- Service quality and customer-orientation
- Personal responsibility and contribution to the success of the business
- Openness to change and solution focus
- Collaboration and networking
VIG corporate university – management development in 2013
The Group-wide advanced training programmes offered by the VIG Corporate University are closely aligned with VIG’s business strategy and competences. As a platform for intellectual exchanges with renowned external lecturers and colleagues in the VIG Group, these programmes strengthen the “team spirit” of the Group and promote a performance-oriented attitude while building a shared understanding.
VIG's custom-designed “Leadership Development Programme (LDP)” was provided for management for the third time in 2013 in cooperation with the IEDC – Bled School of Management in Slovenia. For twelve days, 28 managers from eleven countries and 20 VIG companies discussed the topics of leadership, change management, strategic challenges and operational excellence with renowned international professors.
In order to ensure sustainability in shared learning and a diversity of perspectives with respect to management topics, an in-depth seminar was offered for the LDP for the first time in 2013. Almost all of the first LDP graduates took part in the intensive leadership workshop, “The Art and Practice of Effective Communication and Conflict Resolution”. Together with an experienced Swiss leadership trainer and a professor from the French Insead Business School, the 24 participants discussed aspects of managing and being managed, dealt in detail with the logic of emotions, and examined the latest communications theories using concrete practical examples.
Staff diagnostic
The Staff Diagnostic plays a central role in the personnel development process. It is used across the Group with the goal of identifying and systematically developing employee potential and assigning employees precisely where their skills, interests and knowledge can be used the best. When needed, it is also used during recruiting as a way of introducing objectivity. The four variations of the Staff Diagnostic are offered in German and English, and are performed in other local languages as needed. This standardised Group-wide evaluation creates a basis for professional development and career planning across the Group.
All of the existing variations of the Staff Diagnostic for managers and employees were modified during the reporting period to take into account the Group-wide competence model that was revised in 2011 and expanded with expert competences in 2012. This included redesigning and implementing the Development Centre – a Group analysis procedure for employees – which continues to be used primarily as a basis for individual targeted employee development.
Core competences of VIG employees
Relaunch of the VIG internet and intranet sites
Extensive work was done in 2013 for the relaunch of the “Jobs & Career” pages on the VIG Internet and intranet sites. The intranet redesign was aimed at increasing the motivation and loyalty of employees as well as making more information available to them. The focus was on providing increased regular communication on topics such as VIG goals, values and current personnel development projects and opportunities. The redesign of the “VIG Career Lounge” at www.vig.com was aimed at presenting VIG as an attractive employer by providing clear and appealing information on career and development opportunities. For both platforms, VIG employees were invited to tell their personal “VIG Stories” to create a living image of the culture and diversity in the Group.
Mobility in practice
Internationality, diversity and mobility are very important to Vienna Insurance Group. Close cooperation and exchanges between VIG Holding in Vienna and the operating companies are part of the day-to-day life of the Company. VIG mobility programmes in 2013 included standardised job rotation programmes offering transfers for several months into the asset management, actuarial, enterprise risk management, personal insurance performance management, finance and accounting departments of VIG Holding. The seven participants came from Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Macedonia.
In addition, 20 knowledge transfer trips and international introductory programmes took place between companies and between companies and the Group holding company in the year just ended. VIG employees use these intensive training courses – visits of between two and 30 days – to prepare for a new position or to increase and deepen their professional knowledge.