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Dimitri Ronsse Interview
Director Human Resources EMEA, Husky Injection Molding Systems Interview Vincent Ruck Photos David Laurent / Wide
M
r Ronsse, what is the place of HR management at Husky? “We have an ambitious strategy. For our CEO, people are at the top of the agenda: we can’t grow the company without our people. One of the quotes we often use is: ‘we need to have the right people, in the right seat, fully engaged.’ This is something important. And that means that quite naturally, there is a role to play for the HR function, to help putting everything in place. Of course, we have to recruit the right people, but we also have to build a talent pipeline. Once again, if we grow, we will need more people able to take bigger responsibilities in the organisation. And then they must be ready to take over their duty when needed. This is why we spend a lot of time trying to understand our talents, what are the critical roles, and how we can get the talented people in the roles we have to fill. We are in a fast moving environment, and a lot of efforts are required. This is why we have to offer a lot. Has the industrial sector a future in western Europe, or in any developed country? It seemed that all factories were meant to go to Asia or developing countries? “There is an interesting trend, also in the States, that makes industry attractive once again. Some companies in developed countries are putting resourcing strategies in place. They are installing back manufacturing capacity in their home country. Some managers have understood that there is a category of people that will have difficulties to find a job in the service industry. Some need to work in a manufacturing environment. And if there is no such job available, that will lead to some structural unemployment. Something even more interesting is that companies have understood that these factories can be competitive against
developing countries labour market costs, depending on the factory model you choose. How is doing Luxembourg, in this competition? Is it strong enough to defend itself against other big countries? “Luxembourg has a great tool to differentiate itself from bigger neighbours: the ‘Tripartite’. This is an advantage that is unfortunately not used any more.
“Luxembourg has a great tool: the ‘Tripartite’”
I’m sad to see that it is dying. In Luxembourg, international companies, even smaller ones, have access to a high level of decision makers. In Germany, decisions are made for Siemens, or for Volkswagen, not for companies like us. Here, we are already big, we can have some impact. There is always work in the manufacturing industry, and there always will be… there is still a future. We can’t be the cheapest, but there are other areas where you can build your competitiveness. Some production models can be redesigned, and you can play on the cooperation between all the stakeholders. To be successful you need a partnership like the Tripartite.
What are the HR challenges for a company like Husky? “Husky is a global company – even if we are a small global company, compared with huge blue chips. We have a high level of complexity to deal with, we have many locations, and many roles in one location. We are a multinational, with a lot of different products. But we have one set of core values that we try to make universal. I mean that everyone working for us, anywhere, can live them, in his daily work life… He should feel like being part of the Husky family. Core values are not meant to be shown on a website, but to be lived. As a company, we have a strong emphasis on proving every day that we walk the talk and that we do is what we say. One of our values is uncompromising honesty. People deciding not to live this value are directly disqualifying themselves. We can be sometimes very tough on that. And that belief reflects on the way we do business: we admit mistakes, we don’t over commit to suppliers, we tell them when we are unhappy. Some people believe that by sending us gifts, we will like them more. Well, we continue being demanding… And all the received gifts are put in an ‘annual tombola’, for all the staff. In our cafeteria, we have fruits available the whole year long. Sometimes, during the day, there is no one at our to cashier. People can take a fruit and pay by themselves. Some don’t, but they know, if they are caught, that they will have a problem… and people accept that. We also have a whistleblower program, lead by an external company. If ever someone feels he has seen something that he didn’t like, that didn’t fit in the company’s policy, and that he feels he has no one to refer to – management, unions, or others – then he has a special number he can call. And all the calls will be investigated. Management — Septembre - Octobre 2012 —
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