Rahms is one of our clients who, over the past year, had an average absenteeism rate of 3%. In some months over the past few years, the combined absenteeism rate has been less than 2%. During the worst month of the pandemic, the absenteeism rate just exceeded 4%, even during a challenging period in a vulnerable industry. Rahms demonstrates that a 3% absenteeism rate is entirely achievable under the right conditions. But how does one create the right conditions?
We interviewed Cecilia Gällstedt, HR at Rahms, who shares experiences and success factors.
Who are Rahms?
Rahms started as a small family business in the 1940s and is today a leading company with a wide range of cleaning and facility services. “We are a moderately sized company with a familial feel where everyone is seen and appreciated for their work. This lays the foundation for a healthy work environment and is the basis of our philosophy on sustainable business, says Cecilia Gällstedt, HR at Rahms.
How can you maintain such a low absenteeism rate?
Our employees are our most important asset. Therefore, it’s obvious to ensure that their work environment and situation are as good as possible. Our employees are content, develop, and take their own initiatives. This lays the foundation for a healthy work environment and is also crucial for our delivery. We invest heavily in creating a strong team spirit. It’s our employees’ commitment and will that show the way to a successful result for us as an employer and for our clients. Safety at the workplace is central to us, and we believe that those who are content and feel safe have fun, feel good, and do a better job. We are also careful when choosing clients; they should offer good contracts and conditions for the employees. It’s important that clients appreciate and care about the employees, know the names of the employees, and provide them feedback. Our operational managers are often out in the business and have an ongoing dialogue with the employees to check how things are going, recognize adaptation needs, and guide employees in their workplace.
What do the employees say?
With us, employees feel that they are important and that they are recognized by the client. Many of our employees ‘love their job’. Most of them stay with us for a long time – some even retire with us, something we are very proud of.
Why did you choose Aino?
Absenteeism was already at a good level when we started using HealthManager, but we still chose to implement the system to be at the forefront as a proactive and attractive employer. We work in an industry that is highly dependent on its staff. If we don’t have employees on-site, we can’t deliver to the client, and this has a negative effect on both productivity and customer satisfaction. With HealthManager, we show that we, as employers, want the employee to feel good and be at work. All employees are seen, and everyone is treated the same way. The system guides our operational managers in their handling of absenteeism; they can spend less time on administrative tasks and instead focus on coaching and motivating their employees.
