever possible.
The organisation of Vedior’s operations provides our employees with a stimulating entrepreneurial working environment. Vedior has a decentralised management structure designed to enhance communication and minimise corporate overhead. Local management teams retain a high degree of autonomy in the day-to-day running of their businesses including hiring, pricing, training, sales and marketing. Such a structure enables them to respond quickly to market trends in a fast moving industry.
We conduct an annual Employee Survey for the benefit of all Vedior operating companies and personnel worldwide. Questions are made available online via the Group’s intranet and responses are anonymous to encourage candid answers. The survey is in four parts; my role, my Company, Vedior and profile of respondent, and is made available in 10 different languages. At the conclusion of the Survey, each operating company manager within the Group receives detailed and individual company results compared to both regional and Group averages enabling them to benchmark their performance. Managers are encouraged to share results with their employees and act upon any areas of concern. We believe that this attention and dedication to our staff contributes to their loyalty and commitment. Recognition for excellence has resulted in a number of awards and honours received during the course of 2006. We congratulate all our employees who make this level of quality possible through their motivation and exceptional performance. This year’s accolades include Select Australasia’s win as Best Recruitment Firm Employer Brand at the FEMA awards, LINK Recruitment’s recognition in Human Capital magazine as the number one recruitment agency in Australia, Joslin Rowe’s award as Best Accountancy/Financial Recruitment Firm and Origin HR’s award for Best Managed Service Provider at the UK Recruiter Awards, Vedior Luxembourg’s recognition for Best Health and Safety Solutions at the Luxembourg HR Awards and Group Vedior Netherlands’ recognition in Management Team magazine as the leading company in the human resources management sector.
The role of senior corporate management is to provide appropriate advice and support, enabling operational management to accelerate the development of their businesses, and act as a clearing house for new strategies and products.
Within our relatively autonomous management structure, co-operation and information sharing is proactively encouraged. In May 2007, Vedior will hold an international management conference for all its senior managerial personnel. This conference, which is scheduled every 18 months, is a very important part of our corporate calendar. It provides the opportunity to discuss trends, explore business opportunities and encourage mutual co-operation. The event provides a forum for the development of new niche services, new products and more efficient operating practices. Co-operation and knowledge sharing is further enhanced by a number of ‘functional’ conferences which take place regularly covering financial and ICT matters as well as international accounts. In 2007, these functional conferences will be extended to cover marketing and legal issues.
We also started the preparation for creating a leadership development programme to benefit senior executives among our global network. We expect to launch this important initiative in 2007.
Vedior operates a small corporate office given the decentralised nature of the Group. The average number of full-time corporate employees in 2006 (including the members of the Board of Management) is less than 50. The majority of corporate staff is based at the Group’s headquarters in Amsterdam but, given the nature of the Group’s global network, some corporate personnel also operate out of offices in the UK, Switzerland, Australia and France.