Social responsibility 2017
Focus on strategy and people
The role of HR is to drive, support and develop the organization´s capability ensuring that Nordic Morning Group has the right people in the right roles with the right competences to be able to do a great job. The company strategy is the starting point in building the desired capabilities, talent, leadership and culture.
2017
Business transformation and growth have been the dominant themes for the group in 2017. Restructuring operations, building the new organizational setup and helping employees adapt to change has required strong support from the HR function.
Consequently, different change related activities have been in focus throughout the year. While conducting this work, we used the results from the culture study conducted in autumn 2016 to ensure we supported employees in the best way possible.
Quarterly Dialogue was a series of meetings held by management for employees to learn about the group’s strategic direction.
Within Nordic Morning Business Area the key strategic theme in HR has been to support building “One Nordic Morning”. This has been done through a joint kick-off event in September and extensive strategy workshops focusing on Customer & Client Experience and Ways of Working during the autumn. A red thread for these activities has been to build awareness and to increase cross-organizational collaboration and understanding of our strategic competencies.
The leadership team have been given guidance in change leadership and the managers responsible for the closure of Gothenburg and Malmö offices in Sweden, where trained in how to handle difficult changes in a dignified manner.
By the end of 2017, all three business areas in Finland were brought together under one roof. At the new premises, we are working in an activity based office with different work areas and rotating seating. The managers have been engaged to lead this transition together with HR and to find ways to promote collaboration and success together.
The mentoring program for high potential employees was finalized with good results during the autumn.
2018
Business transformation and growth will continue to be very much in focus in 2018. For HR, this means that we continue supporting strategy implementation, restructuring of operations, as well as helping to support managers and employees to lead and navigate during change.
The strategic initiatives for 2018 is focusing on developing culture, engagement and individual leadership through shared values. The value work is going to be a highly co-creative process involving all employees and managers throughout the organization. The shared values will form an important ingredient in the further development of Nordic Morning Group.
Building capabilities and strategic competencies will be emphasized in 2018. Therefore, leadership development is going to be an important focus area. We will update and align our leadership principles with the requirements set by the strategy and provide development opportunities for the managers in these specific areas.
Also, employees’ competence requirements needs to be aligned with the strategic direction. A more systematic approach to the annual development discussions and the creation of individual development plans will as well take place during the year.
We will continue to develop our employer brand. Talent Attraction, recruitment and on-boarding are also high on the agenda for 2018.
HR strategy
Leadership
The constant changes in today’s business environment and the surrounding world create a growing need for the continuous development of leadership. Leaders are to create a work environment that enables engagement and commitment in order to achieve good results, development, and innovation.
To create meaning at work in times of constant change, the leaders need to ensure there is a clear vision and direction, as well as conditions where employees thrive and succeed. Leaders need to perceive their employees as unique individuals and meet their needs for praise, encouragement, challenges, guidance, and support. We believe that leadership development is an ongoing process that creates the foundation for successful business operations.
Learning and Development
Learning and development at work is a critical success factor with regard to business growth. We constantly challenge ourselves and our working methods, and by doing that we are learning and developing, which enables compelling customer relationships and the development of a new kind of service offering.
Learning also makes work more meaningful and increases commitment to the company. We are building an environment in which every employee has the chance to learn something new every day and discover fresh ideas and perspectives. Through collaboration with colleagues, partners, and customers in various projects, we are constantly seeking to create value and creative solutions. In our culture, where learning is embedded, we want to develop our employees in goal-oriented, active, and diverse way.
Culture of Engagement
Attracting and securing the commitment of the best talents is a challenge in a world that is becoming increasingly transparent. Having the most interesting projects, best colleagues, and a positive spirit of getting things done are reflected externally in strong results and a consistent way of working, as well as in recommendations and referrals.
A culture of engagement and success creates meaning for each employee’s work. The key factors in this include the company’s values and mission, individuals having a clearly defined role as part of the bigger picture, high autonomy and a degree of influence, as well as feedback and continuous development. We believe that this kind of culture enables us to build a work environment that creates a strong commitment among the best talents in our industry.
Key behaviors at Nordic Morning Group
Passion for Success
We have a positive attitude towards working smoothly and achieving targets. We take the initiative in development.
Openness and Sharing
We want to understand others, work together and be part of a team.
Curiosity to Learn and Innovate
We are curious. We want to learn to know things, people and challenges better. We also want to ask questions, question things and challenge the current ways of doing things and be open to new solutions.
Helping Customers Succeed
We want to serve customers and other stakeholders, and satisfy their needs. We focus our resources on understanding and satisfying customer needs.
Gender distribution of employees
Age distribution of employees in Group
Age distribution of employees
| Business area | under 30 years | 30-50 years | over 50 years |
| Nordic Morning | 15% | 54% | 31% |
| Publishing | 1% | 48% | 51% |
| Prima | 17% | 62% | 21% |
| Other | 9% | 45% | 46% |
incentives
Due to the changes in the strategy, the Group administered no incentive programs in 2017. The previous long-term incentive program (LTI) for management was related to the financial years 2013-2015. Half of the LTI accrual was paid in 2016, and the other half, EUR 41 000, in 2017. The total accrual of this program was EUR 94 000, excluding social costs.
The Group´s Board of Directors decided to pay an incentive bonus to the current CEO for the year 2017 due to excellent performance. The incentive bonus is EUR 59 000, which is 25 % of annual taxable earnings.
The Board of Directors made a decision in 2016 to pay an additional one-time bonus of maximum 40% of annual salary to the ex-CEO. The bonus together with the severance payment, in total EUR 234 000, was paid out in spring 2017.
The CEO and Group Executives incentive bonuses that accrued in 2017
| EUR | CEO | Group Executives | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short-term incentive program | 59 000 | 0 | 59 000 |
| Long-term incentive program | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Additional incentive bonuses | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 59 000 | 0 | 59 000 |