Human Resources

The Vienna Insurance Group will continue to pursue the targeted development of its employees, thereby ensuring its continued success in the future. Capable, committed and motivated employees play a key role in the development and consolidation of the Vienna Insurance Group’s market position.

Once again in 2008, new human resource development measures and programmes were implemented and existing programmes were expanded.

People Strategy 2007–2010 – together down the same road

An innovative 2007-2010 People Strategy was developed for the Vienna Insurance Group’s human resources area, addressing the three key strategic areas of human resources development, namely, recruiting, development and employee loyalty at every level:

• Recruiting: We are an attractive employer in CEE that stands out due to the efficiency and effectiveness of its recruiting methods.
• Development: We promote basic and advanced training of our employees. Personal and professional development programmes of the highest quality are offered to help realise the potential of our employees.
• Retention: We encourage motivation and workplace satisfaction, and are introducing a competitive compensation system. We are also responsible for ensuring equal opportunity, fairness and diversity.

Human resources development – for a common future

In addition to the “Mobile Mind - Job Rotation” programme introduced previously, ranging from a quick glimpse into other Company departments to a 10-month exchange inside an area within the Group, an International Talent Management programme was also instituted in 2008. This training programme offers young, highly talented employees the opportunity to be tutored for a year on all insurance-related topics by Vienna Insurance Group experts in Austria and a number of CEE countries. They then receive on-the-job training while working on projects allowing practical application of their newly acquired knowledge to complex business cases. This is supplemented by training in management techniques and soft skills. After successful completion of the programme, these talented employees take on strategic or operational duties within the Vienna Insurance Group.

Human resources development – in our focus

Starting in 2009, the newly founded VIU Underwriting Academy will offer specialised training to Vienna Insurance Group underwriters in the industrial and large customer segments as well as an opportunity to exchange know-how and best practices. This training concept was developed for employees of the insurance brokerage company Vienna International Underwriters (VIU), which specialises in assisting industrial and large customers in countries where they are expanding. It assists underwriters in VIU and creates a uniform understanding and awareness of the markets in question.

Mobility and internationalisation – our key ingredients

New Group-wide guidelines for the V.I.G. Internal Job Market provide information to all Vienna Insurance Group employees regarding opportunities available in the internal job market.

All positions are advertised on a Group-wide basis, with the objective of making the best possible use of the entire personnel pool available and promoting the mobility of employees by offering cross-border career opportunities. Employees thus receive an opportunity to further their careers within the Group by actively applying for positions offered by Vienna Insurance Group companies.

Exchange of know-how – by active design

The Vienna Insurance Group always seeks to offer its employees an environment allowing the active exchange of knowledge and experience. In 2008, there were two events of this kind:

Management Essentials XXL
A “Management Essentials XXL” workshop was held in Prague on 3 October 2008, the concluding event of the 2007–2008 “Management Essentials” international management development programme. International managers and participants in the first International Talent Management programme worked on concrete topics concerning the Group as a whole and on further development of our internal network.

Next Generation: Cre@te your future with V.I.G.
Around 120 highly talented trainees of the Vienna Insurance Group were invited to a joint event in Vienna’s Austria Centre on 11 November 2008. Under the motto “We are family”, concrete proposals were developed concerning the personal contributions that participants could make towards the implementation of the Group’s strategy.