"We allow our employees maximum flexibility"
New work is changing our workplace. Board Member for Human Resources Xavier Ros explains how Audi actively shapes the this transformation and what advantages the four rings offer as an employer.
Mr. Ros, what is important to you in a modern working world?
When shaping the working world of tomorrow, we focus on people. Each and every one of us has different requirements and needs. This requires individual creative freedom. But there are also aspects that apply to everyone.
On the one hand, we all have a need for psychological safety. Things work better when people work together openly, honestly and appreciatively. On the other hand, it’s important for work to be meaningful.
And what does that look like at Audi?
At Audi, we specifically focus on these three essential factors: we offer meaningful work, we encourage self-determination and we create secure conditions and thus room for innovation.
To the first point – what’s currently referred to as “purpose” – a lot of people, especially younger ones, ask themselves more and more often regarding work: Why am I actually doing this, aside from earning a livelihood? To them we can point out our common goal at Audi. We want to shape the mobility of the future and build vehicles with state-of-the-art technology, vehicles that offer an outstanding driving experience while simultaneously paving the way to the future – green, clean, sustainable and electric. That’s what drives us all.
With regard to self-determination, every single employee is different, with varying living situations and predilections. We create the preconditions for individual leeway and afford our employees maximum flexibility, provided their jobs allow for it. At Audi, we have a massive range of jobs – IT specialists, mechatronics engineers, graphic designers, product managers, firefighters and many more. There are naturally differences here.
On top of that comes a trusting work environment, which is important to us all over the company. Employees should feel safe and openly ask questions, share information, exchange opinions and admit to mistakes. That’s why we encourage honest and respectful cooperation. I’m convinced that’s the only way employees can be creative and generate innovations.
Let's return to the key point of self-determination. You say you give employees maximum flexibility. What does that mean in concrete terms?
Let's return to the key point of self-determination. You say you give employees maximum flexibility. What does that mean in concrete terms?
We consciously focus on a good balance between face-to-face work and digital collaboration. The pandemic accelerated a hybrid collaboration culture at Audi. We call this “better normal”, a new and improved kind of normality.
With our “Hybrid working” company agreement, we created a framework for the requirements for mobile and flexible work. We largely avoided fixed standards. Instead, we embody a new hybrid collaboration culture based on autonomy and trust. In the process, every team sets its own rules that it considers sensible. We don’t require a certain number of days at home or in the office, and we provide assistance for equipping employees’ home offices. In this regard, we set the benchmark in the industry.
Is hybrid working making life harder for executives?
Is hybrid working making life harder for executives?
I wouldn’t talk in terms of difficulty. Jobs are changing, and that often requires courage. A lot of things are easier as well since we work with intelligent IT solutions. Of course, the role of our managers is changing. I see a great willingness to enter into the new work environment and actively get involved in hybrid work.
Personal discussions between managers and employees don’t necessarily have to take place in person anymore. Our managers are asked to maintain contact with their teams, even in hybrid work environments. That’s why we offer certain trainings at Audi – for instance, on the topic of digital personnel discussions.
Even if you don’t see each other at the workplace every day, you can ensure that the team feels like a team. The new technical capabilities make it really easy for us in that regard. Other forms of communication are possible, often being more casual and easy-access. On top of that comes location-independent cooperation with innovative collaboration tools. This is all to our benefit.
But of course, it’s important to us to retain the Audi spirit. This includes personal contact – and not only with other people. Those who work at Audi should be able to experience our products – that’s important to me. And not only them; at our German locations, we’re planning a day when our employees’ families can get acquainted with Audi up close and personal.
The hybrid working world places new demands on our office buildings. How can we imagine their future?
We create work environments that make working on site attractive and that are oriented toward a variety of tasks. In the future, we’ll barely need any more open-plan offices with personal workspaces for every employee. Instead, we’ll focus on desk-sharing models and innovative room layouts.
One example: Concentration and well-being can be improved by making spaces more attractive, always putting the people in focus. Audi employees can do a lot of what was previously done at desks or in functional conference rooms better in spacious lounges and project nooks. There are additionally silent rooms where employees can make phone calls in peace. Of course, it’s also important to have places where you can meet up and have casual discussions, like the aforementioned lounges or kitchenettes. This transformation has already begun at Audi.
What should employees ideally bring with them for this new working world?
One thing is clear: The transformation in the automotive industry, with future-oriented topics such as digitalization and electrification, is also changing our employees’ jobs, skills and tasks. To that end, we’re seeking out new people who want to help us launch new products and technologies that will make our world a better place. What’s also clear is that we have a terrific Audi family with whom we’ve already achieved so much. And trying out new things is in our DNA – which is why we’re focusing on targeted training and qualification measures in all business divisions.
Whether you just joined us or have been with us for 20 years, all Audi employees find purpose in lifelong learning. And for that, we at Audi offer ideal conditions.
