Need

“At Vestas failure is not an option”. This mission statement has enabled Vestas to secure their position as the world leader in wind technology and to become a driving force in the development of the wind power industry. To ensure Vestas’ continued success, an HR strategy was devised which focussed on harnessing and uniting global experience with local expertise.

“The Will to Win” strategy looked to generate an EBIT margin of at least 10 percent by 2008, reduce staff (in relative terms), simplifying the governance structure and increase production efficiencies.

One component within the “Will to Win” strategy was the initiation of a Graduate Programme. This programme brings graduates from different parts of the world, with different backgrounds and takes them through a 2 year Graduate Programme which includes both on-the-job training, individual development and group workshops which they attend together.

The Insights Discovery learning system provided the methodology to enable graduates to improve their self-understanding.

Solution

Over a two year period, the graduate programme involves 19 graduates from eight countries experiencing three jobs in three business units across three different countries.

During this period graduates will have six assemblies where they will experience a programme of Insights Personal Effectiveness workshops.

The first assembly and Insights workshop focused on the basic knowledge of perception, preferences and the Insights colour energies. Each delegate received a copy of their Insights Discovery Personal Profile. To support the Profile and promote personal study, delegates were required to complete two online Insights Discovery Explorer modules.

A “Skype Hotline” has also been established to help delegates further enhance their understanding of the Discovery system.

Results

Initial workshops have been positively received and Insights in Denmark will continue to work with this group of graduates until 2008.

In September 2007 the next group of 40 graduates is planned, and Insights’ cooperation/involvement is being finalised.

Having experienced Insights’ learning solutions through the graduate training programme, Vestas has approached Insights with a view to supporting the creation and roll-out of a long-term learning and development programme for Executive Talents and High Potentials.