“Among other things, I see the key to successful business being in the ability to unleash the potential of people to get behind a common cause and in the ability to quickly turn ideas into action or reality,” said Robert Zatloukal in an interview with the Chamber of Commerce magazine.
For our company, social responsibility (CSR for short), has become a mantra. Iveta Dědková, HR Manager, agrees that this strategy pays off.
What was the initial impulse for your company to embrace corporate social responsibility?
Robert Zatloukal: If I remember correctly, the impetus for me came around 2001 when the Zlín District Chamber approached me with regards to presenting a paper at the national CSR conference.
Anyway, how does the RPC PROMENS automotive production company actually come to adopt such a concept?
Robert Zatloukal: Despite all the trends, it’s still about people. Giving business meaning also means awareness of CSR.
So what is your corporate strategy in terms of social responsibility and sustainable development?
Robert Zatloukal: Our strategy is to be a company that’s easy to work with. In a broader context, we contribute to the gross domestic happiness of the Czech Republic, so not only to the gross domestic product.
Is the strategy linked to the company’s business goals?
Robert Zatloukal: The CSR strategy, as part of our corporate culture, co-creates an environment that enables the realization of both our long-term corporate goals and those of all our partners. It’s projected directly into the company’s mission and the corporate vision.
What interesting projects in the field of social responsibility have you managed to implement recently?
Iveta Dědková: There are a number of projects that are running in this area. From the recent ones I can mention, for example, the participation of employees in a charity run to support the needy, support for a nursery school for children with eye disorders (an employee painting auction), corporate support of Dobrý anděl, as well as cooperation with the largest Czech insurer to support the Healthy Company project.
We see employees as partners for our business and for the environment in which we live.
After all, if our employee is happy, then it has a positive effect on their surroundings and families, as well as on other employees.
Robert Zatloukal, CEO of Promens Zlín
The main denominator is the awareness of our staff in taking care of their own health and the environment, as well as the fact that as individuals and as a company we should care about and value mutual cooperation with our colleagues and partners, thereby gradually strengthening loyalty towards the company.
How do you inspire your employees and who inspires you? When it comes to social responsibility, what exactly does it mean for you as a person?
Robert Zatloukal: We inspire employees mainly by our focused and shared building of corporate culture with their active involvement, from creation to living it in practice. By corporate culture we understand our eight values, the mission and vision of the company.
In practice, for example, each employee attends a four-day seminar that shows them how to reconcile the reasons for going to work (other than money) with the company’s mission.
Personally, I am inspired by the untapped opportunities it offers to work with people and on projects that combine the results and the joy of what people do.
So what advantages and tangible benefits do you see in the CSR strategy?
For us, CSR is primarily taking care of our employees, which we perceive as partners for our business and for the environment in which we live. After all, if our employee is happy, then it has a positive effect on their surroundings and families, as well as on our customers.
Our motto is “Our people set plastics in motion and turn our partners’ visions into reality”; we understand partners to be not only customers, but also other cooperating entities and our employees.
The market segment in which we operate is turbulent and constantly changing, so it is a challenge for our company to focus on the personal development of individuals in a way that will help them to develop a higher level of trust. This, of course, has a very positive effect on the speed of implementation of our plans and the overall costs associated with them.
What exactly has it delivered?
We have become interesting for employees who have booked results and are looking for relationship, hence suitable environment for work and for their development. Last but not least, it brought us above-average stability of employees.
In a situation where knowledgeable workers often do not need companies, but companies need such workers, this is one of the most important things.
Iveta Dědková: The practical impact is that the rate of staff turnover is well below the regional average (over the long-term between 1 and 2 percent). As part of the development of corporate culture, podium placement in the Progressive Employer of the Zlín Region 2017 competition also had an impact. The competition is organized by Sodexo in conjunction with the Employers’ Club and evaluated by the PWC auditing company.
Companies are evaluated in terms of their economic results, staff turnover rates, number of employees in relation to wage costs, bonus and benefit system, corporate culture, approach to employees, and so on.
Another impact is the growing perception that security is a priority in relation to corporate values. We consistently insist on developing awareness of how to behave in order to make our work environment safer – from workplace ergonomics and personal protective equipment to, for example, training in working with knives.
Related to this is the emphasis we place on the health of our employees through various projects and events, from vaccinations and physiotherapy through seminars on healthy eating to supporting employee participation in the To Work on a Bike event.
How do your employees and clients perceive these projects?
Robert Zatloukal: Overall, very good. In terms of our employees, it all starts with them accepting responsibility for their individual happiness, and this is not an easy thing. Regarding partners, I will give an example. Recently, someone told me that we’re one of the few businesses where our people greet visitors.