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The change is connected with the extension of the range of services provided and thus the creation of the Purchasing and People Experience departments. In terms of full accounting, which is handled by employees of SKF in Poznań, we can also talk about development, as additional operational tasks are taken over on an ongoing basis. However, processes are not everything. None of the changes outlined above would have happened if not for people. It is the people who are the company's 'DNA' and without their knowledge, commitment and skills, it would not be possible today to see the progress made in recent months. This means that employees have a say in how the company changes, but they can also shape their own - personal - development.

The SKF Business Centre is an example of a workplace where employee development takes different forms. The decision on the type of training - e.g. internal or external - should, as a matter of principle, be dictated by the specific needs of the company and the objectives it wishes to achieve. Ideally, however, it goes hand in hand with the interests and needs of the employees. At SKF, there is a principle that employee development is not only an employee's privilege but also an obligation.

Employees can take the initiative to talk to a manager about their development path. An example of this is the recent external training on so-called 'Time Management', which was a response to the needs of employees expressed in conversations with managers. In the business world, the pace of work is fast and intense, demands increase every day and multitasking seems to be an essential skill. Time management is therefore growing into a key competence for every working person. The previously mentioned training was based on two pillars - practical experience of the difficulties of time management (using the immersive game 'Your Time' as an example) and not at all exhausting theoretical basics (the Eisenhower Matrix, the Pareto Principle and the Sawtooth Effect, among others). As part of the training, the team became convinced that in everyday life, the professional and private spheres blend and are not so easy to separate. The participants in the training stood back, so to speak, and were able to assess from a different perspective what their reality is at work and home. As a result, the training was conducted more broadly - with an emphasis on managing 'self' in time - and was a valuable and enriching experience for the whole team.

The second pillar of the development strategy of the Poznań Business Centre is internal training, which is very popular, and which is conducted, among others, by accountants with several years or even decades of professional experience. In this context, it is worth mentioning the so-called 'job rotation'. This method of developing an employee's qualification involves the thoughtful and long-term planning of their development path within the company. It can be the targeted support of an employee from another department in selected processes. At the Business Centre on Nieszawska Street, internal qualification broadening and the acquisition of new skills are therefore goal-oriented. At least a few 'horizontal' promotions have recently taken place at SKF Business Centre as a result of successfully conducted internal training.

Projects are also a source of acquiring new skills and learning to solve problems. This year, some employees will be involved in an extensive project on the automation of financial processes provided to our customers. However, SKF does not stand by processes alone. The team also fulfils itself through projects that activate soft skills deposits - we are talking about charitable actions such as the Noble Gift (Szlachetna Paczka) or Charity Auctions. New in recent months is the wellbeing platform, which provides access to content related to mental health, among other things. More importantly, it is possible to get in touch with a range of specialists in the fields of healthy eating, emotional health or physical activity and thus be able to discuss individual issues. The development of health awareness and the nurturing of inner resources come forward.

Employee development is not just a series of trainings and courses. It is a well-thought-out strategy that includes a variety of activities aimed not only at improving qualifications, but also at developing soft skills, which are essential in a modern working environment, and building employee well-being.  At the SKF Business Centre, development is felt on many levels and one can only say: keep it up!

Author: Damian Wątrobiński, Senior Accountant OTC at the SKF Business Center