Volvo Group Culture Stories
“I believe in team building and feedback”
Mattias Hejdesten had been with the same company for 13 years when he decided that he needed a new challenge in his career.
“Volvo Group is an attractive company with sound values and ambitious targets. When I joined the company, I received a warm welcome and my supportive manager introduced me very well. As a new member of a team, it’s incredibly important to quickly see yourself as part of the big picture in order to feel engaged and deliver more effectively.
In my role I’m involved in different product and method projects and, in just a short time, I‘ve made many important contacts with committed stakeholders within the organization.
I’m the leader of a team with fantastically skilled members and it’s my job to inspire and set the direction for our work. Teambuilding and feedback are important to me and I really see Volvo Group giving me the potential in continuing developing as a leader.”
“I was not looking for a job, I was looking for a mission”
When Fernando Esguerra applied to Volvo Group, he was not just looking for a job, he was looking for a mission, a task that would take me him out of his comfort zone and let him explore new areas in engineering.
“I had five non-negotiable conditions: a company that inspires me, a product that I feel passionate about, a position that challenges me and stretches me into different areas, management that encourages and empowers me to do my best and a great work environment and team spirit.
Volvo Group fulfils all these points. It’s a company that inspires me. It’s forward thinking. I like the mind-set and culture, and being part of a team that gives its best to make the next generation of trucks and bring forward new technology. For me this is more than a job. I’m investing my time, my knowledge and experience in a company that is investing in me.
In fact, so far it has been more than I imagined. It’s a diverse company (although not many other Colombians) and I feel I can grow and develop as much as I want. Some of the things that have had a big impact on me are the Volvo Group University, the YEC (Yearly Efficient Cycle), continuous improvement and constant opportunities to keep learning and developing in new areas and improving my knowledge.”
“Great ideas come from people who feel trusted and empowered”
Camilla Vitelli believes the success of her organization, and its ability to improve constantly, depends on her employees feeling empowered and trusted to effect change
“The people who really make a difference to our organization, and who come up with the best ideas, are the ones who dare to take the initiative. And to do that, you need to feel trusted and empowered.
As the leader of a global organization of more than 700 people, spread across Gothenburg, Greensboro, Curitiba and Lyon, it’s up to me to trust them and give them the freedom to take the initiative, come up with ideas and try them out.
When you work as part of the greater organization and not just within your immediate team you can truly take ownership and be accountable. What we as leaders can do is support our teams with resources and make it clear that, if things go wrong, we will look for solutions and not assign blame. I have every confidence in the capacity of my people to drive improvements, and they know they have my support and the support of the organization to do so.”
“Taking ownership of my actions”
Working for a company at the forefront of innovation was hugely important to Konstantina Elmpasidou, who works at Group Trucks Technology, the organization in Volvo Group that leads the way in terms of technological evolution.
“I was also looking for a company that would offer opportunities for personal and professional development. I wasn’t just looking for a job but something that would help me evolve in every way.
During the on-boarding process, I understood how much my contribution matters and that I play a part in ensuring that we secure our goal of product leadership. I’m also responsible for my career development and it’s up to me – with the support of my manager, of course – to take the opportunity to try and learn new things. I’m grateful that Volvo Group makes it easy for us to develop and change our career path depending on our interests.
Accountability is key here. Being accountable is all about taking ownership of my actions and standing by them regardless of the result.”
