Employee well-being is an essential part of Xella's sustainability strategy. And the Polish HR team is taking a very proactive approach. Especially since the pandemic, uncertainty and health concerns have spread among employees. "We want to be a real support for our colleagues, preferably before they burn out or the teams drift apart," says Beata Molska, Head of HR & Social Responsibility at Xella Polska. 

The offer that Beata Molska and her HR colleagues Marta Prokopek-Pyśk and Karolina Szewczyk are putting together to provide Xella employees with the support they might need is far-reaching:

1. In the beginning was the thought

For Beata Molska, the origin of many psychological processes - and our influence on them - often starts small: with our thoughts. "It may come as a surprise to some that what you think is your own choice. In our workshops with employees, we often emphasize that thoughts are not facts. So, it's worth questioning them when they don't serve us - because then they develop into behaviors."

Molska likes to compare them to birds in the sky, over which we have just as little influence: "But what we can influence is to act in such a way that the birds don't build a 'nest' on our heads. By being aware of our thoughts, we can prevent some of them from nesting permanently."

2. Inspiration Cups for in between

A popular format in Poland is the "Friday Cups of Inspiration", regular webinars that are also recorded and uploaded to the e-learning platform. They cover a wide range of topics, including stress management, resilience, emotional intelligence, and relationships within and between teams. "Sometimes we invite external guests. In a webinar on 'How to learn effectively' we learned about effective memory methods from Przemek Staroń, Teacher of the Year in 2018, among others," says Molska.

3. Benefiting from external support

The Polish HR team also relies on external support in other areas. Although individual psychological support for employees is discreet and confidential, the team is aware that employees do not always want to discuss their problems with people from the same company. Polish Xella employees can benefit from around 10 sessions with a psychotherapist, both in person and via an online platform that HR works with.

4. Creating positive behaviors by communicating values

When it comes to employees, corporate culture cannot be ignored - in Poland, it is tackled directly at the root: "We recognize our corporate culture by our behavior, and that comes from our values. That is why we build our corporate culture based on our corporate values. They are: dialog, openness & appreciation, responsibility & accountability and professionalism", says Beata Molska.

Through various seminars, Molska's team manages to strengthen self-acceptance and acceptance of others in the team by helping employees learn more about their own way of thinking and acting. They learn to be more mindful, to value the strengths and talents of their colleagues, to practice trust and to communicate better.

5. Behind every employee is a private life - and usually a family

An important environment for every employee is not only his or her workplace, but also everything outside of it, especially at home. To promote acceptance of diversity, the team also involves employees' families. For example, through the "It's cool to be different" drawing competition, in which employees' children interpreted the theme in a variety of ways, or by encouraging male employees to take full advantage of parental leave.

Prokopek-Pyśk and her colleagues have noticed another interesting trend: "More and more employees with young children are working part-time at their own request. For us, this can only have a positive impact on the well-being of fathers."

The results

The list of examples could go on - and it has already left its mark with positive effects such as significantly lower staff turnover, greater interest in applicants, and many creative ideas and innovations from the workforce. "Our program gives them the space to experiment and make mistakes from which they can learn and grow," says Beata Molska. She goes one step further: "We believe that the well-being of the individual has a real impact on business results and the development of the employer brand," she concludes.

"In 2024 and 2025, we are continuing the Soft Skills Academy, the Manager Academy and the Expert Academy. In addition, our activities will also include plants", Beata Molska explains.