Case study: How Saab attracts, retains and develops employees
As a defence and security company developing, manufacturing and selling world-leading products and solutions, operating in 34 countries across the globe, Saab strives to be an employer of choice Tweet This!, not least for young people looking for modern, forward-thinking employers.
This case study is based on the 2015 Sustainability Report by Saab published on the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Disclosure Database that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what CSR/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.
Abstract
Offering opportunities for learning and development to enable its approximately 15,000 employees to reach their full potential, while also attracting top talent, is a key priority for Saab. In order to attract, retain and develop employees Saab took action to:
- engage employees through the “Employee Boost” initiative
- offer opportunities for skills and leadership development
- identify and develop top talents through the Talent Management Review
- attract and train recent graduates with leadership potential
Subscribe for free and read the rest of this case study
Please subscribe to the SustainCase Newsletter to keep up to date with the latest sustainability news and gain access to over 100 case studies. These case studies demonstrate how companies are dealing responsibly with their most important impacts, building trust with their stakeholders (Identify > Measure > Manage > Change).
With this case study you will see:
- Which are the most important impacts (material issues) Saab has identified;
- How Saab proceeded with stakeholder engagement, and
- What actions were taken by Saab to to attract, retain and develop employees
Already Subscribed? Type your email below and click submit
What are the material issues the company has identified?
In its 2015 Sustainability Report Saab identified a range of material issues, such as zero tolerance for corruption, responsible supplier relationships, information security, reducing Saab’s climate impact, environmentally sustainable innovations, social engagement with a focus on promoting education and an interest in technology. Among these, attracting, retaining and developing employees stands out as a key material issue for Saab.
Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:
Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.
Key stakeholder groups Saab engages with:
Stakeholder Group | Method of engagement |
Owners and investors
| · Separate meetings with investors on sustainability issues · Annual General Meeting · Sustainability surveys from investors and analysts · Continuous engagement with investors and analysts |
Employees | · Continuous engagement through day-to-day operations · Performance reviews · Annual employee survey · Leadership development programme |
Students and potential employees
| · Career days and similar events · Collaborations with universities and institutes of technology · External surveys on students’ expectations of future employers |
Customers
| · Customer surveys · Personal meetings, trade shows and conferences |
Society in general, including decision-makers and interest groups
| · Participation in defence forums and debates, such as Almedalen and Folk och Försvar (Security and Defence) in Sälen · Collaborations with public organisations and authorities, such as the EU and UN · Volunteering and work with non-profit organisations |
Suppliers and partners | · Continuous contact with suppliers and partners |
How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues
In addition to its regular contact with stakeholders through various channels, Saab sent out, in 2014 and 2015, brief surveys to a number of stakeholders, including investors, employees, students and customers, for feedback on the company’s sustainability work and its material issues.
What actions were taken by Saab to attract, retain and develop employees?
In its 2015 Sustainability Report Saab reports that it took the following actions for attracting, retaining and developing employees:
- Engaging employees through the “Employee Boost” initiative
- Through the “Employee Boost” initiative Saab aims, among others, to:
- strengthen its performance-driven culture
- encourage employees to grasp the opportunity to affect their own and the company’s future
- help employees appreciate the importance of diversity and internationalization
- Offering opportunities for skills and leadership development
- Saab provides employees with several opportunities for learning and training (some mandatory) through e-learning and Saab’s competence portal. Additionally, Saab offers to employees opportunities for learning through networks and mentorships, and for trying out different jobs within the company, both nationally and internationally.
- Identifying and developing top talents through the Talent Management Review
- Saab has established a specific procedure for identifying and developing top talents: the Talent Management Review, which consists of job rotation within the company, internal training and a number of leadership development programmes.
- Attracting and training recent graduates with leadership potential
- The Saab Graduate Leadership Programme, a global trainee programme for recent graduates and young professionals who have the potential and aspiration to become future leaders within the company, offers participants opportunities to gain work experience in different parts of the Group, receive leadership training and build a network of contacts within Saab.
Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?
The GRI indicator addressed in this case is: G4-LA9: Average hours of training per year per employee by gender, and by employee category and the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 404-1 Average hours of training per year per employee
78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards
SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.
Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.
7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started
Any size business can start taking sustainability action
GRI, IEMA, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom (venue: London School of Economics)
- Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
- Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
- Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP.
- Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement
References:
1) This case study is based on published information by Saab, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:
http://database.globalreporting.org/
2) http://www.fbrh.co.uk/en/global-reporting-initiative-gri-g4-guidelines-download-page
3) https://g4.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx
4) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/
Note to Saab: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.