IKEA is on its way to becoming one of the top options for recent graduates. A refined Talent Management at the furniture chain recruits and develops its co-workers based on a strong belief that they will grow.
Talent Management at IKEA
IKEA’s vision is clear: To create a better everyday life for the many people. They produce furniture to the lowest price possible so that even people with a small wallet can afford their products.
This also plays a big role in their design process. Before a designer at IKEA starts planning, he or she is given the end price for the consumer. Only then he can start thinking efficiently, and moreover, practically.
IKEA’s Human Resource Idea is designed to create the highest value for their customer. Everyone at the company is seen as a Co-worker, and not as an employee. Everyone is perceived as a talent and enjoys great support from management.
The Swedish furniture-chain came a long way to where it is now. Ingvar Kamprad founded his business in 1943 and started off by selling pens and postcards from a bike in a small town in Sweden. After he realised the huge demand in furniture, he extended his business model and opened his first store in 1948. And even the location of the very first IKEA was way back in the countryside, Kamprad managed to grow his company exponentially, so Nathan Oterdoom (IKEA HR Advisor) and David Hoogland (IKEA team manager) in Groningen, Holland.
Today there are 400 Stores in 49 countries, with 183.000 workers. Until now, IKEA is not listed in the Stockmarket and is therefore not dependent on external investors. The international furniture company only grows when they can afford the investment. In addition to that: in case a country is underperforming, others will have to save money in order to help stabilising the weakest link.
One more interesting fact about IKEA before going back to their human resource practices: IKEA puts great emphasis on its sustainability. That is why IKEA has its own forests in Poland ind Russia – the goal is to become self-sufficient by 2050.
Every company is only as strong as its workforce. Also, IKEA knows that their human capital is the most important one, which is why the Talent Management at IKEA attracts more and more students withhigh-classs degrees around the world.
The biggest share of employees at IKEA is working in the Customer Care Centre. Here, everyone performing 40 meetings a day, 9 minutes each. Without agenda co-workers at IKEA will be recorded and judged on a monthly basis. And apparently, they like it.
They should, because IKEA receives 619.335 Phone Calls, 106.786 Emails, and 124.601 social media requests every year.
IKEA has a very compelling Talent Approach towards their employees. First of all, everyone at IKEA is seen as a talent. The recruitment team selects applicants carefully according to their values and thus, try to spot and identify talent. Once a member of the IKEA Team, there a many different ways one can grow.
