Every business strives to become a great-place-to-work and employee satisfaction survey is a powerful tool that Human Resource Managers use to understand the level of satisfaction of the employees. Typically, employees fill out a review describing their job, the workplace environment and the company as an employer over the past year. Usually, these surveys are developed and administered by company’s personnel department. But, if needed, there are professional services like www.GreatPlacetoWork.com who help companies survey their employees, and, when appropriate, certify companies as “Great Place to Work,” along with comparative ranking against other similar businesses. 

One of the many better-known surveys is Forbes annual list of the “World’s Best Employers.” For the latest survey, Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to compile their fourth-annual 2021 ranking by surveying 160,000 full-time and part-time workers from 58 countries for businesses with operations in multiple nations or regions. The surveys are anonymous, allowing participants to openly share their opinions. The respondents were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family. They were asked to evaluate other employers in their respective industries that stood out either positively or negatively. They were also asked to rate their satisfaction with their employers’ Covid-19 responses, and score their employers on its image, economic footprint, talent development, gender equality and social responsibility. The final list comprised of 750 multinational and large corporations headquartered in 45 countries.

The United States dominated the list with 247 employers, followed by Europe with 224 and Asia + Oceania with 208. South Korea’s Samsung was ranked No. 1, followed closely by American Amazon and IBM at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Unsurprisingly, employees of IT, software and telecommunications organizations, which have seen business grow and were able to shift to working remotely more easily, tended to rate their companies more positively than workers of travel and leisure or transportation companies. Respondents from Colombia and Brazil were also much more satisfied with their employers’ handling of the pandemic than those from Japan, Singapore, South Korea or Italy.

Unique perks help higher ranking

There were some notable benefits that made employees very happy. Hewlett Packard company offered its employees a host of additional unusual perks during the pandemic. The U.S. company allowed everyone who faced a pandemic-related financial hardship to apply to receive up to $10,000,   gave access to physicians during office hours, free cooking classes and homeschooling/tutoring for children. German company Siemens, ranked 9^th on the list, embraced the remote-work lifestyle permanently, announcing that its employees can telecommute two or three days a week even after the pandemic ends. CISCO India sought to support employees, with a 24/7 hotline for its 10,000 employees in the country, connecting them to medical professionals who could provide advice and assistance in getting them quality care.

Sad reality

The well-known employee satisfaction surveys and employer rankings all involve white-collar workers. These employees work in nice environment, are generally treated well, but often expect even more from employers. There have been stories about large tech companies that provide free snacks and food, but employees still complain about not having more varieties of free food available! I suppose there is no need to conduct employee satisfaction survey for government employees. They have the best job security, great benefits, and some may allege, poor efficiency.  During the height of the pandemic in USA, 22 million private jobs were lost, but not a single government worker was laid off!

Unfortunately, we rarely, if ever, come across such surveys for workers in businesses like coal mines, metal casting, rubber molding, to name a few. In such industries, employees toil under extremely harsh conditions. These are the workers whose job satisfaction should be our top priority. (TT)

Bridgestone will supply tailored-made tyres for Lamborghini’s Huracán STO, which will be launched in 2021.

Bridgestone ensured the high-performance tyre can maximise the Huracán STO’s traction, handling, control, and extreme overall performance.

Key to the tyre’s success in maximising the super sports car’s performance is the combination of pattern and cavity design. The Potenza tyres apply an asymmetric tread design for enhanced steering response and cornering stability, and an internal crown structure that distributes footprint pressure evenly when cornering.

As well as the road-focused, custom-developed Potenza fitment, Bridgestone will also be providing a track-oriented, road-homologated version of the tyre that applies “race” technologies to maximise the vehicle’s track performance, especially in dry conditions.

Steven De Bock, VP Consumer Replacement and OE at Bridgestone EMIA, said, “It’s been a pleasure for our team to work so closely with Lamborghini for the first time, and on such an exciting project. The Huracán STO is an incredible piece of engineering that deserves a custom tyre that can fulfill its full potential. I can proudly say that Bridgestone has delivered such a high-performance tyre. It has been fantastic for the team to have worked on a project that is at the forefront of technology in so many ways.”

Hankook, one of the major global tyre brands, has started testing and development operations at its new ultra modern facility in Spain.

The testing facility has been set up on the premises of the Applus+ IDIADA Group and can also cater to European premium car manufacturers that have their own demanding tyre tests. The facility is completely automated and will host a 20-member team from the Spanish testing centre, which is affiliated to the Hankook Europe Technical Centre.

Klaus Krause, Head of European Research and Development Centre, said, "With the further expansion of our testing capacities in Spain, we are reaching the next level together with our local partner Applus+ IDIADA."

He also added, "We are confident that the newly installed testing facilities in particular will significantly improve our efforts to provide the best tyre testing conditions and services to our employees and customers. In addition, we will also be able to conduct significantly more tests on site." (TT)

ASCENSO introduced a construction tyre - BLB 730- which is used for boom lift vehicles used in construction and other industries. It comes with several features that cater to the unique needs of aerial lifting equipment.

The BLB 730 tyre is available in different sizes to fit various boom lift vehicles. This range of sizes provides versatility and compatibility with different types of aerial lift work platforms.

“ASCENSO's BLB 730 tyre is a significant advancement in specialised equipment for the construction industry. It focuses on load capacity, stability, traction, and durability to improve the performance and safety of boom lift vehicles. Whether working at heights or manoeuvring on tough terrains, this tyre offers reliability and durability for efficient operations,” said the company in a statement.

The BLB 730 tyre is built to handle heavy loads and stabilise boom lift vehicles. It has solid lugs and a more extended shoulder design, which ensures good traction and prevents slipping during operation. This is important for safely carrying heavy weights at high elevations. ASCENSO has used a special rubber compound in making the BLB 730 tyre, making it durable and long-lasting, resulting in less downtime and more productivity on construction sites.

To make the tyre even better, the company has optimised its inner volume to reduce tyre fill consumption, reducing the risk of tyre punctures, minimising the need for maintenance, and keep the vehicles running smoothly.

Falken Tyre Europe is an official IHF Men's World Championship 2023 partner for the upcoming tournament, the company has announced. The tournament is taking place at nine venues in Sweden and Poland from 11-29 January, 2023. Falken Tyre claims that the partnership was organised by the sports marketing agency SPORTFIVE. SPORTFIVE is responsible for exclusive marketing and media rights for all IHF World Championships until 2031.

Falken Tyre claims that this is its second agreement with the International Handball Federation. In addition to title and logo rights (Official IHF Men's World Championship 2023 Partner), the company has also secured advertising rights, including the Falken logo in each goal and centre circle of the courts, as well as the presence of Falken branding in the official tournament social media communications and print materials. According to Falken Tyre, this is complemented by 30-second video ads that will be shown on the big screens in the nine sports halls before the start of each match and at half-time.

Sharing his views, Robert Müller von Vultejus, Chief Growth Officer at SPORTFIVE, said, “With Falken, the IHF World Handball Championships have secured a great partner who is positioned with far-reaching influence in the relevant core markets. We are delighted to have been able to bring two global partners together for one of the most exciting sporting events of next year.”

Markus Bögner, COO and President of Falken Tyre Europe GmbH, explained, “Handball isn’t just of great importance in Europe, but all over the world, which has led us to partake in this top-level tournament once again. The fact that the international tournament is taking place in countries that are among our core markets is another great reason for our involvement. We can also look back on a long partnership with our colleagues at SPORTFIVE, who always offers us excellent opportunities that are an excellent fit for the Falken brand, which stands for enthusiasm, performance and achievement.”