Employee participation

Codetermination and employee participation are important pillars of our human resources strategy. Volkswagen aims to promote high levels of technical expertise and a strong team spirit. We therefore invest in our people, offer employees attractive opportunities for development and promote a good working climate. This includes employees’ opinions, assessments and constructive criticism being heard. Differentiated pay systems that reward individual and team effort are a further component of employee participation.

With our opinion survey, a uniform, Group-wide poll, we regularly gather information about employee satisfaction and open up feedback channels to receive suggestions for improvement. We conducted the opinion survey in a revised format in 2016, adding further questions for employees: new tools now systematically support managers and employees when discussing the results. The survey was carried out at 172 sites and companies in 45 countries. Of the 540,000 employees whom we asked to participate, some 440,000, or 81%, took part. The mood index – an important parameter in the opinion survey – was at 78 of a possible 100 index points in 2016.

Since 2007, Volkswagen AG has been using a tool for involving its workforce in improving the Company’s efficiency: the “Volkswagen Way”. Our overarching goal here is to increase Volkswagen’s competitiveness and safeguard employment. In fiscal year 2016, a particular focus was on improving collaboration and communication within the Company and on strengthening our leadership and participation culture. The evolution of the “Volkswagen Way” thus actively supports the Volkswagen Group’s program for the future TOGETHER – Strategy 2025.

Ideas Management is an important leadership and motivational instrument for line supervisors because it facilitates active participation in planning and organizing work and is also underpinned by prizes with monetary incentives. Employees use their creativity, knowledge and initiative to take responsibility for process and product improvement at many of the Group’s locations.